The take of a large culture publication like Atlanta magazine can be helpful in assessing the traction of a movement—in this case, biking in the city of Atlanta.
If the number of cyclists here seems to be increasing, that’s because it is," writes Andesheh Nouraeh.
In fact, "[between 2000 and 2009, Atlanta (the city, not the metro area) registered the country’s highest increase in bike commuting." And that was before the initial sections of the BeltLine opened, which provides a beautiful and popular bike facility for residents of Atlanta.
Nouraen goes on to provide insight into the current planning and advocacy discussion about how the city might continue to improve its bicycle infrastructure: "As more cyclists arrive, the city is trying to accommodate them. Speaking to the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s commuter breakfast in August, Jonathan Lewis of the city’s planning and transportation department said additional bike lanes are included in Atlanta’s comprehensive infrastructure bond issue that will face a referendum next year. While the total has not been finalized, the coalition is petitioning for $37 million in cycle-related improvements, which it claims could add an additional 100 miles of bike-friendly roadways."
The article acts as a brief primer for people who might not be informed about all the infrastructure, social, and political issues surrounding. The article celebrates the joys of biking and provides road configuration diagrams, but it also has to spend some time in a defensive stance by indicting the behavior of what a source cited in the article calls "dude bros": "people whose aggressive riding, disregard for the rules of the road, and confrontational attitude can turn drivers against all bike commuters."
Read the full story: Can Atlanta, a city built for cars, make room for bikes?
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