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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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Fund Safe Routes to School in City of Atlanta FY 2022 budget
We're celebrating a success for this campaign! Safe Routes to School is funded in the City of Atlanta's FY '22 budget.
It was once the norm for kids to bike around their neighborhoods and to school. Biking provided independence for growing kids while giving them physical activity and access to social networks. In 1969, 50% of kids walked or biked to school. But by 2009, just 13% did.
That’s why one of our City of Atlanta Policy Agenda recommendations is for the Atlanta Department of Transportation to create a Safe Routes to School program, prioritizing safety for schools near the High-Injury Network. Atlanta’s students deserve reliable City funding that supports their success by establishing safe transportation options that make communities more livable and prevent displacement.
All children benefit from increased physical activity — having safe ways to walk, bike, scoot, or skate to school makes it easier to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. According to the September 2017 Active Transportation Policy Brief for Atlanta Public Schools:
Regular physical activity and higher levels of physical fitness are linked to improved cognitive development, academic performance, and brain function — including attention and memory, plus fewer health related absences.
In the City of Atlanta between 2012-2015, 44 percent of bicycle crashes and 53 percent of pedestrian crashes occurred within a half-mile of an Atlanta school. Programs supporting safe active transportation to and from school improve safety through measures like traffic calming, student education, and infrastructure improvements.
When students start biking or walking to school, it positively affects the whole community. For example, we've discovered that parents also become interested in how they can improve the safety of streets in their communities. It also affords more exercise opportunities for the whole family, and children begin healthy, sustainable habits that can inform their transportation choices later in life.
Leading up to the City of Atlanta’s budget hearings, we’ve spoken with City officials about solidifying funding for a Safe Routes to School program. We’re pleased to report the Atlanta Department of Transportation and the Mayor’s Office have been very receptive — we’re told funding to hire a Safe Routes to School program staffer is slated for Atlanta Department of Transportation’s FY 2022 budget.
Add signatureHelp make sure this key program makes it through budget hearings and potential cuts — sign this petition and let your city councilmember and the mayor know Safe Routes to School is critical to happy, healthy, successful students and their families.
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