In a virtual celebration planned for May 20, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition will commemorate Atlanta’s open-streets initiative that, for the last 10 years, “has shown Atlantans the potential of vibrant, livable streets when you take cars out of the equation for a day,” a release from the organization said.
From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition not only celebrate a decade of Atlanta Streets Alive and but also announce its 2020 program and future plans for Atlanta Streets Alive; share messages from the founders and key supporters of Atlanta Streets Alive; and, unveil a commemorative t-shirt available for purchase to help fund this open-streets initiative.
“Since the very first route, Atlanta Streets Alive has provided first-hand experiences of what corridors designed for cars would be like if they were reclaimed for people,” said Rebecca Serna, executive director of Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. “Over the last decade, the demand for streets that let people move safely, easily, and sustainably has increased dramatically. We look forward to further championing safe and complete streets to create a more inclusive and thriving Atlanta.”
The Atlanta Streets Alive program has grown from a one-mile pilot event on Edgewood Avenue during its first year to multiple programs every year, drawing up to 100,000 people on average. To date, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition has hosted 29 Atlanta Streets Alive events with over 1.5 million participants on 83 miles of city streets.
The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition launched Atlanta Streets Alive in 2010 to show residents how activity and people-filled parts of the city could transform streets originally designed around automobiles.
The program was inspired by an international open streets movement that aims to reclaim urban corridors by closing them to motorized traffic to promote healthy living, strengthen local businesses and provide sustainable transportation options, Serna said.
After the event, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition has invited Atlantans to continue the celebration on Twitter and Instagram by sharing their favorite Atlanta Streets Alive photos from over the years, along with the #AtlantaStreetsAlive hashtag and a sentence about how this initiative has changed the way they experience the city.
For more details and to join the virtual event, please visit AtlantaStreetsAlive.com or the Facebook event page.
