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 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) 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 baseline funding for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is projected to be a minimum of $3.9 billion through 2050. More funding may become available through periodic TIP project solicitation processes or future federal discretionary program awards.
Review the plan and all of its supplements.
Regional Active Transportation Roundtable
The Regional Active Transportation Roundtable is a group of transportation professionals 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.
Please visit our Roundtable page for information on upcoming events! If you would like to be added to the email list for future Roundtable events, please send your contact information to Ansley Goddard (agoddard@atlantaregional.org).
Regional Bike, Ped, Trail Inventory (2024)
The Regional Active Transportation Inventory shown in this interactive online map was updated in early 2024 based on the inventory that was built in 2022 as part of Walk. Bike. Thrive! This inventory map contains known existing facilities as well as programmed facilities, which includes projects that are either under construction or have funding allocated for construction. These programmed projects may be funded locally or federally. As the programmed facilities become existing facilities, the map will be updated periodically. A standalone map of the inventory is available for download here.
If you notice or know of any existing or programmed facilities (bike lanes, multi-use paths, cycletracks or protected bikeways, etc.) that are not reflected in this map, please email agoddard@atlantaregional.org.
Regional Trails Vision & Bicycle Facility Inventory (2022)
The Regional Trails Vision & Bicycle Facility Inventory is an online mapping and resource tool that aims to highlight the important role a connected network of trails can play in our region and identifies existing and planned trails that make up regionally-significant corridors. ARC’s Regional Trail Vision is a supplement to the agency’s bicycling and walking plan titled Walk. Bike. Thrive!