The decorated bikes appearing at key intersections along Hwy. 41A are part of a bike safety and creative placemaking project. They flag routes connecting cyclists across 41A, and especially to and from the Mountain Goat Trail, and work to make Sewanee’s active transportation network, and the fun of biking here, visible. Most importantly, they aim to calm traffic and improve safety in town by making cyclists, cycling, and crossings more visible to drivers on 41A.

Each bike is decorated by a different group. GRiT (Girls Riding Together), the St. Andrew’s-SewaneeSchool varsity mountain bike team, Woody’s Bicycles, the Sewanee Outing Program, the Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability, and local families are all participating.

The decorated bikes are a test project, and only one small way to work towards making cycling and Sewanee’s active transportation network visible, safe, appealing and accessible. They will remain in place until January.

The project came out of Sewanee Village Advisory Group meetings, which were initiated by Economic Development and facilitated by Little Things, a placemaking consultant based in Chattanooga. Economic Development supported the purchase of reflectors and signs. Facilities Management of the University of the South provided valuable assistance by salvaging and storing discarded and damaged bikes, Jeremy Price of TDOT assisted with identifying locations, BigA Marketing designed and printed the signs, and Kailie Kelsey, C’27, provided plarn made from upcycled plastic bags. Thank you to all our participants and contributors!