Kyle Eckmann grew up on the south side of Savannah, and he would ride his bike “everywhere” around town. One thing he did not realize until some 40 years later, though, is how he cycled the streets without bike lanes.
It was simply not at the forefront of his mind as a kid, Eckmann said. Now that Savannah is undertaking a city-wide multi-modal trail in Tide to Town those considerations are emerging and Eckmann took to Windsor Forest High School last month for a public engagement session to weigh in on Tide to Town’s equitable growth.
The meeting was one of three in-person sessions hosted by the city to gain input on the types of physical, economic and recreation connections residents want along the trail, which will create a 30-mile loop throughout Savannah. The city also held a virtual meeting on Oct. 8 through Our Black Media, and residents are encouraged to participate through an online survey. A bus tour along existing trail and potential future locations is set for Oct. 19.
“If you are unfamiliar with the trail, it’s an opportunity to learn,” Eckmann said after the southside meeting. “I was already familiar with the concept of the trial, but there were still things for me to learn from listening to other people.”