With a burgeoning bike culture that saw the fastest rise in bike commuting in America from 2000-2009, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has recognized the potential in this grassroots growth by announcing the goal of being a top-ten cycling city by 2016.
Notoriously sprawling Atlanta is the new entrant in the race to become one of America's bike-friendliest cities. Kate Sweeney looks at the ways city leaders are seeking to build on Atlanta's bottom-up bike culture in order to become one of the bike-friendliest cities in the country.
"Earlier this year, Mayor Kasim Reed’s office promised cycling improvements on a scale Atlanta’s never seen, investing more than $2 million in biking infrastructure. By 2016, Atlanta pledges to double its miles of bike lanes. This includes adding lanes that will connect the Atlanta University Center to downtown and connect the Beltline with Centennial Olympic Park, among other plans."
"Really, the move for more bike lanes, trails, and the city’s next highlighted project—a bike-share program—isn’t coming mainly from the city at all," says Sweeney. "It’s coming from the cyclists who want it. And if it’s to continue, it’s up to the folks on two wheels to continue to push."
FULL STORY: Can Atlanta Become a Top 10 Cycling City?

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.

Judge Halts Enforcement of Anti-Homeless Laws in Grants Pass
The Oregon city will be barred from enforcing two ordinances that prosecute unhoused residents until it increases capacity and accessibility at designated camping sites.

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The Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Green Schools Symposium brings together educators, students, and experts to advance sustainability in schools through innovative design, climate resilience strategies, and collaborative learning.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
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