State of Biking Strong In Decatur: Improvements on Horizon

Biking around Decatur can be fun, easy and safe – as long as you don’t have to park.

The city is in the process of implementing its Community Transportation Plan, which merged existing research with city planning and community feedback in an effort to outline and address city transportation issues.  Focusing on a “complete streets” initiative, the city’s goal is to redesign streets that were originally developed with just cars in mind.

Fred Boykin, an avid cyclist who founded with several Emory classmates in 1972, says the city government has been “very receptive” to biker and pedestrian issues. And he should know, he serves on the Decatur City Commission since 2000.

He said that many new and rebuilt sidewalks have made both walking and biking safer.  New bike lanes and trails have also helped improve the ride, and the bike lanes on West Ponce de Leon won the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s 2010 Blinkie Award for best new facility.

Amanda Thompson, Decatur’s planning director, said that good residential streets with low traffic volume, as well as good connectivity between streets, help make the city navigable for cyclists.   

“This place is great,” said Guitar Red, who has lived in Decatur for 35 years and uses his bike as his primary mode of transportation.  Red noted that drivers seem to be more aware of cyclists in Decatur, making for a friendlier commute.

Brian Dunne, the manager of Bicycle South, recently gave up his car in favor of his bicycle.  He admits that heavily trafficked roads (such as Clairmont Road and DeKalb Avenue) can be daunting to beginners.

“Decatur is very bikable, for the experienced cyclist” said Dunne.  He added that Bicycle South refers new bikers to the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, which offers classes on city cycling.

City of Decatur schools are also providing safety classes for students with Safe Routes to School, a program that teaches bike and pedestrian safety as part of the physical education program. 

But a recurring complaint among cyclists is the lack of bicycle parking.  While the area around Decatur's MARTA station features many small bike racks, cyclists have complained that there are not enough around the city, and not enough for big events.

The city requires new public and private buildings to provide bike racks, and new bike racks are included in the city’s concept plans.  Some funds have been raised by local organization Bike Decatur, an online forum of bicycle advocates.

Other issues, such as intersection redesign and a need for more bike lanes, are also addressed in the transportation plan.  Thompson said the city has concept plans for every major street, but the funding process alone is a two year cycle. 

The next major step, a two-way cycle track on North McDonough Street, recently moved past the design phase and is under review by the Georgia Department of Transportation.  Redesigns of two intersections (North McDonough and College Avenue and East Trinity Place/South Candler Street and College Avenue) are also under review.  Design plans for Commerce Drive's intersections at Church Street and Clairemont Avenue should be ready for review within in the next three months.

The gratification may not be instant, but everyone seems to agree that the outlook is promising for Decatur bikers.  “The community seems to want it,” said Boykin.