CLOSED STREETS, LIVE NEIGHBORHOODS
ATLANTA STREETS ALIVE HITS THE WESTSIDE
With this spring’s extreme traffic debacles, never mind Atlanta’s regular congestion, it may sound stressful to close even more Atlanta streets to vehicle traffic, even if it’s for just a few hours. But the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition will be doing just that during Atlanta Streets Alive that hits a new route on the Westside on June 11.
From 4 to 8 p.m., a 4-mile stretch of Marietta Street and Howell Mill Road will be closed to vehicles. Instead, hundreds of pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as babies in strollers and others using various non-motorized forms of transportation, will enjoy free access to the street for a bicycle parade, health and wellness booths, food, sidewalk sales and music.
The idea for Atlanta Streets Alive originated in Bogota, Colombia, where streets periodically are closed off to traffic so pedestrians can participate in free health and community activities. In the mid- 2000s, similar programs began in large urban areas around the world, including Kiev and Tokyo. Atlanta’s first Streets Alive was in 2010, when downtown streets closed for four hours. This year, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition closed streets in the West End in April and has plans for a downtown event in September.
Along with the immediate goal of exploring a neighborhood without worrying about traffic, Atlanta Streets Alive promotes fitness (walking, biking and jogging), public transportation (to arrive at the route) and community engagement.
STORIES: Melanie Lasoff Levs
