Council Considers Making Baker Street Two-Way
Image via change.org.
The Atlanta Bicycle coalition has created a change.org petition to convert Baker Street back to a two-way thoroughfare.
The Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee proposed an ordinance for the project which was referred to committee at the June 3 meeting. If approved, the project would cost approximately 2.7 million. The city would pay 1.3 of that, with Central Atlanta Progress covering the remainder, according to Curbed.
Opposition to the project has been vocal – so much so that the city council has moved slowly to approve the project so further study could be conducted on the implications, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
However, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and other like-minded groups and individuals feel that switching the corridor to a two-way street would make it safer for pedestrian and bike traffic. Two way streets they argue, are more appropriate for downtown areas and will help encourage alternative modes of transportation.
“[Converting Baker Street] will help bring the downtown street network up to date and back into sync with the City of Atlanta’s transportation vision and goals,” the petition reads. “It will benefit the downtown Atlanta community and the entire city.”