Updates from Bike Walk Macon’s 2026 Mobility Maker Member party
This post highlights updates shared at Bike Walk Macon’s 2026 Mobility Maker Member Party and focuses on progress since last summer’s event. For a broader look at Bike Walk Macon’s calendar-year accomplishments, check out our 2025 Impact Report.
At this year’s Mobility Maker Member Party, we had the chance to share updates on what’s happened since last summer, what’s currently taking shape across Macon, and what’s ahead for Bike Walk Macon.
From major community events to trail progress, infrastructure wins, education growth, and new staff leadership, 2025–2026 was a year of momentum for our organization and for the broader movement to make active transportation an option for all Maconites.
A New Chapter for Bike Walk Macon
In March, founder and Executive Director Rachel Umana stepped down after 10 years of visionary leadership that helped shape Bike Walk Macon into the organization it is today. Rachel changed the way our community thinks about walking, biking, and transportation, and her leadership built the foundation for so much of the work now taking shape across Macon.
At the same time, Bike Walk Macon entered a new chapter with Kaylee Pruitt stepping into the role of Executive Director. Kaylee began as a Bike Walk Macon volunteer in 2019, joined staff in 2021 as Education and Engagement Manager, and now leads the organization after years of helping shape its community programs and education efforts.
Community
Over the last year, Bike Walk Macon continued creating opportunities for people to experience Macon by bike and on foot while also building support for safer, more people-centered streets.
Since the last member party, Open Streets Macon returned in a big way, first in Pleasant Hill and Beall’s Hill on September 28, and later on Houston Avenue on May 3, giving over 2,500 residents the chance to experience their streets as places for gathering and celebration rather than traffic. Big Bike Ride brought more than 175 riders together to support our mission and highlight projects happening in and around Macon’s Urban Core, while 250 participants celebrated biking, walking, and public space across the city at Streets for All Fest.
Together, these events continue to do more than bring people out for a fun day. They help residents imagine what a safer, healthier, and more connected Macon can look like - and they remind us how much enthusiasm there is for this work across our community.
We’re also excited to share that Macon’s Big Bike Ride will return on November 7.
Advocacy
While events are often the most visible part of Bike Walk Macon’s work, some of the biggest updates we shared this year were about the progress happening on the ground.
Pleasant Hill Pathway Is Underway
One of the projects we’re most excited about right now is the Pleasant Hill Pathway.
After years of planning and community engagement, construction is now underway on a permanent multi-use path along Walnut Street between Forest Avenue and Madison Street. In 2023, Bike Walk Macon installed a temporary two-way cycle track along this corridor to demonstrate the need for safer walking and biking infrastructure. That pilot project is now being replaced with a permanent path that will provide safer and more comfortable options for people moving through Pleasant Hill while also serving as an important future link to the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail.
Across Macon, we’re seeing continued investment in safer streets and better transportation options.
Rendering of 3rd Street Improvements
Other advocacy and infrastructure wins include:
A new green bike lane on 5th Street
Macon-Bibb County’s commitment to conduct a countywide sidewalk study to identify gaps and prioritize pedestrian improvements
Plans for a road diet on 3rd Street with the addition of bicycle lanes
Continued work with the Napier Heights Working Group to explore traffic calming and tactical urbanism improvements that create safer access to parks, Mercer University, and Central High School
The expansion of MBCTA’s Rapid Transit service to Lake Wildwood, the East Macon Industrial Park, and the Downtown Macon Airport
Installation of four artist-designed bike racks in the Urban Core later this year, building on Bike Walk Macon’s ongoing efforts to blend public art with practical bicycle infrastructure
Big Momentum on the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail
Bike Walk Macon and NewTown Macon have strengthened their partnership around trail communication, activation, and advocacy, helping keep the community informed and engaged as trail projects move forward.
Several promising OHT projects are currently in motion:
The River Walk beneath the I-75 and I-16 interchange could be usable by next summer, restoring a critical section of the trail
Mercer School of Medicine is expected to break ground on its new Riverside Drive campus, which will include a new trailhead, improved trail access, and a connection between the River Walk and an existing section of trail within Rose Hill Cemetery
NewTown Macon is pursuing funding for the next northern extension in Amerson River Park
Wimberly Treadwell is pursuing Recreational Trails Program funding to extend existing trail in Riverside Cemetery. That future segment would eventually connect to a pedestrian bridge crossing the railroad and river, creating a vital link between the River Walk and Amerson River Park.
Bike Walk Macon has also launched a new Ocmulgee Heritage Trail webpage to help the public stay up to date on trail projects, progress, and updates. In addition, we’re working with Bike Tech Macon to launch the Friends of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail - a volunteer-led group that will help serve as stewards of the trail as sections begin to reopen.
Education
Education remains one of the core parts of Bike Walk Macon’s work, and it continues to grow.
From July 2025 through June 2026, Bike Walk Macon connected with 5,283 people at 50 community events and reached an additional 867 people through 39 education classes and programs. More than 2,000 of those participants were children.
In June, Charity Lucas joined Bike Walk Macon as our new Education and Engagement Manager. Many in Macon already know Charity through her work at Brookdale Resource Center, her leadership in the community, and her involvement in several of Bike Walk Macon’s artistic crosswalk projects over the years. We’re thrilled to have her officially on the team as we continue growing our education and engagement work.
Looking Ahead
The Mobility Maker Member Party was a chance to celebrate what’s happened since last summer, but it was also a reminder of how much is still ahead.
Between the return of Open Streets, progress on the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, the Pleasant Hill Pathway moving forward, expanded education funding, and a growing team, Bike Walk Macon has a lot of momentum heading into the next year.
We’re grateful to everyone who continues to support this work - our members, volunteers, partners, sponsors, and neighbors who believe Macon can be safer and easier to move through no matter how you get around.
If you’d like to be part of what comes next, we’d love to have you with us.
Stay Involved
Save the date for Macon’s Big Bike Ride on November 7
