Anyone who hasn’t visited Decatur in a decade might be surprised to find a handy new cycle track on Church Street, some of ITP’s most pleasant bike lanes in front of Decatur High School, and rainbow-hued planter boxes that serve as an effective—if raggedy—buffer between cyclists, pedestrians, and cars.

But Redfin, for one, has taken notice.

The Seattle-based real estate brokerage and mortgage company has ranked Decatur atop its list of “The Top 10 Most Bikeable Cities in Georgia,” according to an analysis published Friday. It’s the second honor acknowledging Decatur’s burgeoning bike infrastructure in the past two years.

Cited as evidence in the Redfin study is Decatur’s Bike Score rating of 69—significantly higher than all other Georgia cities on the Top 10 shortlist. (The same can be said of Decatur’s median home sales price, $475,000, according to Redfin. A coincidence?)

“The city is home to several cyclist-friendly neighborhoods, like Oakhurst and Winnona Park,” wrote Redfin analysts of Decatur. “These areas contain bike lanes and plenty of attractions accessible by bike. Decatur also hosts the annual Decatur Bikes Festival, a popular event among the local cycling community.”

Decatur's much loved, admonished, and/or ridiculed planter boxes, as shown in greener days. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Overall, the Redfin rundown found that Georgia is “becoming a haven for cyclists” where the “increasingly popular mode of transportation and recreation” is catching on from “the bustling streets of Atlanta to the serene paths of Savannah.”

Speaking of, Savannah naturally finished strong in the analysis, landing at No. 2 with its 52 Bike Score. It was followed by Statesboro (Bike Score 48) and Valdosta (45).

According to Redfin, Atlanta qualified to rank only middle-of-the-pack at No. 5 among Georgia’s Top 10 most bikeable cities, all of them significantly smaller. The city’s Bike Score of 42 might not impress, but Redfin’s analysis nodded to the BeltLine, Piedmont Park, Ponce City Market, Atlanta Botanical Garden, and even the Silver Comet Trail as unique, bikeable attractions.

Thomasville, North Decatur, Rome, Forest Park, and Albany, respectively, rounded out the Top 10.

In December 2021, national cycling organization The League of American Bicyclists also declared Decatur the most bike-friendly city in the Peach State.

That organization named Decatur the only Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community in Georgia—a nod to cities that have implemented infrastructure improvements for cyclists and other means of alternate transportation.

Bike lanes are shown implemented in downtown Decatur's southwestern blocks. Shutterstock

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