4 minute read
Hitting the Streets: A Ride with the Mayor
by Bristol Cox, Staff Writer
On the evening of September 5th, Sumter Cycling hosted its annual “Ride with the Mayor” event, with participants gathering at 5:30 p.m. at the Americus Public Safety Building. The two-mile ride to the Georgia Southwestern State University campus marked the start of Sumter Cycling's 'On the Move Challenge,' which runs from September 5th to 8th. This was the first year the group coordinated the ride with GSW’s ‘Under the Lights’ event, seeing it as an opportunity to bring the community together.
Before the cyclists set off with Mayor Lee Kinnamon, I spoke with Ryan Iafigliola, president of Sumter Cycling, to learn more about the goals of the event. According to Iafigliola, “The main goal is to get people out and riding, relatively short distance with police, so more people can feel safe and comfortable on the roads, and to engage our elected leaders. That is why it is important to have the mayor out here and anyone else from the local government. Having the mayor out here raises the profile of what we are doing, and we hope it also helps him see the potential of cycling in the area.”
As someone who does not cycle often, I asked Iafigliola for advice for beginners like me. He explained, "Most of our events are free, and many even include complimentary food, which is always a bonus. If you are feeling intimidated by the idea of cycling, we offer various distance options, from beginner-friendly routes to more challenging ones, but you do not have to start there." Iafigiola also emphasized that, being a small town with a tight-knit cycling community, they are open to accommodating newcomers and encourage people to reach out if they have a specific route idea in mind.
Shortly after our conversation, Mayor Kinnamon arrived with his bike and offered a few words of encouragement to the cyclists, joking “This isn’t a race” and assuring participants that they would have a police escort if they could keep up with him! As I did not have a bike, I was unable to join the ride, but I learned that GSW offers bicycles to enrolled students daily. Bike and helmets can be checked out with a valid Canes Card at the front desk of the Florrie Chappell Gymnasium.
After the two-mile ride to campus, I caught up with Mayor Kinnamon at the block party during the “Under the Lights” event to learn more about his motivation to participate. Kinnamon said, “This is a long-standing tradition between the mayor’s office for the city of Americus and Sumter Cycling. It is a way to show support for fitness and outdoor activities, along with the good work of Sumter Cycling, which is a fine organization that does great work in the community. In improving our overall health and wellbeing and providing an improvement to our quality of life here in Americus by lobbying for bike lanes.”
I then asked Mayor Kinnamon what specific measures the city has taken to improve cycling infrastructure and safety. He shared, “Funds have been allocated for bike lanes, and additional resources are available to maintain and expand the network. The city has partnered with groups like Sumter Cycling and the transportation coordinator for the River Valley Regional Commission to promote infrastructure development and complete streets, which are designed for pedestrians and cyclists, not just automobiles and promote healthier, more environmentally friendly options.”
Mayor Kinnamon also mentioned that the bike lanes on the GSW campus now connect directly to downtown Americus as part of the city’s improvements. Before concluding our conversation, I asked if he personally enjoys cycling and how often he rides. With a laugh, he responded, “Go easy on me with that one. Mrs. Kinnamon is the more active one and serves on the board of the Sumter Cycling. She’s a dedicated cyclist, and I am admittedly not. I do ride occasionally, though- we did the new river trail in West Virginia about this time last year, and we spent a day cycling. I enjoy it, but I’m not in the same shape she is.”
Many of us can likely relate to Mayor Kinnamon’s experience. After our conversation, I had the chance to enjoy the block party at the “Under the Lights” event, which preceded the first soccer game of the season
