Despite a soggy start, volunteers got right to work on building Oakland City's first walk lane.

Over the MLK holiday weekend, residents, volunteers, and partners turned Merrill Avenue into a hands-on opportunity for safer streets—installing a new walk lane to better protect people walking on this frequently used neighborhood street. 

“This street is just scary busy,” said Terra Washington, an Oakland City resident who volunteered for the Saturday build. “People are constantly looking over their shoulder to be sure they’re being safe. It can be dangerous.” 

This quick-build project is the result of three years of community-led work through Propel ATL’s Walk ATL program, including a neighborhood walk audit, planning workshops, and the development of a community-informed pedestrian safety action plan, all supported by a $10,000 Walk ATL grant.

Before painting can commence, volunteers need to clear leaves and other debris from the area.

Atlanta City Council Member Jason Dozier originally lent his support to the project, which was in his district (D4) until lines were recently redrawn and Merrill Ave. landed in District 12. So on build day, Atlanta City Council Members Eshe Collins (Post 3, At-Large) and Antonio Lewis (District 12) were on hand to lend support, provide pep talks, and even drill a few holes.

Each flexpost was anchored in place by bolts, after volunteers carefully drilled holes for each one.

From measuring, drilling, and painting to conversations about the sidewalk, the day was all about claiming space for people and making everyday trips to transit, the Beltline, and local destinations safer and more comfortable.This walk lane will help inform safety improvements in Oakland City and future neighborhoods across Atlanta.

"The gears of the city do move slow. So we get out, we do our part," John Sears, president of the Oakland City Community Organization, told Fox 5 Atlanta. "We really don't have any continuous sidewalks anywhere throughout the neighborhood."

Tactical urbanism is essentially do-it-yourself urbanism,” said Chris McIntosh, Tactical Urbanism program manager for the Atlanta Department of Transportation. “You are making the change you want to make on your public spaces and streets. Communities can come to us with what they want to do and we will make the process available to them.”

The project was a cooperative effort between the neighborhood, Propel ATL, and the City of Atlanta

Past examples of City of Atlanta tactical urbanism projects include a bike lane along Virginia Avenue, championed—and built—by Virginia-Highland neighbors to allow children to ride safely to school. In all, there are currently 20 projects built within the city, McIntosh said.

John Saxton, mobility planning director for ATLDOT, pointed to Atlanta’s Department of City Planning, which has an annual Community Improvement Grant program, available to communities who have projects in mind but no funding.

“It’s a great opportunity to test something out, to do kind of a demonstration… to make the case for a permanent change,“ said Saxton.

The walk lane in its finished state, at the end of the day.

Those present hope to see many more neighborhood build days like this in the future. To that end Propel ATL is hosting a workshop on Feb. 24 to introduce neighborhoods to the process.

And as interest grows, more public agencies and funders are beginning to recognize the value of tactical urbanism projects like this one, opening the door for similar neighborhood-led efforts across Atlanta.

As John Sears told Fox 5, the project was a great example of community togetherness: "To see how all the community can come together on this one little street and, and in the middle of one neighborhood it helps us to bond, it helps us to connect. It helps us to accomplish some things."