***Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST will not be presenting to the Transportation Committee this Wednesday, October 24th. We will post an update as soon as we hear about the next meeting.***

88% of Atlanta voters approved the $250-million Renew Atlanta bond back in 2015. After three years of public meetings and bold promises, only one out of 16 Complete Street projects have been built -- and that project didn't have a single public meeting nor was it on the project list shared with voters. Failure to build these projects would defy the will of the voters who overwhelmingly said yes to both the Renew Atlanta bond and TSPLOST.

Complete Streets aren't the only important safety and mobility projects Renew Atlanta has neglected. According to a CBS46 report, Renew Atlanta has not started work on a majority of projects -- only four of 15 ADA/sidewalk improvement projects, zero of nine bridges, two of 30 police and fire stations, and less than half of the roadway resurfacing projects that include bike lane striping have been built. 

Why does it matter? Nearly half of the streets on Renew's Complete Streets project list are also on Atlanta's High Injury Network, a collection of streets responsible for most of the city's traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

Now, due to a miscalculation in resources and rising costs and a lack of political will to implement Complete Street projects in Atlanta after three years of public meetings and ever-changing start dates, a re-prioritization of the project list is imminent -- a signal that some or all of these projects could be postponed until additional funding is found.

Renew Atlanta indicated at the Howell Mill Road Complete Street Community Meeting that they plan to synchronize traffic lights before building Complete Streets. But traffic signal updates should be part of Complete Streets overhauls, not replace them. Synchronizing the lights rather than building safer streets for everyone essentially puts car throughput above the safety of people biking and walking.

Don't let this happen.

Complete Streets have a citywide value that goes beyond repaving or upgrading traffic signals.

They are holistic projects that create increased mobility -- not just more of the status quo. Complete Streets can save lives, prevent injury, and allow people who use all modes of transportation to access public streets -- qualities we sorely need in Atlanta right now.

Here's the list of Complete Street projects we want Renew Atlanta and TSPLOST to prioritize and the Council districts where they are located: