Atlanta Streets Alive is more than a day of fun; it’s an everyday endeavor. While Atlanta Streets Alive has a festival-like atmosphere in many ways, we avoid using the terms “festival” and “event” to describe it. It is a program with an advocacy initiative that aims to inspire a shift in how we all view our city streets by transforming them into a place where people come first. Calling Atlanta Streets Alive a program might seem like a small distinction, but we believe it helps us lay the groundwork for a bigger change.
Through the initiative, we create an environment that demonstrates tangible, communal changes – including infrastructure changes, like Complete Streets, which include:
- sidewalks with accessible pedestrian signals
- accessible public transportation stops
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frequent and safe crosswalks bike lanes or wide paved shoulders, and more.
All streets in Atlanta should be safe for everyone to use. This year our Atlanta Streets Alive routes have focused on areas slated for Complete Street improvements through Renew Atlanta. Both Cascade Avenue and DeKalb Avenue were not given the funding promised. Demanding funding and change have been central to our Atlanta Streets Alive advocacy.