Rapid Response Required by City for Safe Streets

We are experiencing a breaking point in Atlanta’s mobility landscape. With the rise of shared mobility devices including e-bikes and scooters,  almost weekly we are reminded that streets built to prioritize cars aren’t sufficient for present-day Atlanta. People are dying. The narrative of putting the onus on the victims or people that choose to use these devices for last-mile connectivity—or even for fun—unfairly removes the responsibility from the people with the power to enact immediate solutions. Read more

Community protest calls for safe streets on West Peachtree and beyond

Just after 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17th, William Alexander was struck and fatally crushed by a bus while riding a scooter near Arts Center Marta Station in Midtown. The father of two lost his life on West Peachtree Street, a state road that the City of Atlanta and Midtown Alliance have proposed for safety improvements. West Peachtree was on the Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST project list in 2015, but only received funding for street design. In addition to the failure to make West Peachtree Street a safe and complete street, the sidewalk at 15th Street is closed for a construction project. With the current conditions, West Peachtree is not a safe street for all. On, Wednesday, July 24, community members gathered at the site of the crash and form people protected sidewalk, bike, and scooter lane to demand that state and city officials take immediate action to prevent further severe and fatal injuries. Read more

Mayoral veto of Baker St project: call to action

Converting Baker Street back into two-way street reached a roadblock on Wednesday when Mayor Bottoms unexpectedly vetoed City Council’s 11-4 vote in favor of the project. The opposition for this project conflicts with Atlanta's Transportation Plan, adopted by the city in 2018, and elevates property interests over the safety of people. Read more

Neighborhood Planning Units and Neighborhoods call for safety for Cascade

As traffic safety concerns grow more and more pressing on Cascade and other High Injury Network streets in SW Atlanta, it's inspiring to see neighbors organizing for safe streets for all.  Recently, Neighborhood Planning Units S and T, in coordination with neighborhood organizations lining Cascade, and working alongside the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, came together to advocate much-needed and long-overdue safety improvements for Cascade.  Read more

What's happening on DeKalb Ave?

We've been saying it for years, dating back to our 2014 petition calling for then-Mayor Kasim Reed to "Fix DeKalb Ave": DeKalb Avenue is fast, dangerous, and out of control. Leading up to the 2015 referendum on the Renew Atlanta Infrastructure Bond, we successfully pushed the City to put DeKalb Ave on the Complete Streets project list. Serving on the Stakeholder Committee, we advocated for the Complete Streets projects on the list to come first, because we were concerned money would run out before the City got around to building them. That's exactly what happened, and the new administration had to reprioritize the remaining projects.  We all know what happened next. Read more

The Future: strategic planning for 2020-2022 and beyond!

Our last plan, adopted in 2017, led with this mission: to transform Atlanta into a more livable, accessible city by making biking equitable, safe, and appealing. We intentionally placed the emphasis on the outcome we wanted to achieve -- a more livable, accessible city -- with equitable, safe, and appealing biking being our tool to achieve that goal. At the same time, we made a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.  As we near the midpoint in the final year of that plan and embark on the path to determine the most effective direction for the next three years, we are considering expanding our mission. If you attended the annual Blinkie Awards & Member Party, you already know this!  Specifically, we are contemplating a direction that would put biking on equal ground with other transportation options, generate equitable and inclusive mobility outcomes, and, ultimately, propel biking further, faster. Read more to find out what progress we've made on this journey so far! We hope you'll join us on the path to the future. Read more

What happened to Cycle Atlanta 2.0?

Recently, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) announced a partnership with five cities to "Rapidly Design and Build Low-Carbon Transportation Projects by 2020."  In the release, Mayor Bottoms said: “Atlanta is poised to build a 21st Century transportation system. With our forthcoming launch of the city’s first-ever Department of Transportation and access to the NACTO network’s expertise, we will emerge from the Climate Challenge with world-class bike lanes, important new sidewalk connections, and a team ready to deliver sustainable mobility options for all Atlantans.” This is excellent news and we are looking forward to learning more about what this means for the City.  But let's not forget the City has already designed two sets of projects that would add bike lanes, safe crossings, and sustainable mobility for the last mile of people's trips -- these projects just haven't been built yet. Read more

Staff and Board Updates

The day-to-day work of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is propelled by staff and board members who spend countless hours advocating for you at community meetings, public events, in the media, on advisory committees, and at City Hall. We want to share some important staff changes with you along with some exciting job and internship opportunities as we move into the second half of 2019. Read more

Cascade Can't Wait for Safety Improvements

On Wednesday, May 8th, approximately 50 community members and supporters, including parents and students from Tuskegee Airmen Global Academy Elementary School (TAG), turned frustration into action, calling on the City to #RespectCascade  . “Walk a Mile in Cascade’s Shoes” served as a day of action to generate attention about the prevalence of injuries on Cascade Road and to honor victims like 52-year-old David Gordon who lost his life crossing the street in a low-visibility crosswalk earlier this year. Read more

Shifting Gears Students Are on a Roll!

Look out, Atlanta, here come 600 empowered young people on bikes who are starting to demand safe routes to schools -- ALL schools -- across the city. Last year, 5% of the second graders in Atlanta Public Schools completed a solid curriculum unit on bike safety through our Shifting Gears program. This year, we reached 13% -- and we aim to double that amount with classes in 18 APS elementary schools in 2020. Read more

City Council increases fine for parking or stopping in bike lanes

When cars and trucks park illegally in bike lanes, it's not just an inconvenience - it makes biking unpredictable and less safe. Last year, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition members and supporters helped crowd-source data on which bike lanes in Atlanta were blocked most often. The subsequent report we released, titled Unblock the Lane, identified problem spots and recommended solutions. District 1 Councilmember Carla Smith read the report, saw the news coverage, and wanted to do something about the problem. Read more

ATL DOT coming soon!

We were thrilled to hear Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announce she is creating an Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATL DOT) at the 2019 State of the City.  We've advocated for the creation of a City of Atlanta department dedicated to transportation for two years, through our 2017 policy platform, our mayoral forum, and as members of the ATL DOT stakeholder committee. In fact, we were asking for it informally even before then, once we realized that planning and implementation needed to fall under the same authority and leadership.  Thanks to the smart, tireless, and humble work of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Councilmember Andre Dickens, we are now closer than ever to the dream of safe, equitable mobility. We're proud of the advocacy work that's gotten Atlanta this far. None of this would be possible without the support of our members. JOIN TODAY to support our continued work on this issue.  Read more

Congrats to the 2019 shiny & bright Blinkie Award winners!

On Thursday, February 7th, about 300 members and guests attended the 2019 Blinkie Awards & Member Party, sponsored by BikeLaw Georgia and the Trolley Barn. We gathered to connect with our members and celebrate the people making Atlanta better by bike. In case you missed it, read more for the award winners.  Read more

Calling All Advocates - Final Push for Safe & Complete Streets

We closed 2018 calling on the City to prioritize the Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST Complete Street projects that have stalled out after three years of public meetings and delays. As taxpayers and voters, you and I authorized these projects, and we voted for Complete Streets - twice! Now it's time to mark your calendars for our last run at getting safe & complete streets built. Bring friends, family, and anyone who owes you money to these meetings and tell the City to prioritize safe & complete streets. There's a lot to like in the Complete Streets Scenario presented at the Transportation Committee Work Session earlier this month. (You can review the presentation here.) Namely, full funding for Howell Mill Road, Cascade Road/Avenue (Phase 1), Monroe Drive AND Boulevard, and the removal of the reversible lane on DeKalb Avenue. But there are three important projects missing. Read more

Prioritize the Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST Complete Streets Proiects

If you voted for safe and Complete Streets that provide more mobility and transportation options for everyone, please take the Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST survey and make sure these projects get built. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms launched an effort to prioritize the Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST project list after she identified major funding shortfalls that would jeopardize long overdue projects that were overwhelmingly approved by voters. As stated in the presentation to the Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee, Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST will prioritize projects based on the safety, mobility, and affordability goals established in the Atlanta Transportation Plan (ATP). Read more

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