Georgia DOT, in partnership with Georgia Bikes!, applied for and obtained Transportation Alternatives (TA) Program grant funding to develop a statewide active transportation plan focused on rural areas of the state. The plan will provide GDOT with a framework to guide investment and policy recommendations to improve active transportation safety, connectivity, and policy in rural areas. Based on national and international best practices, detailed data analyses, and input from key stakeholders and the public, the resulting forward-thinking plan will position Georgia as a leader in proactively measuring, evaluating, and planning for expansion of statewide bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Active transportation refers to human-powered modes of transportation including, but not limited to, walking, and bicycling and using a wheelchair, mobility device, scooter and smaller electric devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters.

Georgia DOT's Bicycle & Pedestrian Program has numerous resources available for the public to learn about active transportation, vulnerable road users, and multimodal travel. The program supports a broad range of programs and initiatives throughout the state, offering technical assistance, engineering and planning guidance, public information, and educational materials and programs for cyclists, walkers, and visitors in Georgia. Learn more here by visiting the GDOT Bicycle & Pedestrian Program webpage.

This plan is focused on active transportation in rural and small-town areas of Georgia. Those areas are generally defined as the places and small town located outside of the major cities and metropolitan regions. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are designated by federal law to coordinate multimodal transportation planning in urban areas with populations greater than 50,000. Therefore, GDOT is focusing the Statewide State Active Transportation Plan on those areas of the state that are not part of a MPO. For more information on Georgia’s MPOs, visit gampo.org.

Hearing from people on their firsthand experiences biking, walking, and rolling in Georgia is critical to understanding the nuances of bicycle and pedestrian activity: What is working well? What are the opportunities for improvements? What are the challenges to be overcome? Alongside technical analyses of the existing conditions and input from key stakeholders responsible for delivering active transportation infrastructure, policies, and programs, the Statewide Rural Active Transportation Plan will incorporate feedback from Georgians about their level of comfort in engaging in active transportation across rural areas and in small towns across the state. Public and stakeholder input will be used directly in the development of a vision and supporting goals for the plan as well as help inform the development of strategies for improving biking and walking in Georgia.