The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition will activate a bike route connecting seven neighborhoods along Cascade Avenue, Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard and Georgia Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 29.
The Atlanta Streets Alive: Southwest program will open 3.4 miles of streets to people on foot, bicycle, or other human-powered wheels from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. By creating a car-free zone, the the community will be able to safely play, exercise and socialize. This route was chosen through extensive community engagement, working with a steering committee of locals and residents.
According to a press release, the southwest program also aims to call attention to the existing safety hazards on Cascade Avenue due to its proximity to two of the most dangerous streets in Atlanta’s High-Injury Network—Cascade Road and Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard.
City streets with the highest concentration of severe injuries and deaths caused by traffic collisions make up the High-Injury Network. Six of the top 10 streets in the High-Injury Network are in southwest Atlanta.
Earlier this year, a 52-year-old long-time resident of the Cascade area, David Gordon, was struck and killed by a driver while crossing Cascade Avenue in a pedestrian crosswalk. In May, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition rallied alongside southwest Atlanta residents for low-cost safety measures to address conditions on the roadway after funding for the planned complete street project was cut by Renew Atlanta.
The opportunity to host Atlanta Streets Alive: Southwest on the new route provides a greater opportunity to inform people living in the surrounding neighborhoods, and elevate the message among the broader Atlanta community about the need for safe streets for all.
Information: www.atlantastreetsalive.com
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