Forsyth Street runs through the middle of downtown Atlanta — past Five Points MARTA station, past City Hall, through the blocks where office workers, Georgia State students, and downtown residents share the road with delivery trucks and commuter traffic. On March 11, 2025, the city cut the ribbon on a one-mile stretch of resurfaced road with something Forsyth Street had never had: a protected bike lane.
The upgrade includes physical barriers separating cyclists from car traffic, new pavement, and ADA-compliant ramps that improve access for pedestrians along the corridor. The project was funded through the Atlanta Department of Transportation's annual repaving program — a relatively modest investment that reshaped how an entire mile of downtown street functions.
More Than a Bike Lane
City Councilmember Jason Dozier, who represents the district, framed the improvement in terms that extended beyond cyclists: "Bike lanes help slow down cars. So even if you're walking with your family, cars are moving slower."
The observation reflects a well-documented traffic engineering principle — protected lanes reduce vehicle speeds on the entire road, not just the lane adjacent to the barrier. For a street that connects directly to Five Points MARTA station and runs past City Hall, the speed reduction benefits every person on the sidewalk, not just the people on bikes.
The Atlanta Downtown Improvement District and South Downtown, the local development group overseeing the SoDo Atlanta portfolio of 53 buildings in the surrounding blocks, both supported the project. April Stammel of South Downtown noted that the bike infrastructure reinforces the district's broader effort to make South Downtown walkable and livable — not just a place people drive through.
Vision Zero Context
The Forsyth Street project is part of Atlanta's Vision Zero Action Plan, the city's commitment to eliminate fatal and serious traffic accidents by 2040. Downtown Atlanta's street grid — designed for a different era of vehicle traffic — has historically prioritized car throughput over pedestrian and cyclist safety. Projects like the Forsyth Street lane represent the incremental, block-by-block work of reversing that priority.
The lane connects to a growing network of cycling infrastructure across downtown, including routes that reach Centennial Olympic Park, the BeltLine access points, and the Georgia State campus. Each new protected lane makes the existing network more useful — and makes the choice to bike or walk through downtown incrementally safer.
Original reporting by Amanda Andrews, Georgia Public Broadcasting, March 11, 2025.