That's me and Han Solo
Sumehra
Sent from my iPhone
Joeff Davis
MASSIVE ATTACK: A growing number of Atlantans are taking part in cycling collectives such as Critical Mass.
Not long after moving to Atlanta from Denver 20 years ago, Ed McBrayer decided to try a recommended Sunday morning bike ride from Decatur to Stone Mountain. As he rode along busy Ponce de Leon Avenue, his leisurely outing quickly turned into an effort to stay out of harm's way.
"MARTA buses were passing a few feet from us," says McBrayer, who's now executive director of nonprofit trail-building organization PATH Foundation. "I thought, 'This ain't a bike ride, this is survival.'"
In past decades, it seemed the only cyclists you'd find on Atlanta's car-choked roads were spandex-clad gearheads, eccentrics with a death wish, or college kids who couldn't afford a car.
But times have changed. While we still lag behind such two-wheeled cities as Portland, Ore., or New York, you'll now encounter every bike subculture and niche imaginable, from fixed-gear hipsters along Edgewood Avenue to office-bound commuters on the Freedom Parkway trail to girls in sun dresses pedaling gliders in Virginia-Highland.
And thanks to the work of bike advocacy groups, the increasing popularity of bike-centric social events and even a more entrenched coolness factor — call it "bike chic" — the city is slowly becoming ever more hospitable to riders.
"The climate has definitely changed," says Rebecca Serna, executive director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group that lobbies for cyclists' rights and better bike infrastructure. "There's a growing idea that cycling in intown Atlanta is a great way to get around."
Serna and other cyclists are quick to point out, however, that Atlanta's streets are still dominated by drivers, many of whom mistakenly view the roads as theirs alone. In addition to much-needed courtesy from motorists, more riders to boost awareness and improved bike infrastructure could help Atlanta become a true bike-friendly town.
Eventually, the entire Beltline — a 22-mile loop of transit that will one day circle the city — will become a bike trail, too. In addition to the Beltline's recently completed two-and-a-half mile trail in southwest Atlanta — and the just-announced Beltline path that will stretch the same distance from Piedmont Park to DeKalb Avenue — the city has plans to build nearly 15 more miles of dedicated and shared bike lanes this year. Connect Atlanta, the city's first-ever transportation plan approved in 2008, calls for more than 200 miles of bike lanes arranged in an efficient network linking neighborhoods to bike-friendly routes. Three weeks ago, the PATH Foundation finished the draft phase of the spider-like trail network connecting Centennial Olympic Park, the Beltline and the suburbs over the next 20 years.
"Atlanta seems to have conceded that we're all about the car and that's not going to change," Lisa Safstrom, a Reynoldstown resident who cycles every day to her Midtown job as a transportation planner, says. "Unfortunately, the citizens disagree."
It's great to see that somebody at the City of Atlanta is recognizing the growing number of cyclists and their needs.
Atlanta's cycling community needs some help
by Editorial BoardOn the evening of June 25, Midtowners couldn't have missed more than 100 hipsters, graybeards and gearheads pedaling down Peachtree Street.
The monthly event — the leaderless, somewhat controversial Critical Mass that's become an urban staple around the world — offers a snapshot of how far Atlanta's cycling culture has come in a city defined by the automobile. In addition to Critical Mass, there are other signs that cycling in Atlanta is on the rise. Look around. A growing number of Atlantans now rely on bikes as their primary means of transportation.
The city's infrastructure, however, has a long way to go. And if Atlanta wants to nurture this community, which helps relieve pollution and congestion while improving the lives of those who participate, city officials need to make Atlanta more accommodating to cyclists.
In addition to no-brainers like filling potholes, sweeping debris from street shoulders, and getting rid of the clunky, slippery metal plates tossed over every road hazard, the city can step up its efforts by following other cities' leads.
Where do we start? Adopt a "complete streets" policy, as Decatur has done, and encourage the state to treat bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly streetscapes as a vital part of transportation projects. Take a cue from New York and convert automobile lanes on underperforming roads to bike lanes. Learn from Long Beach, Calif., and partner with public artists to install creative bike racks. Follow Nashville, Tenn.'s example and create a city cycling advisory committee that can suggest ways to make Atlanta's streets safer for two wheelers. Offer tax incentives to businesses that locate near bike lanes and employers who install showers for bike commuters in older buildings. And when revenues improve, consider hiring a cycling czar.
City officials should also ensure that police understand and adequately enforce cycling laws. (During the reporting of this week's cover story, one avid bike commuter recounted how a cop once told him the law required cyclists to wear a helmet and ride on the sidewalk — both of which are false.) Police should also aggressively ticket motorists who park in dedicated bike lanes. For cyclists, it's the equivalent of someone leaving his or her car in the middle of North Avenue.
One of the most important fixes, however, might be out of City Hall's hands. Motorists, some of whom drive as if the road is theirs alone, should exercise more patience. Courtesy and caution toward cyclists ultimately could help keep cars off the road and smog out of the air by encouraging more people to start pedaling.
I learned yesterday that the best gifts come in small packages.
