Politics & Government

Georgia Cycling Registration Bill Is Dead, Sponsors Say

Hundreds attend a meeting in Hall County, with few in support of the legislation.

Proposed legisation that would require Georgians to register their bicycles is coming off the table after a contentious hearing Monday.

According to the Gainesville Times, little support was evident for the bill at a public hearing in Hall County. And one of the sponsors said that the bill was never meant to pass to begin with.

“Let me tell you the reason that this bill was dropped the last week of March, and I know most of you don’t like it; was to get everybody in this room,” said state Rep. Carl Rogers said in the Times. " ... This bill will be pulled first thing (this) morning.”

The bill's three sponsors said they had received complaints from motorists about cyclists behaving badly on the roadways.

However, the Times reported: 

... motorist complaints were barely mentioned as cyclist after cyclist stood up (to) tell their stories about being cursed at, things being thrown at them from passing cars and being injured by cars and loose dogs as they’ve ridden on public streets.

The bill made no distinction between the high-end cycles used by bicycle clubs, and beginning bikes with training wheels. The legislation also mandated how many riders could ride in single file.

-- Have you experienced a problem with cyclists on roadways? Or cyclists, have you been treated badly by motorists? Tell us in the comments below.

See also:


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Loganville-Grayson