A bicycle advocate’s argument for the T-SPLOST

T-SPLOST would fund bike lanes, multi-use paths aplenty

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Look over the list of transportation projects to be funded by the T-SPLOST, which voters will decide on July 31, and you’ll find plenty of road and transit projects. But there’s plenty for bicyclists and pedestrians to be happy about as well, says Rebecca Serna, executive director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. A significant portion of those road projects, particularly those proposed in the city of Atlanta, would meet Complete Streets criteria, which take into account pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation, and cars. And the city’s list of local projects to be funded with the tax would make 29 miles of city streets equipped with bike facilities — more than double what currently exists. She shines a light on some of the improvements that bicyclists would see with revenues from the transportation tax, which the coalition supports.

Bicycle projects are usually lumped into the “other” category — at least, that’s how it used to be, and, we often hear, that’s how it’s always been.

Well, those assumptions no longer hold. The Complete Streets movement is gaining ground in unexpected territory — metro Atlanta, poster child for sprawl.

Last year around this time, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition was pushing for bike projects on the regional transportation sales tax project list. The final regional list approved by the Roundtable sets aside less than 1% of funding for stand-alone bike projects.

I’m here to tell you that’s a good thing.