Athens Bike Lane Plan to Get an Update

Thanks to a new commission appointed by Mayor Nancy Denson, cyclists in Athens Clarke County could be seeing new, revitalized bike lanes by next year.  

Flagpole Magazine reports a committee comprised of members of the ACC Board of Commissioners is looking into ways to improve the Bicycle Master Plan (BMP), the 2001 map outlining bike lanes in Athens and surrounding areas.

Amongst the changes to take place, the local government plans to create new lanes, restripe existing ones, and put in new signs. In addition, the new plan will encompass a larger range, expanding out of downtown Athens to the greater area.

Roads that could see new bike lanes include Prince Avenue, while lanes on Alps Road and Westlake Drive are likely due for repaving and restriping. Board members are relying heavily on traffic data to determine areas most in need of updates.

The committee last met on Aug. 29 to discuss updating the BMP. According to several committee members, the proposed changes could take over a year to go into effect. Once the new plan is finalized, a consultant will be brought in to assist in overseeing further planning and construction.

The ACC Board of Commissioners first announced its intentions to update the BMP in July. At the time, the Red and Black reported Athens Clarke County as having one of the highest motor vehicle and bicycle collision rates in Georgia.

The current effort to revitalize Athens’ biking infrastructure marks the first such attempt since the original BMP was created 15 years ago.

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