Abstract:
Popular adoption of bicycling as a mode of transportation can reduce overall congestion, air pollution and fossil-fuel energy consumption while at the same time enabling an active lifestyle and providing users with a low cost, equitable means of transportation. For this reason, many planning agencies have incorporated bicycle planning in their long term vision for their regions, including Atlanta. One of the major impediments to choosing bicycle as a transportation mode is safety issues, with major safety perception factors including high speed limits, high traffic volumes, last mile disconnect in the network, and an absence of physically separated facilities for cyclists. Come hear from four experts in bicycle research and planning in the Atlanta area as they talk about crash data analysis, cyclist stress, and work in Atlanta to shift mode share. Attendees will gain a better understanding of research underway, data available for new research, and areas for potential bicycle-related research in the future.
Speaker Information:
Cary Bearn joined the City of Atlanta's Office of Mobility Planning as the Chief Bicycle Officer. Prior to this position, she was a Transportation Planner/Engineer at Fehr & Peers in Los Angeles. Cary Bearn has a Masters in City and Regional Planning and a Masters in Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelors degree in Biology from Williams College.
Dr. Christopher Le Dantec is an Associate Professor in the Digital Media Program in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research has direct impact on how policy makers and citizens work together to address issues of community engagement, social justice, urban transportation and development.
Executive Director Rebecca Serna has a Master’s degree from Georgia State's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies in Urban Policy in Planning and Nonprofit Management. Serna was a bike/ped intern with the Georgia DOT and draws on her experience as a Fulbright in Bogotá, Colombia, where she studied participatory planning practices and innovative public transportation projects.
Dr. Kari Watkins is the Frederick Law Olmsted Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. Her teaching and research interests include multi-modal transportation planning, the use of technology in transportation, traveler information, and complete streets design to create a more livable transportation system.
How to watch: If you can't make the event in person you can Live Stream or watch the Recording (one week after event).