Have you ever wanted more sidewalks, bike / Light Individual Transportation lanes, and safer streets in Atlanta? 

On May 24th, you will have the opportunity to vote on three ballot measures that will put over $460M over five years toward vital transportation projects in Atlanta, as part of an overall $750M infrastructure program. 

Our 2022 policy and infrastructure recommendations called for the City of Atlanta to fund infrastructure projects that prioritize sidewalks & safe streets for people. Let’s see how that worked out. According to the City’s webpage, the $460M in proposed transportation investments include $196.5M for sidewalks and trails and $108M for safe streets projects and protected bike lane projects. Of the $460M in proposed transportation investments, there’s $196.5M for sidewalks and trails and $108M for safe streets projects and protected bike lane projects = 66%. That means two-thirds of the projects prioritize sidewalks and safe streets for people!

Go to project list

Help ensure these projects are funded and hold elected and appointed officials accountable to build what they said they would build: Vote YES on May 24th.

Visit sos.ga.gov to register, find your polling place, or access a sample ballot.

Background on the proposed City Funding programs on the ballot May 24

On Monday, December 6th, 2021, Atlanta City Council voted to approve two pieces of legislation: 1) Authorizing a TSPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) and 2) Authorizing an infrastructure bond. Thank you to everyone who asked their City Councilmember to prioritize funding sidewalks and safe streets — several were changes made due to community feedback! Here's our analysis of what's on the lists. 

Project Lists: 

November 22, 2021 project spreadsheet | December 6, 2021 project spreadsheet 

4 things we're celebrating about the proposed projects:

1. The totals surpass our goal for the TSPLOST of $150M for sidewalks and $150 million for safe streets.

Although the overlap between categories on the list makes it somewhat challenging to break the list down by type of infrastructure (sidewalk, bike lane, trail, street, etc.) when combined with the bond-funded projects the totals surpass our goal.

• $148 Million for new sidewalks, sidewalk repairs, and ADA curb ramps will begin to address Atlanta's tremendous sidewalk backlog, reportedly over $1 Billion and counting, as additional sidewalks fall into disrepair every year. We believe this represents a historic level of sidewalk investment for the City of Atlanta.
• $102 Million for safer street projects including some that have been on City lists for years, such as Lee St, Whitehall St, Courtland St, Ralph McGill Blvd, and Monroe Dr. The street safety improvements will connect existing safe infrastructure for people walking, riding transit, or using wheelchairs, bikes, scooters, etc., so the impact on the network is cumulatively greater than any one project. 
• $40 Million for trails will leverage other funding and better connect Atlanta's growing trail network, providing low-stress spaces for walking, wheelchairs, biking, etc.
• $15 Million more for bike lanes, in addition to bike lanes installed as part of the safer streets projects. 

2. Corridors on the High Injury Network and our street campaigns for the past five years appear on the lists: 

• DeKalb Ave multi-use trail (phase two following the phase 1 safety improvement project underway on DeKalb as of December 2021)
• Cascade Road multi-use trail (phase two following the phase 1 safety improvement project that broke ground in December 2021). The Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) confirmed  that this project will connect Avon Ave with Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. 
• Ralph David Abernathy - Georgia Ave safe streets and protected bike lanes
• Lee Street Trail (Southside Bike Project) & Safety Improvements
• Courtland Dedicated Bus Lanes & Courtland / Piedmont Protected Bike Lanes near Georgia State University 
• South Boulevard Safe Street & Protected Bike Lane
• Marietta Blvd Rebuild Local Match & Safety Improvements
• Central Park Place Safe Street & Protected Bike Lanes
• South Boulevard Safe Street & Protected Bike Lane
• Whitehall Safe Street & Protected Bike Lanes

3. Sidewalks get a major boost, using a prioritization method straight from the strategic plan: Safety-Equity-Mobility. 

Image: from ATLDOT public meeting presentation

Image: from ATLDOT public meeting presentation

4. Despite the rushed public engagement process, some changes were made based on community feedback: 

• Removed: $35M Public Safety Training Facility (the final list includes $4.5M for Public Safety Improvements and $15M for 911 Call Center)
• Added:  
  • Conley Road SE Safe Street (connects Moreland Ave)
  • Wisteria Sidewalk (Kirkwood neighborhood)
  • Erin Avenue Sidewalk Replacement & Beltline Connection (Capitol View neighborhood)
  • McPherson Sidewalk Improvements (East Atlanta neighborhood)
  • Edgewood Bike/Ped Improvements (Boulevard to Interstate)
  • LaFrance Bike/Ped Improvements (Edgewood neighborhood)
  • Allene & Avon & Beltline Pedestrian Safety Sidewalk Connection (Capitol View / Adair Park neighborhood)

Background & Recommendations

Our Equity & Mobility policy agenda called for the City of Atlanta to renew the TSPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) and to prioritize sidewalks and street safety improvements by allocating 50% of the funding to each.

We wanted the City to select projects based on equity and safe access to transit — starting with High-Injury Network communities — and to consistently and transparently report on its progress. 

In November 2021, the City held 8 public meetings about a proposed city infrastructure fund to pay for the tremendous backlog of city infrastructure. The fund was to include a bond (basically, debt incurred by a governmental entity to pay for needed projects and repairs) and TSPLOST (a sales tax on goods and services that is dedicated to transportation). 

Photo: Screenshot from ATLDOT public meeting

Legislation

1. Bond: 21-R-3928 A RESOLUTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLA SMITH TO INITIATE THE CALLING OF AN ELECTION TO DETERMINE THE ISSUANCE OR NONISSUANCE, BY THE CITY OF ATLANTA, OF GENERAL OBLIGATION PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS IN AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO FUND PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT CAPITAL OUTLAY PROJECTS CURRENTLY ESTIMATED TO COST APPROXIMATELY $400,000,000.00. THE PROPOSED GENERAL OBLIGATION PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONSIST OF (1) A SERIES OF BONDS TO BE ISSUED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING THE COSTS OF THE ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, REPAIR, IMPROVEMENT, CRITICAL CAPITAL MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPPING OF PUBLIC STREETS AND TRAFFIC CONTROL INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT, CURBING, STORM WATER DRAINAGE, STREET NAME AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE, BRIDGES, VIADUCTS AND RELATED PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO STREET LIGHTS, SIDEWALKS, BICYCLE LANES AND TRANSIT STOPS, SO AS TO IMPROVE THE PEDESTRIAN AND TRANSIT ENVIRONMENT, THE COST OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990, FOR SUCH IMPROVEMENTS AND OTHER COSTS INCIDENT THERETO; AND (2) A SERIES OF BONDS TO BE ISSUED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING THE COSTS OF THE ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, REPAIR, IMPROVEMENT, CRITICAL CAPITAL MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPPING OF MUNICIPAL FACILITIES, INCLUDING BUILDINGS, RECREATION CENTERS AND OTHER FACILITIES AND RELATED PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND THE COST OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990, FOR SUCH FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS AND OTHER COSTS INCIDENT THERETO; TO DIRECT THE APPROPRIATE OFFICERS AND STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE TO DETERMINE THE DATES AND THE MAXIMUM RATE OF INTEREST THE BONDS, IF ISSUED, SHALL BEAR AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE MATURITIES OF THE BONDS AND OTHER PARAMETERS; AND TO DIRECT THE APPROPRIATE OFFICERS AND STAFF OF THE LAW DEPARTMENT TO PREPARE A SUPPLEMENT TO THIS RESOLUTION, WHICH SUPPLEMENT SHALL CONSTITUTE THE ELECTION CALL RESOLUTION, TO INCLUDE SUCH PARAMETERS AND ALSO PROVIDE FOR THE LEVY AND COLLECTION OF AN ANNUAL TAX FOR PAYING THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON THE BONDS, IF APPROVED BY THE VOTERS; TO PROVIDE THAT ANY OR ALL OF SUCH BONDS MAY BE MADE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION PRIOR TO MATURITY; TO PROVIDE THAT THE BONDS, IF APPROVED BY THE VOTERS, MAY BE ISSUED, SOLD AND DELIVERED AT ONE TIME OR IN SEPARATE SERIES FROM TIME TO TIME; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

• Final list - bond

2. TSPLOST: 21-R-3927 A RESOLUTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLA SMITH CALLING FOR THE IMPOSITION, BY THE FULTON COUNTY COMMISSION, OF A TRANSPORTATION SPECIAL PURPOSE LOCAL OPTION SALES AND USE TAX (“TSPLOST”), TO FUND TRANSPORTATION PURPOSES AND A REFERENDUM ELECTION THEREON; TO APPROVE THE SUBMISSION OF A LIST OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND PURPOSES TO FULTON COUNTY; TO SPECIFY THE AGGREGATE MAXIMUM COSTS OF SUCH PURPOSES TO BE FUNDED BY THE TSPLOST; TO SPECIFY THE MAXIMUM PERIOD OF TIME THE TSPLOST WILL BE IMPOSED; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

• Final List - TSPLOST