Intown Atlanta takes heat for rarely capitalizing on its (generally) 10 months of bicyclist-friendly weather and steep, curvy streets that could double as velodromes. Little by little, though, the seeds of a bona fide cycling paradise are beginning to take root.
Over at 5th and West Peachtree streets, construction is well under way on a painted bike-lane project that boosters call an example of high impact and low cost (an estimated $34,000) civic prudence. Along with un-miss-able fluorescent paint, the project — a combined effort between Georgia Tech, the Midtown Alliance, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and the city's Transportation Planning division — will include two bike ramps and a so-called "Copenhagen Left." Best we can tell, that means bicyclists will be able to make pedestrian-like left turns without dismounting.
Slated to open Oct. 12, the Tech Square project will join other bike lanes in Midtown and Edgewood Avenue, in addition to the 2.25 miles of bike-commuter fantasy that is the Eastside Trail. Not yet paradise, but a solid start.
· New bike project underway near Tech Square [CL]
· More coverage of bike lanes on Curbed [~CATL~]
—Josh Green