From protected bike lanes on South Boulevard to the lack of ANY bike lanes in a redesign of Monroe Drive, news about changes to our streets is coming thick and fast. We've rounded up the highlights and are pointing the way forward for advocates, as we cheer improvements and raise our voices against projects that fall short.
In this blog:
Monroe Drive
Atlanta City Council Member Alex Wan shared a frustrating decision in his District 6 newsletter: the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) doesn’t plan to include bike/scoot lanes in its Monroe Drive Safe Street project over its concerns that the lanes wouldn’t be “safe enough.” This may result in wider travel lanes, which would make it easier for drivers to speed on this heavily-traveled street.
We have supported community efforts to overhaul safety on Monroe Drive since 2016, when a high school student was hit by a car driver and killed on her way home from a school event.
While there is much to like in the new street design–roundabouts, sidewalk improvements–the long delay makes the decision not to provide space for people to bike and scoot especially disappointing. An ATLDOT white paper even found it would be possible to provide a relatively safe bike facility on Monroe. While more protection is always better and something we fight for, it’s hard to see how not providing a bike lane is safer than providing one.
From POV: A student attends his first public meeting by Maxwell Watkins
There are so many places people want to get to on Monroe–from businesses to schools to homes. Without any dedicated space provided by the City of Atlanta, people will continue to bike and scoot along Monroe Drive, many on the sidewalk. This will make it less welcoming and accessible for people who need the space to walk or use wheelchairs.
South Boulevard
We’re pleased with the direction of changes made to the plans for South Boulevard. In 2021, ATLDOT released a plan that didn’t meet the project’s mandate to make South Boulevard safer for everyone. After extensive community pushback, the City released a much-improved plan with a continuous, mostly protected bike lane.
However, there is one block where we have an issue with the new design: right at the Beltline, ATLDOT decided to remove the bike lane protection to make space for four free on-street parking spaces. (The bike lane remains, but without protection. See "final plans" posted May 9, 2025.) This is in marked contrast to ATLDOT’s decision not to include bike lanes on Monroe Drive because of the challenges in providing physical separation.
The house right next to the Beltline has a driveway, and all but one of the next four houses have access to an alleyway for parking. Even if we agreed with the need for resident parking, a few free on-street spaces near the Beltline and new development won’t be reliably available to residents. This decision centers the assumed desires of a few car owners over the transportation needs of the public using the street to get places. This kind of driver-centric decision reinforces Atlanta as a car-centric city. If unprotected bike lanes are deemed unsafe on Monroe Drive to the north, they shouldn't be considered safe on S. Boulevard.
Photo: Propel ATL
On a broader note, looking back at the 2015 Renew and 2016 TSPLOST project lists, only a few of the "Complete Streets" projects have increased transportation options, making them actually incomplete. (Most have improved existing sidewalks, which is essential, but few have added bike/scoot lanes and none have installed bus lanes.) Recently Commissioner Caviness said all "viable" (meaning non-Baker Street) Renew Atlanta projects would be finished by the end of 2025. We’re working on an assessment of the program’s impact (or lack thereof).
Peachtree Center Avenue
Peachtree Center Avenue is being resurfaced with World Cup Bond money, and the cycletrack is to be replaced with better materials to keep it more consistently separated.
ATLDOT didn’t provide any public communications that we’ve seen, confusing bike and scooter commuters who rely on having some level of separation from cars on this key corridor.
We’ve called on the City to a) finish the project as quickly as possible b) provide a clear timeline for when it will be complete and c) communicate better about changes that affect people who walk, bike, and scoot in the future. Bike/scoot lane closures should be communicated just like other lane closures.
Peachtree Street
After two recent pedestrian fatalities, Peachtree Street hasn’t strayed too far from the headlines. A crosswalk, installed as part of the Peachtree Shared Street pilot project, remained faded until Pradeep Sood, 67, was hit by a driver while crossing Peachtree Street in February.
Crosswalk or not, pedestrians daily cross mid-block at 225 Peachtree, where Mr. Sood was killed. That said, after this preventable tragedy, ATLDOT quickly removed the faded remains of the crosswalk and repaved this section of Peachtree. This took place without any safe-streets improvements, leading to Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipment to ask pointedly, “Are complete streets on Peachtree dead?” in the most recent budget briefing with ATLDOT leadership.
Prior to this briefing, Council had passed legislation calling for the crosswalk to be replaced by June 30, 2025.
At the budget briefing, Council Member Matt Westmoreland (Post 2 At-Large) asked if ATLDOT would meet the June 30 deadline. Commissioner Caviness responded that the design was being “socialized.”
If the City doesn’t make progress soon, we may have to hit the streets. Stay tuned!
Memorial Drive
We’re still waiting for this Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) project to be completed!
(Well, not all of us. Some are using the under-construction cycletrack connecting Mechanicsville to Downtown Atlanta now, and finding it very useful despite the challenges that come with an unfinished facility.)
The “heatmap” function from fitness tracker Strava indicates that Memorial Drive along the new, incomplete cycletrack (thick line) is now being heavily used by cyclists. Prior to the installation of this facility, the line was faint.
We’ve made the calls, sent the emails, learned some of the reasons behind the delays. (Issues with the permit, and an additional agreement was needed with a contractor to provide additional funds, etc.)
The latest word is this cycletrack—which features support from every neighborhood along it and the state’s first foray into bike traffic signals—will be completed by the end of this summer. This one we’ll have to celebrate. But given the stop and start of progress thus far, we're taking the completion date with a grain of salt.
Peters Street
GDOT is resurfacing Peters Street in Castleberry Hill this summer and replacing the Peters Street bridge in a few years. These projects created an opportunity to make some big improvements to this state route for people outside of cars.
We’re excited to see the state upgrade this key connection between South Downtown and Castleberry Hill from painted bike lanes to parking-protected bike lanes, a first for a state route in Georgia!
From ATLDOT Castleberry Hill transportation improvements meeting presentation April 22, 2025