In an attempt to combat recent e-scooter deaths and ease the transition of the micromobility movement in Atlanta, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has announced a two-year, $5 million plan to redesign the city streets to accommodate bikers and dockless vehicles.
According to a news release, the city has pinpointed more than 20 city corridors that will undergo changes to improve safety for pedestrians, drivers, transit riders, bikers and e-scooter riders. The plan, dubbed the Action Plan for Safer Streets, is to triple Atlanta's on-street protected bike network. The city projects residents will have more than 20 miles of safer streets by the end of 2021.
“A safe city starts with streets designed for everyone,” Bottoms said in a statement. “The way that people are getting around Atlanta is changing as the city grows quickly, and this plan will help keep pace with new demands across our transportation network.”
Traffic crash rates in the metro area are four times higher than the Georgia statewide average, the city says. Pedestrian death rates from traffic collisions in Atlanta are twice the national average. Bottoms' office says while the wave of dockless vehicles and e-scooters has served more than 3 million trips in the city since February 2019, the micromobility movement has also "highlighted challenges with the existing mobility network."
“We have heard from residents of Atlanta loud and clear – people want safer streets, and they want to see real changes before another tragedy occurs,” Bottoms said.
The plan will focus on establishing new connections between neighborhoods across the metro area. The city plans to connect Southwest Atlanta, the Westside Trail and MARTA; Midtown with Downtown; West End with Grant Park.
The city also announced plans to kick-off a temporary pop-up bike lane as part of "Biketober." City transportation officials will use the temporary lane to track data while engaging with residents.
City officials will also rewrite the e-scooter ordinance. The new regulations are set to be adopted by e-scooter operators by early 2020. The city was not clear about what changes would be made to the ordinance, but stated the new law will address "concerns raised by the public since the adoption of the city’s initial ordnance."
“Bird is thrilled with the announcement made by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the City of Atlanta to rapidly address infrastructure making Atlanta’s streets safe for all users including the most vulnerable," Paul Steely White, director of safety policy and advocacy at Bird, said in a statement following Bottoms' announcement. "By prioritizing safe infrastructure design and traffic enforcement, Atlanta has the most power to reduce injury and fatality rates for all road users, including e-scooter riders.”
"This is what true leadership looks like," Nima Daivari, Lime community affairs manager for Georgia, said in a statement. "For years, study after study has proven adding LIT lanes makes cities safer for pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders, and yes even drivers. The demand is undeniable--Atlantans want convenient, energy-efficient and affordable forms of transportation and safe places to ride them. Leaders across the country should look to Atlanta on how to encourage more active forms of transportation."
The news of the Action Plan for Safer Streets comes almost two months after Bottoms implemented a nighttime ban on all dockless vehicles in the city. Since the nighttime ban, Gotcha scooters and JUMP e-bikes have left the Atlanta market, though neither company has cited the city policies for their exit.
