What are your feelings on the proposed future placement of bike paths?

I like it! Here's why.

Why is Old Milton Parkway left out of this? My rides always include Old Milton Parkway and it's probably the most rider unfriendly section of the ride. The space normally set aside for us is spotty at best so most of the ride we are required to be on the street with cars. I've been forced off the street several times and when the road is backed up with cars during morning and afternoon traffic, the cars are routinely stopped on the far right which does not allow bikes to safely pass.

What is the thinking of the "On-Roadway Bike Route" leading up to and ending at Old Milton Parkway? (it looks like a J in the PDF)
It dumps you onto Old Milton which has not proposed improvements.

I do this it would be great to improve the roads to be more bike friendly, but leaving out a major road like this is a big oversight.

I have other ideas.

This is a great start. Thank you for taking on this much needed project.

I have suggestions, but before I go into those, I want you to know that I realize Alpharetta is in a catch-up status on bike trails. Plans and construction of bike trails should have started, at least, twenty years ago. Even Westside Parkway, which was built recently fails to incorporate bike lanes. Nonetheless, we appreciate any effort being made now to accommodate those who love to ride bikes, to race bikes, to lead a healthy life style.

My suggestions are:
1. Develop a comprehensive bicycling plan for the City of Alpharetta, including a transportation plan that encourages safe biking.

Employ a consultant to survey the city and make recommendations on establishing route which can accommodate bike routes that are wide enough to provide safety as well as continuous or looped bike paths.

Pursue grant monies to pay for the consultant (and paths.) If not available, then budget the cost immediately.

Appoint an all inclusive committee to work with the consultant on a city policy and plan for establishing bike route, a construction plan, addressing safety issues, education, etc. All inclusive should include young, mid- and old-age bikers and walkers as well as agencies and groups who are interested and will benefit from a comprehensive bicycling plan in Alpharetta.

2. Construct an exclusive bike lane for the existing Greenway and any future expansions.
Start immediately to enforce laws/rules for biking on the Greenway. Police patrols are at a minimum. Ticket the violators before there is a serious accident and law suit and publicize the ticketed as a deterrant .

3. Speed riders need a special path or time set aside for use of all existing and future Alpharetta bike paths, especially on the Greenway. Again, for safety sake, enforcement of the laws should be the rule.

4. Don’t set standards at the minimums. If the federal requirement for bike lanes is a minimum of 4 feet, it is not enough. Unfortunately, the existing bike lanes in Alpharetta are set for the minimum or less which—in my opinion--is a safety hazard, not only for bikers but for drivers. Set a minimum bike width that ensures safety for drivers/bikers—I suggest no less than half the width of a driving lane on a particular route.

5. Provide continuous loop bike paths where possible. Ask the consultant and committee to identify areas in Alpharetta where key trails can be built. Look to local developments or business sites that can be incorporated into continuous biking paths. For instance, Windward is a large multi-development subdivision. A continuous bike path which leads to the Greenway could be a great amenity to Windward and to the City as a whole.

6. Educate, educate, educate. Do bikers know the laws and adhere to them? I believe many are unaware they must obey stop signs, speed limits, passing regulations. Likewise, drivers do not respect bikers. Specific: by law, bikers are not supposed to ride on sidewalks. But, for safety reasons, they do because it is dangerous to ride on the narrow strip of white, if there happens to be one separating the driving lane from their path—designated for bikes or not.

7. Look for a city that has a good policy, plans, paths, and do not be afraid to copy their lead.
If this is going to work, the bicycling planning and program must be integrated into the transportation designs and must have a policy, plan, design standards, education and enforcement.
I applaud the City for tackling this need and encourage them to make Alpharetta a bike (and pedestrian) friendly city.

I like it! Here's why.

Very important to add protected bike lanes on the streets you are considering. Not just a painted line. Some drivers will at times act aggressively toward bicyclists. If you do this right, Alpharetta will receive well deserved notoriety in the US.

I like it! Here's why.

I'd love to see both Greenway sections connected safely as well as feeders in/out of Alpharetta. You would then have a long path with options for an even longer ride.

I like it! Here's why.

Biking lanes are a fantastic idea! Good for the environment, relieves some traffic, and makes the area personal again.

I like it! Here's why.

I am extremely supportive of anything to help make biking more avaiable and safer in Alpharetta. I have been close to being hit by cars several times and have restricted my riding to the greenwas which is nice but limiting on distance.

Would love to see all main roads add bike lanes and signs to encourage bike safety and awareness. Also, bike racks in the parks, downtown area and shopping areas to park and lock bikes.

I have other ideas.

Having lived, worked and gone to school in places like Boulder (Colorado), the San Francisco Bay Area, the Tampa Bay Area, and also having seen what I consider to be the "ideal" implementation of a city-wide bike path system (Peachtree City, GA) I believe the City of Alpharetta is not only setting the bar low in regards to implementing a truly usable bike path system, but missing an opportunity to implement a plan closer to the ideal system, i.e. one that supports not just the brave bikers willing to mix with busy traffic, but one that moms with baby strollers and even small children can use safely. Having lived in Alpharetta for 20 years now, and witnessing "islands" of (disconnected) progressive works (how about our "sidewalks to nowhere" in front of all these subdivisions?) I would recommend a grand plan (yes, more costly but bold---and one that would make Alpharetta stand-out) that incorporates more pedestrian bridges and graded, over-the-busy-streets access, and one that links key points (e.g. Downtown, Wills Park, Verizon Ampitheatre, the Greenway, shopping centers, senior centers, etc) in the city and in surrounding suburbs. Anyone who has used the Greenway: Imagine a similar system, linked together, that allows you to walk, ride, skate---without risking your life crossing a busy intersection (or very few). If planned and built properly, starting at city-center, it becomes a magnet for the upscale, in-town development (e.g. the Post Property development adjacent to the Polo Fields in Forsyth County), which is critical to "Village" concept Alpharetta appears to be heading towards. As a homeowner, I would even be willing to cede some of my own property's right-of-way to help build such a system, even provide volunteer time to work on it. It just takes a vision...and leadership to build it.

I like it! Here's why.

I strongly support this initiative. I am a very active road cyclist and have logged over 3,000 miles so far this year. I support most of the positive comments. My rides always include riding on the road and sometimes include all or part of the greenway. When you are riding 30 to 60 miles at a time, riding safely on the roads is important. I like the connectivity that the plan provides, it provides access to all parts of Alpharetta and will make it much safer for destination trips: shopping, events, dining, etc. The biggest issue I face in riding on the roads is not the space available, rather the hostility from some drivers. Putting a white stripe on the road without designating it a bike lane is not sufficient. I think we could benefit from "sharrows" being used on all these routes to designate where the bikes belong. I think this would constantly remind drivers that bikes belong on the roads and remind cyclists where they belong (not on the pedestrian sidewalks, except for young children). The "sharrows" could be implemented quickly at a minimum cost and other improvements made later. Another issue cyclists face is storm sewer design. The current storm drain/concrete curb design forces cyclists to ride further into the traffic lanes than would be required with properly installed flush grates. I support this initiative and believe that peace between drivers and cyclists can be achieved through everyone being better informed.

The current white striping on some roads makes no accomodation for bikes. Lake Windward Drive from Clubhouse to the Tennis Club is shown as current white striped. In places the distance from the white stripe to the asphalt/concrete split (avoid this on bikes) is only a few inches. Lake Windward Drive would be better without the white stripes and instead with sharrows and bikes share the road signs. The white striping on North Point Parkway from Webb Bridge Road to Old Milton is great with plenty of room to ride between the stripe and the asphalt/concrete split. When you are determining the width of the cycling area to the right of the white stripe it is important to only count the distance from the stripe to the asphalt/concrete split not all the way to the curb. Those splits are a drop of several inches in places and present a real hazard for road bikes. Even a small crack parallel to the curb is a problem for narrow road bike tires.

Please add signage or sharrows or bike lane markers wherever you want bikes to ride as a reminder to cyclists and drivers. This is seriously lacking today.

I like it! Here's why.

Good improvement from where you are today.

I like it! Here's why.

Please also adopt a Complete Streets policy. Also consider separated/protected on-street bike lanes. Keep the bike lanes within the vehicle travel lane, but add a barrier. This will "open up" the bike lanes to more casual users that still may not feel safe in a bike lane alone. Please DO keep on-street bicycle facilities, as they are safer than sidepaths or multi-use trails in more built up areas with many curb cuts, driveways and intersections.