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2022 Policy & Infrastructure Recommendations
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Explore our recommendations for the City of Atlanta, MARTA, Atlanta Public Schools, Georgia Department of Transportation, and the Georgia Legislature.
In 2021 we shared an Equity and Mobility policy agenda representing policy changes we would advocate for during the term of 2021-2025.
The list below includes policies and infrastructure projects we believe would advance safe and equitable transportation in 2022. We welcome other policy and infrastructure and will support proposals that help build our vision of an Atlanta where everyone moves safely, easily, and sustainably throughout the city.
City of Atlanta
- Fund and implement Atlanta Streets Alive as an ongoing and high-frequency program
- Fund city infrastructure projects (bond and TSPLOST) that prioritize sidewalks & safe streets for people
- Fund Safe Routes to School projects for schools on or near the High-Injury Network in the FY 2023 budget
- Adopt Leading Pedestrian Intervals as standard and use signal timing to create safer crossings, starting with schools and transit stops
- Decriminalize walking and biking by reforming / deprioritizing enforcement of laws that allow for over-policing of walking, biking, and riding transit
- Expand the default 25 mph speed limit adopted in 2020 Vision Zero legislation to cover City of Atlanta streets classified as collectors and minor arterials
- Create a Vision Zero plan to eliminate traffic fatalities by prioritizing racial equity and safer street design
- Finish projects — including Complete Streets, bike/LIT lanes, and sidewalks — that were promised in the 2015 Renew Atlanta bond, 2016 TSPLOST, and Cycle Atlanta 1.0 and 2.0
- Adopt missing middle (MR-MU) or similar zoning proposal to allow more people to live near transit
- Routinely maintain bike/Light Individual Transportation (LIT) lanes
MARTA
- Define equity and reduce inequities in transportation through redesign of the bus network
- Adopt an equitable, flexible transit fare structure that makes transit affordable for families and free for young people
- Implement More MARTA projects with dedicated bus lanes or right of way, dedicated bike lanes, and accessible sidewalks
- Redevelop land near transit into affordable housing
Atlanta Public Schools
- Implement automated speed cameras in school zones equitably and transparently, to protect the lives of students, families, and staff, and to prevent unnecessary police interactions
Georgia Department of Transportation
- Start community engagement processes for safety projects on Donald L. Hollowell Parkway and Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard
- Prioritize safety projects for Moreland Avenue and all state routes on the High-Injury Network
- Adopt Leading Pedestrian Intervals as the standard for crossings and uses signal timing to give people walking priority and create safer crossings, starting with schools and transit stops
- Routinely maintain bike/Light Individual Transportation (LIT) lanes
- Require safe temporary accommodations for people walking, using wheelchairs, biking, or scooting when sidewalks or bike lanes are closed for construction
Georgia General Assembly
- Add sidewalk repairs to the definition of roadway maintenance
- Decriminalize walking and biking by reforming or deprioritizing enforcement of laws that allow for over-policing
- Adopt policies limiting pursuits except when a suspect poses a grave and imminent threat to the public
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It's time for Atlanta's leaders to elevate safe, equitable, sustainable mobility solutions to the top of the agenda.
Join the movement by signing on to our equity & mobility policy agenda today.
Thank you to the partner organizations who helped develop and support this agenda!
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Explore our 2021-2025 Policy Agenda Recommendations for City of Atlanta and Atlanta Board of Education:
City of Atlanta: Safety
Make streets measurably safer for people biking, walking, and using scooters or wheelchairs.
City of Atlanta: Transit & Affordability
Increase access to transit and affordability of housing.
City of Atlanta: Funding
Comprehensively fund Atlanta's sustainable transportation infrastructure.
Atlanta Board of Education
Make it possible for kids to safely get to and from school on foot, bike, transit, and other modes.
We urgently need Atlanta's leaders to adopt and implement equitable mobility recommendations.
Transportation is an essential part of everyone’s life. When it doesn’t work well, we miss out on job opportunities, have limited access to housing options, are exposed to unsafe streets or polluted air, or have our freedom of movement restricted due to the lack of reasonable options. When transportation is good, it is essential — even enjoyable, because it just works. We might notice kids biking to school, experience the ease of crossing the street safely, or relax while listening to music as we look out the window from a bus in a dedicated lane.
Yet as the pandemic continues, people face greater risks and barriers while in transit. Despite fewer miles driven, more people died on Georgia roads in 2020, likely due to an increase in speeding. And, people riding public transportation experienced dramatic cutbacks to bus routes, leading to longer walks to the nearest bus stop, often on streets that lack sidewalks.
This policy agenda is about creating viable transportation options that are safe, easy, accessible, and enjoyable for everyone.Equitable transportation policies and projects provide physical and social mobility, as well as access to living-wage jobs, affordable housing, healthcare, and quality education. Affordable mobility options give people economic and social opportunities, especially in communities racially profiled for disinvestment that continue to suffer disproportionately from traffic fatalities. Green options reduce the transportation sector’s impact on climate change, an existential threat to communities.
Working with our partners and stakeholders, we created three policy recommendation categories: Safety, Transit and Affordability, and Funding. In addition, we have a policy agenda for the Atlanta Board of Education. Please join us in sharing these recommendations with our leaders as we work to create a more equitable city through mobility.
