Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed joined Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson in announcing several citywide cycling initiatives. Among them was Cycle Atlanta, a Georgia Tech-developed iPhone application that tracks cycling routes and is designed to help the city with future cycling decisions.  

Once the free app is launched, cyclists tap “Start” to begin recording their ride. When the ride is over, they hit "Save" and add details such as trip purpose and optional comments. Cyclists are able to see a map of their ride, distance travelled and average speed. The route is also uploaded to data servers, where city transportation planners have access to it.

“By looking at cyclists’ origins, destinations and route, City of Atlanta transportation planners will be able to see which roads are avoided and which are popular,” said College of Engineering Assistant Professor Kari Watkins. “The city can use the information to make future decisions about where infrastructure is needed to create bike-friendly routes throughout Atlanta.”

Watkins developed Cycle Atlanta with Christopher Le Dantec, an assistant professor in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

“One of the main reasons people don’t frequently cycle is a lack of safe infrastructure – dedicated bicycle routes, roads with bicycle lanes and other designated bicycle facilities,” said Le Dantec. “The city has a desire to put proper infrastructure in place but needs better information from citizens about where they currently ride and would like to cycle.”

Cycle Atlanta is a joint project among Georgia Tech, the City of Atlanta Department of Planning and Community Development, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (ABC) and the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). It’s funded through a contribution from ABC and the ARC’s Livable Centers Initiative planning program. Georgia Tech’s GVU Center and the Institute for People and Technology also provided support.