Dozens of community members came together to build the pop-up bike lane through the city’s tactical urbanism initiative.
In 2020, city planning and transportation officials in Atlanta launched a tactical urbanism program to enable neighborhood groups to lead and fund alternative street design and safety changes through low-cost, temporary interventions.
“These projects are often used to advance longer-term goals related to street safety and the design of public spaces,” the city explains in its tactical urbanism guide. “Tactical urbanism is temporary in nature, using tactical materials while demonstrating the potential of long-term change.”
The 20th project under this initiative was just completed: turning street parking on one side of Virgina Avenue NE into a pop-up, protected, two-way bike lane, connecting a local high school and elementary school.
The project took a year from concept to execution, with 36 volunteers spending two mornings building the project and 42 community members donating a total of $10,000 to make it all happen.
Led by Midtown Neighbors Association and Virginia Highland Civic Association, the project was approved by Atlanta’s Department of Transportation as well as the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
“Virginia Avenue is the shortest, flattest, easiest route to school for many VHE and MHS children,” Hugh Malkin, Midtown Neighbors’ Association infrastructure chairperson, explained in a post on Urbanize Atlanta.
“The problem is Virginia Avenue’s 40-foot-wide, two-lane road is a dangerous place for all riders but especially our 5 to 11-year-olds who’ve just learned to ride their bike … This temporary bike lane will demonstrate that VHE and MHS can provide a healthy opportunity to bike to school while reducing the need for cars on the road and in the pick-up line.”
See the residents’ public presentation and installation plan, which also outline possible extensions of the lane.
