Neighbor News
The final 'Atlanta Streets Alive' of 2014 attracts an additional 20,000 people
-- Atlantans' rapidly growing interest in open-street events shows demand and need for more pedestrian and pedal-friendly areas --
On Sept. 28, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition held its final “Atlanta Streets Alive” for the year, seeing event attendance dramatically increase compared to the year before. With 83,000 attendees on a similar route in 2013, the just-wrapped event attracted approximately as many as 23,000 additional people (even with looming clouds). Total attendance was estimated between 95,000-106,000.
The substantial increase in attendance wowed the event’s organizer, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, but reinforced the importance of the nonprofit’s efforts to help make Atlanta a more walkable city, as well as a top 10 city for cycling by 2016.
“Seeing so many people biking and walking just blew us away,” says Rebecca Serna. “It just shows how much Atlantans want streets that are open for biking and walking. We especially loved seeing Boulevard full of people playing in the street, hearing hoots of joy as people whizzed down the hills of North Avenue, and experiencing our first-ever bike traffic jam on Highland.”
Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
For the event, the city closed a 4.5-mile loop of streets to cars, including N. Highland, Highland, Boulevard and North Avenue.
Atlanta Streets Alive (Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s open-streets initiative since 2010) is designed to encourage active, healthy living and celebrate vibrant people-oriented streets by taking cars out of the equation for the afternoon.
Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
About Atlanta Streets Alive
Atlanta Streets Alive is a human-powered event that creates a shared, safe and active space for people in motion. The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and partners create a car-free area with opportunities for people-powered transportation, fun activities and ability to connect with Atlanta neighborhoods. For more information, visit www.atlantastreetsalive.com.
About Atlanta Bicycle Coalition
The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s mission is to create a healthier, more livable Atlanta by making it safer, easier, and more attractive to bicycle for fun, fitness, and transportation. Founded in 1991, the membership-based nonprofit advocates for a safe and connected network of bikeways, educates cyclists and drivers on safety, and organizes community-building events like Atlanta Streets Alive.