Poor Bike Lane Maintenance
I believe one of the big reasons for Atlanta's (okay, mine) recent problems with cyclists is that Atlanta has done a poor job of maintaining what bike paths do exist.
When the Olympics came in '96, there was a sizable push to make the city somewhat friendly to the mode of transportation. Now, the bikepaths that are incorporated into roadways are poorly kept. Bushes and trees are allowed to grow into the bike lanes and litter/debris is allowed to build up. This inhibits law abiding bikers from wanting to use or feeling safe to use the lanes, leading to cyclists riding in the road when they should 'stay to the right'.
If Atlanta could properly care for the bike lanes, I bet I'd have less close encounters of the cycling kind.
Where'd the city go wrong? Simply, there is little money left in the kitty. Atlanta's neglected sewage infrastructure is sucking the available resources out of the city leaving little for things like bike lane maintenance. Not to mention the usual big city corruption, graft and politics.
When the Olympics came in '96, there was a sizable push to make the city somewhat friendly to the mode of transportation. Now, the bikepaths that are incorporated into roadways are poorly kept. Bushes and trees are allowed to grow into the bike lanes and litter/debris is allowed to build up. This inhibits law abiding bikers from wanting to use or feeling safe to use the lanes, leading to cyclists riding in the road when they should 'stay to the right'.
If Atlanta could properly care for the bike lanes, I bet I'd have less close encounters of the cycling kind.
Where'd the city go wrong? Simply, there is little money left in the kitty. Atlanta's neglected sewage infrastructure is sucking the available resources out of the city leaving little for things like bike lane maintenance. Not to mention the usual big city corruption, graft and politics.
posted by Ga Mongrel at 3:35 PM
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