Last month, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a plan to build a safer and more equitable transportation network for people who walk, bike, and use other human-powered or light individual transportation (LIT) devices. To kick off this project, the City’s Office of Mobility Planning and Midtown Alliance used temporary materials and volunteers to build a “pop-up” protected bike lane on 10th Street in Midtown. The temporary lane connected the existing cycle track from Piedmont Park at Myrtle Street two additional blocks up to Juniper Street. 

Post-DeKalb Ave Groundbreaking Update: Nov 12, 2021

On Thursday, November 4, 2021, the City of Atlanta held a public meeting about the construction plans for long-awaited safety improvements on DeKalb Avenue. Explore important information on the long-awaited DeKalb Avenue project below. 

We’ve advocated for an overhaul of DeKalb Ave for many years! Now, we are sharing this information to increase Atlantans’ awareness of what to expect while this project is under construction. For more on our efforts and how this project does/doesn’t address them, visit www.atlantabike.org/dekalbave-review.

Resources

DeKalb Ave project webpage

• FAQ
• DeKalb Ave Design
• Krog Street Stormwater Project
• Community Meeting Presentation 11-04-21

Atlanta Bicycle Coalition: Review of DeKalb Ave Phase 1 design

Project Info

Start date and connectivity impacts

Construction will start December 1, 2021 and the project is expected to take two years.

A Krog Tunnel watershed project will be timed to coincide with the work on DeKalb Ave. This first phase of the tunnel repairs will wrap up with fixes to any damage it causes to the road and sidewalks. One lane of DeKalb Ave — the lane closest to the tunnel — will be closed during this phase. There will be no access for motor vehicles or people using the sidewalks via the tunnel during three weeks in January 2022. Keep in mind this is the plan and construction schedules are always subject to change. This temporary closure will have a big impact on people who rely on the tunnel on a daily basis, so please help spread the word! Following the tunnel work, Krog Street will be closed for the month of February. 

Bike/LIT lanes

The most frequently asked question during the public meeting was whether the project would include bike lanes. Here is the City’s response: "This project will include several bike improvements, including the addition of a two-way cycle track on the north side of Dekalb Avenue between Hurt Street and Elmira Place as well as bike lanes between Nelms and Arizona avenues on either side of Dekalb Avenue. Bicycle lane striping will also be installed along Whitefoord Avenue between Dekalb Avenue and LaFrance Street." 

The bike/LIT lanes will be installed after the road is repaved, towards the end of the project.

Sidewalks

Sidewalks will be repaired: sidewalks with cracks bigger than 1/4 inch will be replaced, all ADA ramps will be installed/replaced, and all crosswalks will be restriped. Staff also said several poles blocking full sidewalk access have been tagged for removal. 

DeKalb Ave will get two new signalized pedestrian crossings with refuge islands and rectangular rapid flashing beacons at Ridgecrest Road (providing access to the existing Stone Mountain PATH) and Degress Avenue (connecting to the MARTA Inman Park / Reynoldstown MARTA station).

The contractor is required to create space for people walking and using wheelchairs, and they expect the sidewalks to be accessible during construction, except when demolition is happening. 

Considerations during construction

20 message boards are being distributed throughout the route with project info starting November 15. 

There will be no official detours during project construction — instead, crews aim to keep two lanes open (there will also be one travel lane in each direction). Work on DeKalb Ave will begin with the removal of the reversible lane December 1 - 7: they’ll add temporary striping in the middle lane to create a temporary two-way left-turn lane. Signal update work will start at Ridgecrest Rd.

Next Steps

• We plan to follow up on signal timing — as the signals are being retimed for traffic flow, we want them to be set to a safe speed of 25 mph to incentivize slower speeds. 
• We’ll also continue focusing on phase 2 of the project that will extend the existing multi-use trail that starts at Rocky Ford Rd west towards Downtown Atlanta (the “Complete Street” project).

Questions? 

Contact the City of Atlanta: Kinesia Cato or [email protected] with any questions.

Original DeKalb Ave post from May 30, 2019:

ACT NOW: IMPROVE SAFETY FOR ALL ON DEKALB AVE

On Thursday, February 27th, the Atlanta Department of Transportation showed the most recent concept for DeKalb Ave. The project is described as “DeKalb Ave Safety Improvements,” and while it’s true that removing the reversible lane is an important safety improvement, the overall design would not fulfill the City’s commitment to improving safety for everyone on this key corridor. Our vision for DeKalb Ave is of a greenway similar to the BeltLine alongside a safe street for all. In our vision, DeKalb Ave facilitates easy access to transit, prioritizes the safety of the most vulnerable people first, and provides transportation options that go beyond cars for the growing number of businesses and residents along the corridor.

Take action

Safety, mobility, and affordability are at the heart of Atlanta’s Transportation Plan approved by City Council and there have been plans to replace the reversible lane and add bike lanes and turn lanes on DeKalb for decades (Candler Park Master Plan, Connect Atlanta Plan). 

In 2018, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition started questioning the Renew Atlanta's progress building the promised Complete Streets. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' staff then identified major funding shortfalls in the Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST programs that would jeopardize long overdue projects. 

There is still tremendous demand for a safe and complete DeKalb Avenue. At our 2018 Atlanta Streets Alive - Eastside! 74,000 people biked, walked, skated, or pushed strollers at Atlanta Streets Alive. That’s nearly a week’s worth of car traffic crammed into 4 hours on a street that carries about 18,000 vehicles per day. This route connected 11 Atlanta neighborhoods -- Downtown, Sweet Auburn, Old Fourth Ward, Cabbagetown, Inman Park, Little Five Points, Reynoldstown, Candler Park, Edgewood, Lake Claire, and Kirkwood. On June 9th, 2019, we brought Atlanta Streets Alive back to DeKalb Ave. 

Following our successful Atlanta Streets Alive, Renew Atlanta led a public meeting where they stated that the Complete Street project would be divided into two phases, beginning with the removal of the reversible lane. Phase 1 never happened and the reversible lane still remains.

Our vision for DeKalb Avenue

Going back even further

We started advocating for a complete DeKalb Avenue because it is riddled with potholes, has an outdated and dangerous reversible center lane (aka "suicide lane"), lacks bike lanes, and backs up at key intersections due to the lack of turn lanes.

DeKalb Avenue made the Renew Atlanta list as a Complete Street - this would mean potentially removing the reversible "suicide" lane (a long-overdue safety improvement) and replacing it with turn lanes at key intersections, as well as repaving the street, and adding bike lanes or a multi-use path, and safer crossings.

These simple changes would transform a dangerous street into a safe connection from Decatur to the BeltLine and Downtown Atlanta.

Whether you walk, bike, drive, take transit, or all of the above, fixing DeKalb Avenue will benefit you.

in 2015 WABE reported that "Heather Alhadeff, an urban planner in Atlanta, says complete streets projects can be a way to reduce congestion, even when a lane of traffic is removed. 'It’s counterintuitive to most people’s thinking, but sometimes slowing down gets you through faster,' she says.

As an example, Alhadeff says to think of a crowd of people all trying to exit through one door in a room. “We’d all get stuck at the door, right?” she says. “So we know that if wait, and you go out first, I’m actually still going to get out faster.”

More than 250 people attended the first Renew Atlanta public meeting in 2016. There was overwhelming support for Complete Streets and a space for people on bikes.

Renew Atlanta: DeKalb Avenue Safety Improvements Project

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.

[This page has been updated with information about changes to the project that resulted from advocacy campaigns. For status updates on the Cascade project, visit the Renew Atlanta / TSPLOST webpage. Construction was initially scheduled to start in December 2020 but as of January 2021, it has been postponed to summer 2021.] 

Cascade Road, Cascade Avenue, and Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard are three sections of one critical corridor that serves dozens of Southwest Atlanta neighborhoods.

Two of the three sections, Cascade Road and Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, are part of the High-Injury Network and ranked among the most dangerous roads in the city of Atlanta. The third section -- connecting these two High Injury streets -- is Cascade Avenue.

On January 19, 2019, David Gordon, a 52-year-old beloved longtime resident of Cascade Ave, was struck and killed by a driver while crossing Cascade Ave. He was in a crosswalk. The collision happened less than a quarter-mile mile from where the street name changes to Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard.

A “Complete Street” project was proposed in 2016 to address the hazardous conditions on Cascade Avenue, where David lost his life, but the construction funding was cut due to budget shortfalls. At the same time, thanks to the persistent work of community leaders and local advocates, in March 2019 Cascade Road in District 11 received funding to become a Complete Street. (Complete Streets are roads with safe spaces for people in all modes of transportation, whether they are walking, biking or scooting, and driving.) A section of Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard in Westview was funded as well and completed in 2018. 

 Following a community-led #RespectCascade action to highlight the urgent need for safety improvements on Cascade Avenue, the City of Atlanta revised the Cascade Complete Street project to include some safety improvements that could be added during the street resurfacing. Elements include bus stop enhancements, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian safety improvements.

We will continue to support communities along Cascade Ave in calling on the City of Atlanta to keep the vision of a safer, more accessible Cascade corridor alive. 

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.

November 15, 2018

This week, 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).

Statement of Atlanta Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Rebecca Serna:

The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition agrees that these goals are fundamental for the construction of Complete Streets. Equity and access are inextricably tied to safety on Atlanta’s streets, and many of the Complete Street projects directly address the dangerous conditions on the High-Injury Network, in which less than 8% of Atlanta’s streets account for 88% of fatalities and 52% of severe injuries. The High-Injury Network is not equally distributed throughout the city -- the majority of streets are located west of Northside Drive or south of I-­20.

This is an opportunity for the Mayor to deliver on Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST and restore public trust in the City’s capacity to build meaningful transportation projects. For years, Atlantans have invested their time to attend and give feedback at public meetings about Complete Streets, but instead of greater mobility, in return, they’ve gotten long delays. We’re ready for a new start and we’re hopeful that by following the guiding principles of safety, mobility, and affordability set forth in the Atlanta Transportation Plan, we will see Complete Street projects break ground next year.

It will take bold leadership and vision to get us there - and we’re ready and willing to put in the work alongside the Mayor to make our streets safer for everyone.

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.

***Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST will not be presenting to the Transportation Committee this Wednesday, October 24th. We will post an update as soon as we hear about the next meeting.***

88% of Atlanta voters approved the $250-million Renew Atlanta bond back in 2015. After three years of public meetings and bold promises, only one out of 16 Complete Street projects have been built -- and that project didn't have a single public meeting nor was it on the project list shared with voters. Failure to build these projects would defy the will of the voters who overwhelmingly said yes to both the Renew Atlanta bond and TSPLOST.

The week after my youngest son was born, there were three crashes at the intersection outside my front door on Boulevard, south of I-20. I found myself rushing outside after each crash to see if people needed help. Those violent crashes struck too close to home. They showed me that we may not be in charge of drafting the plans and crunching the numbers, but we are responsible to our communities for setting the vision for how our streets are designed and what results we will accept.

Last year, A Safer Boulevard successfully lobbied to extend the Monroe Drive/Boulevard Complete Street Project south of Woodward Avenue because we want to transform a dangerous part of our public space into an integrated part of our community. Now, here's your chance to advocate for a better, safer Boulevard Drive. I need you to tell Renew Atlanta and Councilmember Carla Smith that you support these safety upgrades and improvements (see below) before the August 10th deadline for public comment.

Three years after voters overwhelmingly approved the Renew Atlanta bond, in March 2015, just one out of the fifteen Complete Street projects has been completed and only two projects have progressed beyond a quarter of a percent complete.

Now, we're seeing one project after another get kicked down the road to 2020, according to the Renew Atlanta Complete Street Project pages. Construction on phase 1 of DeKalb Avenue was scheduled to start this year but now it won't start until 2020; Cascade Road was also going to start this year but now it's been delayed until 2020. The same goes for Howell Mill Road.

After the most recent open house for Monroe Drive/Boulevard Complete Street, which failed to include a road diet north of 10th Street, it's become clear that the city needs to commit to these Complete Street projects.

Build 100 new miles of high-quality bike lanes and trails (the city currently has 104 miles) to connect the city, including 20 new miles of protected bike lanes (currently have 4 miles)

As of January 2017, there were 104 miles of bike lanes and trails in the City of Atlanta; protected bike lanes made up 4 miles. It is important to note that these bike lanes are mostly scattered. In order to make Atlanta’s streets more liveable and bikeable, it is critical that we double the mileage of bike lanes and connect the network.

Building 100 new miles of high-quality bike lanes and trails is attainable. Cycle Atlanta 1.0, a supplement to the Connect Atlanta Plan (Atlanta’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan), called for adding 31 miles of bike lanes to the bike network. As of April 2017, 9.6 miles had been built and 11.45 miles have been funded. Renew Atlanta Bond projects include 30 miles of Complete Streets projects which, by definition, ought to incorporate bike lanes. TSPLOST projects, once implemented, would add approximately 49.5 miles of bike lanes and trails -- 16.2 miles from Complete Street projects, 13 miles of protected bike lanes, and approximately 19.5 miles of trails.

Image Credit: Atlanta’s Transportation Plan

Among the generally accepted four categories of potential bike riders (1. strong and fearless; 2. enthused and confident; 3. interested but concerned; and 4. no way, no how), people who are “interested but concerned” make up the majority of population (60%).

Research shows that their level of comfort and willingness to ride are greatly influenced by the quality of bike facility provided. Connecting gaps in the bikeway network and enhancing quality of existing bike lanes and trails would have enormous effects on the “interested but concerned” potential riders. Responding to the needs of “interested but concerned” group and making more investment in bike infrastructure would create a virtuous cycle of increased ridership and improved bike safety on streets.

Image Credit: Atlanta’s Transportation Plan

Research shows that U.S. cities that focus on connecting their bicycle networks see substantial increases in bike ridership and reductions in crashes, fatalities, and severe injuries involving people on bikes. Atlanta has experienced this surge in ridership when high-quality facilities are provided. For example, between September 2013 and December 2017, ridership increased by 225% on the 10th Street barrier-separated two-way bike lane.

In addition to addressing market demands for bicycle infrastructure, the city should set aggressive mode split goals. Both Portland and Seattle set mode split goals to drive future investments in transportation infrastructure. By setting a target on reducing the percentage of people driving alone for trips, these cities were able to more easily prioritize bicycle and pedestrian improvements before other forms of transportation.

The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition recommends that elected officials:

1. Set a goal of building and tracking 100 new miles of high-quality bike lanes, including 20 new miles of protected bike lanes.

2. Uphold plans for complete streets in Renew Atlanta Bond and TSPLOST to include high-quality bike lanes and, where space permits, protected bike lanes, without any additional delays.

3. Secure additional funding to implement the rest of proposed bike lanes (approx. 22 miles) that have not yet been installed, as outlined in Cycle Atlanta 1.0.

4. Mandate bike infrastructure with new developments and on streets in the city’s planned bicycle network when they are resurfaced.

5. Set aggressive mode shift goals and prioritize spending for projects that reduce driving alone and increase biking, walking, or transit.