In 2022, Atlantans voted overwhelmingly to fund critical transportation improvements through the $460 million "Moving Atlanta Forward" infrastructure program. This was a promise of safer streets, connected sidewalks, working streetlights, traffic calming, and neighborhood mobility options that keep our families safe and connected. But two years later, many of those projects still haven’t been completed, and some haven’t even started.

This has become the rallying cry behind Propel ATL’s newest campaign: Where's My Project?

We're asking a simple question: Why are we still waiting if the projects are funded?

Atlanta residents ask this question every day, and it recently gained attention when local advocate Alex Camardelle posted about the lack of bike lanes along Lee Street/Main Street. This corridor connects multiple MARTA stations and provides a direct route from downtown to the airport, yet it remains unsafe for people biking.

As our Executive Director noted in response:

“The dates keep getting pushed back, but the funding remains. This is one of our top three projects we want moved faster.”

This isn’t just happening in one neighborhood—it’s happening across Atlanta. The money is there, the need is clear, but the delivery is still delayed.

What the Budget Has to Do With It

The answer lies in the City budget. Currently, the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) will receive just 6% of the City’s general fund. That’s not enough to staff up, implement the Vision Zero Action Plan, and deliver the backlog of voter-approved infrastructure projects. ATLDOT has a 24% vacancy rate. Capital Projects—the team in charge of building sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes—is missing nearly 40% of its team, including a deputy director.

The City has the voter-approved funding for projects, but without enough budget to hire and retain staff, those projects can’t move forward.

Public Safety Begins With Infrastructure

Mayor Dickens has called the City budget a moral document, and we agree. Budgets are about values. If public safety is truly a top priority, then pedestrian safety must be part of that, and our investments should reflect that.

Every day in Atlanta, people walk on streets without sidewalks, cross intersections, and use roads without signals or crosswalks. These aren’t just inconveniences; they’re dangerous conditions.

In 2023 alone, 344 people were killed by traffic violence in the MARTA service area. Nearly half of those fatalities happened within 150 feet of a bus stop. Most occurred in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, where infrastructure is lacking. This isn't a coincidence. It's a pattern rooted in decades of disinvestment.

Our sidewalks and those who have access to them have always been political. Cities across the country, including Atlanta, have neglected Black and brown communities when it comes to building and maintaining basic pedestrian infrastructure. That neglect continues to cost lives.

Safe, well-lit, walkable neighborhoods reduce crime, increase economic opportunity, and improve health outcomes. Public safety doesn’t start with punishment. It starts with prevention, and prevention starts with infrastructure.

If Atlanta truly wants to move forward, our budget must reflect that. It’s time to fund the team and tools to make our communities safe by design.

A Citywide Call to Action

We launched the Where’s My Project? campaign to give people a way to speak out, get involved, and hold decision-makers accountable. Because the projects that impact your daily life—your sidewalks, your crosswalks, your bus stops—will only happen if we demand them.

What You Can Do

• Get informed — Visit the Moving Atlanta Forward dashboard to see the status of projects in your neighborhood. Need help navigating it? You're not alone—it's not the most intuitive tool. Reach out and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for.
• Call or email your councilmember (sample email below) and Mayor Dickens — Tell them which promised project is still missing and why it matters. Ask them to raise ATLDOT’s general fund share and demand more efficient project delivery.
  
• Show us your streets — Post a photo of your unfinished project using our campaign graphic and hashtag #WheresMyProject. Top 5 posts with the most engagement win a free Propel ATL hat and social spotlight.
• Invite us to a neighborhood meeting — We want to talk to residents and neighborhoods to share what’s been promised, what’s missing, and how to advocate.
  
  

This Is Just the Beginning

Where’s My Project? isn’t just a question. It’s a demand.

It’s about funding the team and tools to move Atlanta forward.
It’s about making the budget reflect our real priorities.
And it’s about ensuring the promises made to our communities turn into projects delivered.

Join us.
Let’s get our projects—and our priorities—back on track.

Councilmember message

Subject: Please support increasing ATLDOT’s budget in FY2026

Dear Councilmember [Last Name],

I hope this message finds you well. I’m writing as a resident of [your neighborhood or council district] to urge you to support increasing the Atlanta Department of Transportation’s general fund allocation in the FY2026 city budget.

[Important - add personal reason why this matters to you!]

In 2022, voters overwhelmingly supported the Moving Atlanta Forward infrastructure program. Yet here in my neighborhood, we’re still waiting on promised improvements like [insert specific project or street name]. These delays affect our ability to move safely, access jobs and essential services, and stay connected as a community.

ATLDOT has the vision, but not the resources. With a 24% vacancy rate and key staff missing from its Capital Projects team, the department simply can’t deliver what our communities were promised without a larger operating budget.

I urge you to raise ATLDOT’s general fund, so they can hire the team, equip them with the tools, and implement vital projects that make our neighborhoods safer, more connected, and more equitable.

Thank you for your continued service and leadership. I look forward to seeing your support for a stronger, more responsive transportation department in this year’s budget.

Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Street or Neighborhood]
[Optional: Your Phone or Email]