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Is The Atlanta Beltline In Danger Of Being Too Popular?
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On a recent a sunny afternoon, the Atlanta Beltline was packed with joggers, dog-walkers, cyclists and...Beltline volunteers.
Why? It’s all part of an etiquette campaign aimed at keeping everyone on the trail safe. Jessica Davis is one of the volunteers.
“I think a lot of people have a lot to learn when walking the trail since it is fairly new," said Davis. "I think that the campaigns make sure that people know and are aware of the rules and how to stay safe.”
Is the Atlanta Beltline in Danger of Being Too Popular?
Those rules include keeping dogs on leashes that are six feet long or less, staying on the right side of the trail, and walking only two people wide. That last rule is one cyclist Brandon Engelhardt finds most pedestrians don’t follow.
“When I see big groups of people, like five or six, they’ll stand side by side. And, you know, there’s two lanes here; coming up, coming down," Engelhardt said. "If you have a group of people, be respectful, travel in twos, know what I’m saying?”
Engelhardt works for a courier service, so he uses the Beltline every day. He says he’s got ideas for how to address the trail's issues.
“Just put up signs like every mile or so, or every two miles or something like that. Or maybe a sign like at the beginning and at the end of it. Like ‘hey, be respectful, watch for bikers,’ all that stuff," said Engelhardt.
That’s a cyclist’s perspective, but pedestrians like Martha Hartzell feel differently. She’s on the trail with friends from out of state.
“I think that something has to be done so that bikes are isolated from walkers," Hartzell said. "And these guys are from Minnesota, and they do. They have a bike area separate from a walking area, and it’s a lot safer.”
The Beltline is already expanding to other areas of the city, and Lee Harrop, Program Director of the Beltline, hopes the increased trail space will thin out congestion. But the pace of progress has been slow, and demand is increasing rapidly. Harrop says he thinks there may be some innovative ways to adjust.
“Some of these things like places for people to pull off the trail and rest; putting in the three foot shoulders. Things that like that we didn’t…we kinda thought about during the Eastside trail design, but didn’t think it was going to be something we had to do right away," Harrop said.
Georgia Tech professor Alex Karner studies urban design and planning. He sees the challenges facing the Beltline as indicative of progress.
“They’re a victim of their own success, right? Like, all congestion means is they’re a lot of people that want to get a particular place at the same time, and that’s actually a good thing," Karner said. "That’s an indicator of economic prosperity and economic activity.”
While he says Beltline traffic signals a positive shift in the city, Karner also thinks the Beltline can’t take the heat forever. At some point, he says, the city needs to develop more alternatives.
“There seems to be a real hunger for this type of stuff, and just giving more opportunities to walk and bike in different places that aren’t the Beltline. In Atlanta, that’s really one of the only places, and I think that’s why it’s so packed," Karner said.
But the amenities the Beltline offers make it an attractive place. And people like cyclist Brandon Engelhardt say it’s worth it.
“The Beltline’s been a huge help getting across town. You gotta understand, you come to the Beltline on weekends, there’s gonna be people," Engelhardt exclaims.
Living in Atlanta, he says he’s no stranger to traffic. But he’d rather be surrounded by dogs and people than cars.
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