Bicycle & Pedestrian

ARC Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning

Bicycling and walking are critical transportation modes all around the Atlanta region. Many short trips can be accomplished on foot or by bike. Walking and biking are also popular means of accessing public transit for longer trips throughout the region.

Safe Streets for Walking & Bicycling

A regional action plan for reducing traffic fatalities in metropolitan Atlanta

Each year, an average of 90 people walking and biking lose their lives in traffic crashes in the Atlanta region; almost 300 more suffer life-threatening injuries. The numbers have been rising since 2010 and this trend is projected to continue. Safe Streets for Walking and Bicycling is a supplement to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s active transportation plan – Walk. Bike. Thrive! – and establishes a regional approach to eliminating fatal and serious injury crashes that is data-driven, pro-active, and aggressive. The plan recognizes that serious and fatal crashes involving pedestrians are on an upward trend and uses a “Safe System” approach to advance evidence-based countermeasures within a complete streets framework.

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“Walk, Bike, Thrive!”

The Atlanta Regional Commission’s bicycle and pedestrian plan – “Walk, Bike, Thrive!” – envisions a region of walk- and bike-friendly communities, a regional-scale trail network, community-scale walking and bicycling networks, and first- and last-mile connections to regional transit systems.

“Walk, Bike, Thrive!” includes five key strategies to increase the share of trips made on foot or by bike:

• Focus investments in communities and activity centers
• Address safety and equity issues
• Improve access to regional transit systems
• Pursue a strategy of relentless incrementalism
• Lead the development of the regional trail system

ARC continually develops innovative, forward-looking plans and reports that advance the region’s understanding of active transportation and provide tools for local communities. Currently in progress are: “Bike to Ride: regional strategies to improve bike-transit system access;” and a Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. Both reports are due this year.

The Atlanta Region’s Plan includes funding for the completion of the regional trail network as well as for other regionally significant pedestrian, bicycle, trail and transit-access projects. Total funding for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is projected to be $5.2 billion through 2050.

Review the plan and all of its supplements.

The Regional Trails Roundtable meets several times a year to discuss current trail planning and implementation across metro Atlanta. The group is open to local government staff, CID staff, advocates, and others.