Midtown Neighbors’ Association (MNA), Virginia Highlands Civic Association (VHCA), and Atlanta’s Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) have worked together to design a two-way protected bike lane on Virginia Ave from Monroe Dr to Virginia Highlands Elementary school’s (VHE) entrance. Now we need your help to:
Every morning, my kids want to ride their bikes less than a mile to Virginia Highlands Elementary School (VHE). Virginia Ave is the shortest, flattest, easiest route and it leads right up to their school’s front steps. The problem is, Virginia Avenue’s 40-foot-wide, two-lane road is no place for 5 and 7-year-olds who've just learned to ride. Even the school’s crossing guard warns, “It’s dangerous out here. These drivers don’t respect the kids, even when they have the right of way.”
“It’s dangerous out here. These drivers don’t respect the kids, even when they have the right of way.”
With its extra-wide lanes, drivers often don’t realize they’re travelling well over the 30-mile-per-hour speed limit. So when they unexpectedly come across a child biking—just a bit faster than walking—right in the middle of their lane, it’s a shock. The driver either slams on the brakes or tries to squeeze around the novice rider, darting into the oncoming lane. It’s a heart-stopping sight, and only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.
The Midtown and Virginia Highlands neighborhoods have worked with ATLDOT to design a tactical urbanism project that creates a temporary two-way protected bike lane along Virginia from Monroe to VHE’s entrance. The beauty of tactical urbanism is that it is approved by ATLDOT and lets us test a decade-old plan quickly and affordably, giving us a real-world glimpse of how it could permanently improve safety—not just for drivers, but for everyone. If the neighborhood decides it’s not working, we can easily remove it. MNA and VHCA are aiming to raise $14,000 and install the changes in less than two days and last for at least a year.
“raising $14,000 to install the changes in less than two days and last for at least a year”
How you can help
Benefits
This nearly 3,000-foot project showcases three additional ideas, beyond just providing a safe route for biking between Midtown and Virginia Highlands.
Virginia and Monroe Intersection
Slip lanes would never exist if we truly prioritize safety over speed. Currently, pedestrians crossing Virginia Ave at Monroe Dr face an 85-foot stretch exposed to speeding cars which is far more crossing distance than necessary for just three lanes of traffic. This is further complicated by a slip lane stoplight that is mostly ignored.
The Virginia and Monroe intersection is set for a redesign as part of ATLDOT's Monroe Complete Street project, though the final design and the timeline for construction hasn’t been released. This tactical urbanism project provides a preview of what might happen if the crossing distance is reduced by at least 20%. If and when ATLDOT decides to move forward with the project, they can take and incorporate learnings from the temporary tactical urbanism project when they complete their more permanent work.
The block of Monroe between 8th and Virginia is Monroe’s widest point at 5 lanes wide. This project tests narrowing part of this five-lane stretch by shutting down the right turn slip lane to match the width of the road north of Virginia. By narrowing Monroe, we create a shorter crossing distance for bikes and pedestrians as well as create a safe space for the dedicated cycle track along Virginia and still leave plenty of room for a MARTA bus to pull up to the curb in front of Trader Joe’s. Midtown High School has the opportunity to decorate this new temporary space, bringing a bit of creativity and community into the mix.
Virginia and Park/Ponce Pl Intersection
The Virginia and Park/Ponce Place intersection, directly in front of VHE’s auditorium, is a major safety hazard for pedestrians. Everyday the crossing guard witnesses near misses between children walking in the crosswalk and drivers rushing to turn right on red or trying to squeeze by other cars waiting to turn left. This project temporarily narrows the driving lanes to one lane in each direction by eliminating the blind slip lanes and reduces pedestrians' exposure to drivers by 22 feet—or 50%—on both sides of the intersection. The closure of the slip lanes also opens up an opportunity for Virginia Highland Elementary to decorate the newly expanded pedestrian space, fostering a stronger sense of community.
Drop-off Lane
Parents go a little nuts at drop off time. They park in ‘no parking’ areas, they double park and send their kids out of the car, they drop their kids off on the other side of the road and frogger across, while others pull U-turns in the middle of the road. It’s a miracle no one has been hit … yet. The area from Park Avenue/Ponce Place to the school’s driveway (Arcadia Street) is supposed to be no parking during drop off and pickup. This tactical urbanism project tests installing a physical barrier preventing parents from abusing this rule while creating a safe space for parents and children to ride bikes all the way to the front steps. This new bicycle-friendly area is another spot where VHE can add some creative flair and boost school spirit.
Most of Virginia Highland Elementary’s students live less than a mile from school and being a few hundred feet from the Beltline, VHE has the opportunity to be the most bikeable elementary school in Atlanta and maybe even Georgia. This temporary bike lane will demonstrate that VHE can provide a healthy opportunity to bike ride to school while reducing the need for cars on the road. And in so doing will achieve a more than a decade old plan to add bicycle infrastructure to Virginia Ave. MNA and VHCA aim to do this by raising $14,000 and installing it in less than two days.