With a burgeoning bike culture that saw the fastest rise in bike commuting in America from 2000-2009, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has recognized the potential in this grassroots growth by announcing the goal of being a top-ten cycling city by 2016.
Notoriously sprawling Atlanta is the new entrant in the race to become one of America's bike-friendliest cities. Kate Sweeney looks at the ways city leaders are seeking to build on Atlanta's bottom-up bike culture in order to become one of the bike-friendliest cities in the country.
"Earlier this year, Mayor Kasim Reed’s office promised cycling improvements on a scale Atlanta’s never seen, investing more than $2 million in biking infrastructure. By 2016, Atlanta pledges to double its miles of bike lanes. This includes adding lanes that will connect the Atlanta University Center to downtown and connect the Beltline with Centennial Olympic Park, among other plans."
"Really, the move for more bike lanes, trails, and the city’s next highlighted project—a bike-share program—isn’t coming mainly from the city at all," says Sweeney. "It’s coming from the cyclists who want it. And if it’s to continue, it’s up to the folks on two wheels to continue to push."
FULL STORY: Can Atlanta Become a Top 10 Cycling City?
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Five cities will help the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) prove that urban streets can provide the location for a drastic shift in the carbon emissions status quo.
America’s Best New Bike Lanes
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Massachusetts Zoning Reform Law Reaches First Deadline
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Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
Seattle Historic District Could Remove Street Dining
Despite the popularity of Ballard Avenue’s outdoor dining pergolas, some district board members argue the patios don’t match the district’s historic character.
South L.A. Complete Streets Project Back on Track
First proposed in 2015, the Broadway-Manchester redesign would add bike infrastructure, pedestrian improvements, trees, and other amenities.
Santa Barbara Expands ADU Program to Boost Housing
The city hopes that permitting larger ADUs and making adaptive reuse easier will help it meet its state-mandated goal of building over 8,000 new housing units by 2031.
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