The ABC is a member of League of American Bicyclists

and a member of the Palmetto Cycling Coalition
PCC

Tom Lex is a member of the ABC and a PCC Board member. Tom has become very active as an advocate for cycling in the Aiken community.  Click below to see why Tom is a cyclist.
Why Tom Rides

Safe Streets Save Lives

The Safe Streets Save Lives (SSSL) project is the first initiative of its kind that is working towards reducing the number of automobile / bicycle crashes and deaths on South Carolina roads. This project represents a public and private partnership in South Carolina striving for the improved safety of all bicyclists on the state's roadways. This is a long-term investment for the betterment of South Carolina and all of its residents—when roads improve for the safety of bicyclists, they become safer for all users.

Bicycling is good for South Carolina, and it’s a fun and healthy activity for the people it serves. So let’s strive to respect basic laws when traveling on the roads. Following these laws, we can be safe, have fun, and most importantly—we can get there together.

Local Advocacy Activity

WheelMovement - It is the mission of Wheel Movement to promote and support the local cycling community. Wheel Movement recognizes the lifestyle, economic, health, and public relations value of cycling in the CSRA. Wheel Movement will work to provide educational programs, conduct community outreach initiatives, and engage in advocacy efforts that not only generate, but also sustain a positive cycling environment throughout the community. Facebook page: WheelMovement

Meetings were held with the SC Augusta Regional Transportation Subcommittee (ARTS). The subcommittee includes the Mayors of Aiken, North Augusta and City and County Council members. The purpose of the meetings has been to encourage them to include bicycle friendly initiatives in their transportation planning. I have presented them with a vision for making our area bicycle friendly along with the economic and health benefits that go along with having a bicycle friendly County.  The specific roads in the County that need either bike lanes or bike paths have been identified. I have presented specific recommendations for moving forward. Aiken County will be developing a Bicycle Pedestrian plan and expects to kick off development of the plan by the beginning of April 2011. The Club will participate as a key stakeholder.

One of the greatest challenges facing the bicycle and pedestrian field is the lack of documentation on usage and demand. Without accurate and consistent demand and usage figures, it is difficult to measure the positive benefits of investments in these modes, especially when compared to the other transportation modes such as the private automobile. An answer to this need for data is the National Bicycle & Pedestrian Documentation Project , co-sponsored by and Alta Planning and Design and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Pedestrian and Bicycle Council. This nationwide effort provides consistent model of data collection and ongoing data for use by planners, governments, and bicycle and pedestrian professionals.

 Within the next year the area is likely to be designated as a non-attainment area for ozone by EPA. There will be an increased emphasis on alternate means of transportation including bicycles. The reason for this is that half the ozone comes from vehicles and future road expansion will be cut back significantly. I will follow up with my DHEC contact to see how we can partner with them and get more emphsis on cycling.

Aiken County is included in the Augusta Regional Transportation Study which is going through its 5 year update. Public meetings were held on February 16 and March 9, 2010 to solicit input. I followed up with the team lead conducting the study and he was appreciative of the input received from area cyclists. On March 31, 2011 the first meeting will be held to follow up on the actions to be taken from the Study. 

Contacts with the City of Aiken City Council members have been made to encourage their support of a bicycle friendly community. In January 2011 the Council conducted a strategic planning session and included  actions to make Aiken bicycle friendly as one of the long term objectives.