Atlantic Beach Bikefest 2009.
(AP) -- The Grand Strand's two May bike rallies are over, now the assessment begins. Attendance at both rallies was said to be smaller this year, but was that due to a poor economy or the city of Myrtle Beach's new anti-rally laws?
City council and the mayor are taking heat for passing those laws. Tuesday, we asked the mayor and several council members if they had any regrets. They said no. They believe their attempt at reining in the bike rallies is off to a good start.
Smaller attendance, fewer accidents, fewer arrests: Myrtle Beach city council members say, for the May, 2009 bike rallies, it is mission almost accomplished.
"Our goal was to be able to get a more manageable crowd, cut down on some of the bad elements that were coming along with the big crowds and stuff, so I think that was achieved," said city councilman, Mike Chestnut.
Chestnut and others on council say there's still work to be done. Many Myrtle Beach hotels and restaurants complain their business was way down this month, and council members say they want to help recoup that loss. But they also say, the smaller bike rallies didn't hurt everybody.
"We've had reports from restaurants, we've had reports from hotels that had an increase in business," said Myrtle Beach's mayor, John Rhodes.
Rhodes says whenever there's a big change, there will be a transition and some will be hurt by it.
One councilman says he's especially pleased with the Atlantic Beach Bikefest participants, who he says handled the new rules with a grace that was lacking from the Harley bikers.
Councilman Randal Wallace said, "I just was not at all impressed with the Harley Davidson people. They complained and cried and 'Not a Dime in '09,' didn't come into the city and behaved like spoiled kids."
Wallace says residents are telling city leaders there was a huge improvement this year. Rhodes says, with the new laws, the city is making headway in handling the bike rallies.
"There's other things that need to be fine tuned to it, but it gave us a starting point and that's what we were trying to do," says Rhodes.
We talked to the manager of one North Myrtle Beach convenience store who says business was off by nearly 40 percent. He blames the new laws in Myrtle Beach, and says the ways the city is attempting to recover that business won't be enough.
(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
