Governors in states like Kentucky are pledging their support for recreational trails by committing to not turn down federal funding for these popular projects.

In 2011 the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) awarded $2.1 million in Recreational Trails Program grants. Atlantans will recognize the Silver Comet Trail on the list of projects funded.

Today People for Bikes listed Georgia as a state whose Governor may chose to opt out of the program. According to the FHWA, between 1993-2011 Georgia received over $22 million. That built a lot of trails in state parks and communities throughout the state. 

We need your help to prevent this.

Let the Governor know that the residents of his state want, even need, the recreational opportunities these trails provide. Whether you bike, hike, ride a horse, or participate in any one of a dozen activities that take place on paved and unpaved trails across the state, these projects benefit you and your community. 

• 47% of Americans say they would like to see more bike lanes, trails, and other bike facilities in their communities.
• Studies have shown that houses near bike paths retain more value than houses that are not.
• Bike and trail projects put lots of people to work. Bike projects often create more new jobs per million dollars invested than comparable highway projects
• According to a recent poll, 83 percent of Americans support maintaining or growing the federal funding that pays for sidewalks, bikeways, and bike paths.

Imagine for a moment the impact on Atlanta's bicycle community if the Silver Comet Trail had never been built.

Then take action by clicking "sign the pledge" to protect recreational trails in Atlanta and throughout the state. 

On July 31st, metro Atlanta and nine of the state's 12 regions voted down their regional TSPLOST referendums.

The Atlanta Banana examines why in this beautiful pie chart... and on a more serious note, the Atlanta Regional Commisson map below shows clear patterns of support within the city of Atlanta, Fulton, and DeKalb. 

ABC supported the measure for three reasons: 

1. For the first time, a regional project list was more than half transit. Cycling for transportation in a city as sprawled as Atlanta is nigh impossible without good mass transit. 

2. Again for the first time, bicycle facilities were included in roadway projects (a.k.a. Complete Streets) on a regional list.

3. The measure would have built half the Atlanta BeltLine and the city of Atlanta's list would have added 29 miles of city streets with bikeways, more than doubling the city's current miles of bike facilities! 

Sigh.

But today is a new day, and we are looking for new ideas to help our city, region, and state get places, not just get moving. It's time to double down on community-based solutions that help us live, not just travel, better. 

We are looking for permanent solutions that let people opt out of traffic - streetcars, bikeways, sidewalks and safe crossings, infrastructure that complements existing transit investments. The question is, how do we fund them in this political, economic, and built environment? 

We don't have the answers, but the first step lies in asking the right questions.

ABC wants to bring people together for thoughtful discussions that center on identifying the right problems and sparking collaborative solutions. Stay tuned for a transportation solutions salon where the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and doers come together around foot-first policies and projects. 

To close on a bright note, the state Department of Transportation is working with Georgia Bikes and ABC on a Georgia first - a Complete Streets policy that would affect future roadway projects, however the Governor decides to fund them. We expect the policy to go to the board for a vote in August. 

[In case you missed them, check out ABC's Top Ten Regional Bike Projects & Highlighted City of Atlanta Bike Projects!]

On July 31, 2012, voters in the ten-county Atlanta metro area will decide whether to fund local and regional transportation projects through a regional transportation referendum. The Georgia state economist has estimated total revenues from the referendum to be $7.2 billion over the ten-year period. This will be split into two separate pots of money: $6.1 billion (85% of the total) for regional projects, and 15% allocated directly to counties and cities for local projects.

For those who ride a bike or would like to, we've assembled a list of the bicycle projects the funding would build. 

Both the regional and local projects include bicycle facilities, but the greater portion of bicycle and pedestrian improvements will come through the 15% of funding for local governments. That's because trips made by foot or on bike tend to be more local in nature. Regional bike/walk trips tend to include transit, and transit projects make up a healthy percentage of the regional project list--52%! To see what Atlanta's new rail map would look like, visit Citizens for Progressive Transit.

Complete Streets Approach

Video: 

During the adoption of our strategic plan last year, our board of directors voted to support passage of the transportation sales tax. Since that time, we've worked to inform our members and audience about the regional (85%) project list, advocated for bicycle (and pedestrian) improvements and that roadway projects be Complete Streets, and provided feedback from our members to the city of Atlanta on its priorities for the local portion of the tax (15%). 

Now the vote is just a few weeks away, and we're fielding questions from other groups asking if we support the measure. We do! Here's why:

• 52% of the regional project list is transit. Transit makes biking to get places much, much more feasible in our sprawled region, and we wholeheartedly support the (overdue) investments in transit expansion. 
• 45-60% of the roadway projects will be Complete Streets - projects that provide additional access for modes beyond just the car, and facilitate safer biking and walking
• In Metro Atlanta, local governments keep 15% of the funds to spend on local projects. In the City of Atlanta, our primary coverage area, that list is looking good. It would add 29 miles of city streets with bicycle facilities, more than doubling our current mileage. We call that good news. Check out the map we created - below - that illustrates the connections between Atlanta's local and regional projects, or visit the City of Atlanta's website for the full project list.

View Larger Map

• Other cities and counties could use their local 15% in similarly sustainable, economically sound ways. Check out this list to find out if yours has released their local project priorities: www.atlantaregionalroundtable.com/local_projects.html. 

Cobb County is one example of a local government that has released a local list (transparency - that's good!) that is currently not very bike-friendly (not so good...). If you live in Cobb, contact your county commissioner and/or transportation planners (email planning@cobbcounty.org or call 770-528-1650) to let them know you want more! Encourage them to keep their 2009 Complete Streets policy and 2011 Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Program in mind. 

We truly appreciate all those who participated in the 5th annual BeltLine Bike Tour May 5th! 

We'd like to hear your feedback on this event - what worked, what didn't, how we can improve for next year. 

For taking the time to complete this brief survey, all respondents will be entered to win this shirt (also available in yellow, orange, blue and teal). 

Please click Read more to take the survery.