When it comes to transportation in Atlanta, it’s no secret that cars reign supreme.
No other mode of transportation even comes close to knocking it off its top spot. About 77% of Atlantans drive alone to work everyday. That’s compared to about 3.5% of commuters who take MARTA or other forms of public transit.
Another 1.6% of Atlanta's commuters bike or walk to work, according to data released earlier this year from the Atlanta Regional Commission.
In recent years, there have been some efforts to make Atlanta more friendly to cyclists and other pedestrians.
The city's 2018 Bicycle Report touted "new bike infrastructure, trails and technologies" as advancements in changing "conversations about transportation" and "the reality of how people move around Atlanta."
However, despite the advancements in Atlanta, much of the city — and the rest of Georgia — remain less than ideal for cyclists. That same report from the city found that 70% of Atlantans say they feel uncomfortable biking on the street and 65% feel unsafe because of the speed of vehicles.
When compared to other states, Georgia falls in the middle of the pack in terms of bike safety, a new report finds. The report, published by the League of American Cyclists, ranked Georgia No. 19 overall for most bike-friendly states.
The data analyzed was broken up into five categories for each state: infrastructure and funding, education and encouragement, legislation and enforcement, policies and programs and evaluation and planning.
On Georgia’s report card, it received a “B” grade in the categories of “infrastructure and planning” and “policies and programs.” It earned a “C” in the remaining categories.
Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, California and Massachusetts took home the top five spots for friendliest bicycle states. While Wyoming, Nebraska, Mississippi, Montana and North Dakota found themselves in the least friendly bike state spots.
"With this year's ranking, the League of American Bicyclists is taking a harder look at how states are planning for the safety of people who bike," a press release from the League of American Cyclists reads. "We hope that this report helps governors, state legislatures, advocates, and the public better understand how states are making – or not making – streets safer for people who bike."
