Advocates say Atlanta bike lanes leave riders in danger
Cycling advocates are taking a closer look at Atlanta's bike network in hopes of shaping the city's future streets.
Over the next few weeks, riders will share feedback as part of a comprehensive study aimed at identifying gaps and pushing for safer infrastructure.
For Alison Cross, an avid cyclist who estimates she rides up to 40 miles a week, the effort is personal.
"I'm on the street almost every day. If it's not raining, I'm on my bicycle," Cross said. "It's a constant kind of jockeying to be seen and for just sort of legitimacy around being in the street."
The study is being led by Propel ATL, a cycling advocacy group. Executive Director Rebecca Serna believes one of the biggest challenges is connectivity.
"There are gaps in the network of bike and scooter lanes," Serna said. "You might be on a beautiful piece of infrastructure, but then you get to the end of it suddenly. And what do you do? Often that can be a real dangerous point."
Consulting firm Aurora Innovative Solutions is analyzing traffic studies as part of the project. CEO Carly Queen noted that over 85% of major roads in Atlanta lack dedicated bike facilities, making travel riskier.
"If you think about the major roads, those are really the places where you want dedicated facilities the most, because the travel speeds are higher, the volumes are higher. And so it's much more dangerous," Queen explained.
Queen's data shows Atlanta has averaged 124 bike crashes annually over the last decade, but in 2024 that number jumped to 219.
"A lot of it is because you have more people actually biking, which is good," Queen said. "But again, it just emphasizes that need for safety because more and more people are demanding this as an option."
The timing of the study is deliberate. Serna said Atlanta is preparing to update its comprehensive transportation plan next year.
"We're hoping they'll take this input that we are able to collect and use that to help them with developing that plan as well," she said.
Cross said she's optimistic that major events and population growth are pushing city leaders to act.
"It takes time to get some of these projects going," Cross said. "But now we're seeing things escalate, especially because of World Cups, because we're getting another Super Bowl, because of the influx of people who are coming here."