Bicycle Friendly Community

Athens-Clarke County, GA | Bronze Level

Community Highlights:With a growing network of cycling infrastructure, including bike lanes, bike racks, and bike-friendly buses, Athens has a growing cycling community. From the 32nd professional cycling criterium to monthly Bike to Market Day group rides, Athens supports riders of all skill levels. BikeAthens provides educational and advocacy opportunities for cyclists looking to get more involved in improving the biking environment. Additionally, the Mayor and Commission, government staff, and the Athens Downtown Development Authority are supportive of the needs of the cycling community. Almost all intersections have either loop detectors or video detection that will pick up bicycles. The county also has a Bicycle Recycling Program that is a cooperative venture with local social support agencies. Volunteers recondition bikes and distribute them to individuals in the Athens community who are underserved by private and public transportation.

Most Recent Bicycle-Related Accomplishment: The community has invested a significant amount of funding in new infrastructure projects such as a connective multi-use path, signs and sharrows, 1st mile of trail and plaza for the Rails to Trails program, and $4.5 million allocated for the Bicycle Improvement Program over the next 9 years. The Bicycle Transportation Improvement Program provides capital project funding for the design and construction of a bicycle route system by utilizing existing roadways in Athens-Clarke County. This connects principal attractions (schools, shopping, recreation areas) with residential areas through a series of on-street, interconnected bicycle routes that allow for the safe and efficient travel of bicycles through downtown and the University of Georgia campus.