Atlanta Involved in Pro-Bicycle Project

That program, which launched in 2012, promotes biking in general by taking steps like building protected lanes for riders.

The goal is to get more people, in a city known for its infamous traffic, to ride bicycles.

“An argument I hear across the state of Georgia is ‘Well, nobody rides bikes.’ And I like to counter with ‘Before Hartsfield Airport was built, how many people flew to Atlanta?’  And if the answer is zero, is that then a justification to have not built an airport?” says Brent Buice, the executive director of Georgia Bikes.

In addition to potentially getting less vehicles on the roadways, project supporters in Atlanta say there are many other benefits.

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“It creates vibrant communities with a high quality of life where businesses want to locate.  And then there’s obvious health impacts, that should be of significant concern to Georgians and anyone throughout the South, where we have the highest obesity rates,” says Buice.

In a written statement, city officials say they want to add 120 miles of bike lanes and multi-use trails within the next three years.

In addition to Atlanta, five other cities are taking part in the Green Lane Project.  They are Boston, Denver, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Seattle.