The city of Atlanta is hiring its first chief bicycle officer, a full-time bicycle planner, engineer and advocate for the city’s ambitious bike transportation goals. The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation is supporting the position through a five-year $250,000 challenge grant to the city through the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.

The public-private partnership will enable Atlanta to achieve national recognition as a Bicycle Friendly Community, and achieve the city’s goals related to bicycle transportation, including doubling miles of high quality bicycle lanes and shared-use trails and becoming a top ten city in the U.S. for cycling by 2016. Specific measures include percentage of workers bike commuting (No. 23 in 2012) and bike safety (No. 17 in 2012).

The CBO will be responsible for a wide range of activities related to bicycle transportation in the city of Atlanta, including engineering and planning bicycle projects to completion, public outreach, project development, grant writing, oversight of the city’s bike share program and ensuring new development is consistent with bike elements of the city’s existing plans. The CBO will also work closely with the Department of Public Works and Georgia Department of Transportation to include bicycle facilities in roadway maintenance, capital projects and work through Invest Atlanta to support bike projects that advance Atlanta’s economic competiveness.

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Thousands of UGA students enjoy during the annual “Frat Beach” party for the weekend of the Georgia-Florida football game on St. Simons Island, Friday, November 1, 2024. On the weekend of the Georgia-Florida football game, St. Simons Island’s East Beach becomes “Frat Beach,” an open-air party teeming with thousands of highly inebriated college students. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC