New York Times: Atlanta among ‘5 Great North American Biking Cities’

Seattle, Minneapolis, Montreal, Brooklyn, and… Atlanta? 

That’s right. Or should we say, “Atlamsterdam.”  

On the same week that nearly 17 connected miles of the Atlanta Beltline are scheduled to officially debut, the New York Times today has published a report anointing our growing Southern capital as one of “5 Great North American Biking Cities.” 

That designation would have seemed improbable—if not laughable—in decades past.

Spanning two countries, the report notes that a “real evolution” is afoot (those are the words of a lifelong Atlantan who’s quoted) in the city’s better-connected, albeit hilly intown core. 

The writer takes into account, among other factors, scores compiled by Colorado-based nonprofit PeopleForBikes based on urban-infrastructure facets such as protected bike lanes, lower speed limits, continuous bike routes, and off-street pathways. (Atlanta’s 31 overall score indicates there’s much work left to be done, however.) 

The report nods to the growing Beltline loop, Ponce City Market, Piedmont Park, paid bicycle tours, Atlanta Botanical Garden, and the Eastside Trail’s wild popularity and Westside Trail’s relative quietude.  

“When I was growing up,” one 65-year-old Atlantan told the newspaper, “I would never have thought about biking around Atlanta. Now you see everybody taking their kids to school on bikes.”

There's more to Atlanta bikeability than the Beltline, of course, such as the growing Silver Comet Connector project and myriad new protected bike lanes initiatives. 

But below is the most updated map illustration for where Beltline progress now stands, with the ultra-connective section scheduled to open Friday highlighted in blue: 

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