Roswell's reputation for being a bike-friendly city is not just for show and a new Roswell City Council resolution to partner with Bike Roswell! on an advocacy grant proves it.

The city council approved a resolution to partner with Bike Roswell! on an application for a Bikes Belong advocacy grant at the council meeting Monday, Dec. 13.

"It was a cooperative effort between the city and Bike Roswell! since the Bikes Belong Coalition only allows organizations whose sole purpose is to promote bicycling to apply for the grant. The city does more than just support bicycling programs, whereas that is actually the purpose of Bike Roswell!," said Steve Acenbrak, transportation director for the city of Roswell and current president of Bike Roswell!.

As a community that continues to seek new ways of integrating alternative transportation modes, the grant through the national Bikes Belong Coalition is just another way for Roswell to expand its goal of getting more people on bicycles, more often.

"The key goal of the Bikes Belong advocacy grants program is to support large scale innovative, replicable initiatives that significantly increase ridership and improve conditions for bicycling in big U.S. cities," stated the resolution.

The proposed grant would provide funds for cyclist and motorist education, as well as awareness classes in Roswell. It would also help extend traditional community marketing methods to the growing Hispanic cycling population within the city, according to the resolution approved by city council. As for how exactly the organization will do that, Acenbrak said they still aren't sure.

"We've kicked around ideas, but it's a completely different primary focus," he said. "You've got guys on bikes without helmets, people cycling in an unsafe manner...this particular population is actually using bicycles as transportation. We need to reach out to them in a non-threatening way so that everyone is more integrated and understanding of the rules."

The initiative would directly assist the community-wide education programs developed by Bike Roswell! over the last year. If awarded the grant, the city could see up to $10,000. Either way, the city has already set aside money to fund the initiative.

"Being awarded this grant money just doubles the amount we already have set aside," Acenbrak said.