Bicycle and pedestrian facilities include both on-road and off-road components. The on-street facilities are located along arterial and other selected corridors and are located in the right-of-way or along easements. The off-street facilities are located off the right-or-way and near residential subdivisions or natural areas.
Currently, there are a limited number of bike facilities in Athens-Clarke County. College Station Road, Barnett Shoals Road, Epps Bridge Parkway, Riverbend Road, Research Drive and the Greenway System are the only areas with either a bike facility in place, under construction or the funding available for construction. Some signage has also been placed around the Athens area. The MACORTS Transportation Plan and the A-CC Mayor and Commission's adopted Bicycle Master Plan identifies the core routes planned for a bike system.
The majority of the sidewalks in Athens-Clarke County are located in the rights-of-way adjacent to the roadways across the county. In response to the needs of the community, the governing body has approved a sidewalk rating plan and provided the funding to address existing gaps in the sidewalk network.
In recent years, MACORTS has helped generate
an increased recognition of the importance bicyclists and pedestrians
contribute to the overall transportation network. These modes
allow for safe travel and are also friendlier on the environment
and help to relieve congestion. The Transportation Plan attempts
to inventory the current infrastructure as well as provide the
framework for future bike and pedestrian facilities.
The bicycle and pedestrian plan was developed
to give cyclists and pedestrians greater access around the MACORTS
region. It was also developed in response to the Intermodal Surfaces
Transportation Efficiency ACT (ISTEA) and the newly passed Safe, Accountable,
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).
Improvements to this network are identified in the year 2030 MACORTS Transportation Plan. Modifications to these planned corridors will jointly occur through the MACORTS process and update of the Twenty Year Plan.