Jack Cebe, Safety Researcher at PEDS, is working with engineers at the Georgia Department of Transportation to develop policy and practice recommendations about siting and designing safe crossing treatments. 

Under current practices, when GDOT resurfaces multi-lane roads, it often eliminates marked crosswalks at locations that are not controlled by traffic signals or stop signs. 

Before and after road resurfacing on Moreland Avenue

GDOT engineers recognize that removing crosswalks is not a solution and are eager to adopt policies that enable them to instead supplement marked crosswalks with other safety devices.  Our partnership with GDOT on this project is likely to make that happen.

Please join us on August 10 to participate in a panel discussion about street crossing treatments. Katelyn Digioia, the State Bicycle-Pedestrian Engineer at GDOT, Andy McBurney, a transportation planner who previously managed our Safe Routes to Transit Initiative, and Jack Cebe will be panelists.  We'll leave plenty of time for questions from the audience.

August 10, 5:30 - 7:30 PM

999 Peachtree Street NE, 5th floor

close to the Midtown MARTA Station

The first half hour is for networking, with the panel discussion beginning at 6:00 PM.

Unblock the walk!

People who walk are tired of zigzagging from one side of the street to the other, so we're picking up the pace on our efforts to ensure better access for people walking in construction zones.

The City of Atlanta's policy states that directing people to use the sidewalk on the other side of the street should be allowed only as a last resort. Yet even on one-way, multi-lane streets like West Peachtree or Spring Street, we rarely, if ever, see lanes closed to create temporary walking routes. This is true even where the sidewalk on the other side of the street is inaccessible to people with disabiliti es. 

West Peachtree Street, a five-lane, one-way street, has ample room for a protected, temporary walkway. Atlanta's failure to provide one is inexcusable.

Call for volunteers

The Commissioner of Atlanta's Department of Public Works promised last week to send us records for all sidewalk closure permits within three working days. We're still waiting, but once we receive records, we'll map locations and teach volunteers how to assess the feasibility of other options.

We can't do this on our own, so if you're available to help, please let us know .

PEDS, seeks a part-time Administrative Assistant to help with a variety of tasks, including event  preparation, organization and communication. Responsibilities include preparing for meetings and events, organizing files and photo directories and coordinating volunteer activities.

The 2016 Georgia Walks Summit we held in Macon last month attracted a diverse audience, with elected officials, advocates and transportation and public health professionals from throughout Georgia.

Gil Penalosa, Founder and Chair of 880 Cities, calls on attendees to make change happen.  

Over 100 people attended, and we're thrilled by the feedback they provided. Just a few comments:

• "It was both an inspiration and an eye-opener."
• "Great connections, contacts and new ideas."
• "Mark Fenton's passion. It's contagious."

Keynote speaker Mark Fenton led a fun and inspiring walking audit in downtown Macon.

Terrific  presentations are available online. Check out ones you missed. Or take another look at ones you'd love to see again.  

Curious about how people travel and where they walk, we set up shop at the  new Ponce City Farmers' Market and invited people to mark up our posters.  We learned a lot. 

Despite the rain, half the people who visited the market got there by walking. Along the way, the 144 people who walked there traversed 46 different streets and trails. 

Your support makes advocacy happen.