{"683672":{"#nid":"683672","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Campus Cycle Track Complete and Ready to Roll ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarking a major step forward in campus transportation, the highly anticipated campus cycle track has been completed. Designed with safety and convenience in mind, the track accommodates bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, and skateboards, offering a dedicated, bidirectional path separated from vehicular traffic. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cycle track improves the current campus micromobility infrastructure and promotes eco-friendly commuting options for students, faculty, and staff. It will also enhance:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESafety\u003C\/strong\u003E. By separating micromobility users from vehicular traffic, the risk of collisions is significantly reduced. Permanent curbs and realigned intersections add extra layers of protection.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConnectivity\u003C\/strong\u003E. The track links key parts of campus, from the Campus Recreation Center and Tech Parkway along Fifth Street to Tech Square. This creates a smoother east-west route through Midtown and the Georgia Tech campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E. Supporting micromobility helps reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA grand opening celebration is planned for Wednesday, Aug.13, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., during \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/welcomehome.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWeek of Welcome\u003C\/a\u003E. Following the opening ceremony, a bike and micromobility ride \u2014 named the \u201ccritical swarm\u201d \u2014 will take place to familiarize both new and returning students with navigating the cycle track and seeing how it connects campus to surrounding neighborhoods. Proposed by students, the idea of a \u201ccritical swarm\u201d ride is an effort to establish the event as a yearly campus tradition. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStudents are, in fact, the reason the cycle track now exists on campus. Many were inspired by former Georgia Tech Associate Professor Kari E. Watkins, a leading expert in the field of transit, who educated scores of students about alternative transit options, often traveling to the Netherlands for research and inspiration. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday\u2019s cycle track originated from a 2019 award-winning senior capstone project by civil engineering students Kimmie Hernandez, CEE 2019; Danielle Kronowski, CEE 2019; Poonam Patel, CEE 2019; and Rachel Still, CEE 2020, whose research demonstrated the safety benefits of protected bike lanes. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur team was excited about the opportunity to partner with Georgia Tech, allowing us to apply the community-driven engineering concepts we learned in a meaningful way on campus,\u0022 Still said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDesigning this project as a student made it very personal,\u201d Hernandez added. \u201cI had four years of firsthand experience navigating the campus and seeing opportunities to improve mobility and safety. That experience gave our team a unique perspective and a genuine excitement for creating thoughtful student-focused solutions.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Landscape Architect Jason Gregory and Landscape Project Manager Jerry Young have guided the project from its start in late 2023 to this grand opening event, accumulating a few grey hairs along the way. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe started this project by asking the capstone students, \u2018How can we make our streets safer for micromobility and pedestrians?\u2019 After years of planning, design, and construction, we are optimistic that these projects will make the campus safer for everyone,\u201d said Gregory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth Kronowski and Patel now work for Kimley-Horn, the design firm behind the cycle track. For Kronowski, the project was \u201cextremely rewarding,\u201d and she\u2019s thankful to have worked with experienced designers and been able to \u201cintegrate engineering solutions into our original design during the first few years of my career.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Patel put it, \u201cBecoming a transportation engineer was always about shaping the world and infrastructure around me. Working on this project as both a student and an engineer has made that dream a reality, especially since it\u0027s for a school I love and a roadway I traversed daily.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the Georgia Tech community welcomes this new addition, the Institute prioritizes safety and etiquette: Helmets are highly encouraged, pedestrians have the right of way, and micromobility users must follow traffic laws. Violations may result in citations or mandatory training.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith its thoughtful integration into the campus landscape, the cycle track is poised to become a vital artery for movement and connection. It\u2019s a win for sustainability, safety, and the spirit of innovation that defines Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/calendar.gatech.edu\/event\/2025\/08\/13\/critical-swarm\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELearn more about the Week of Welcome cycle track event\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMarking a major step forward in campus transportation, the highly anticipated campus cycle track has been completed.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Marking a major step forward in campus transportation, the highly anticipated campus cycle track has been completed."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2025-08-08 15:05:29","changed_gmt":"2025-08-08 17:52:29","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677622":{"id":"677622","type":"image","title":"DSC_0033.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EView of the newly installed cycle track looking east toward Tech Square.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1754665548","gmt_created":"2025-08-08 15:05:48","changed":"1754665548","gmt_changed":"2025-08-08 15:05:48","alt":"View of the newly installed cycle track looking east toward Tech Square.","file":{"fid":"261537","name":"DSC_0033.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/08\/DSC_0033.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/08\/DSC_0033.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5510631,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/08\/DSC_0033.JPG?itok=47YBCElI"}},"677623":{"id":"677623","type":"image","title":"DSC_0030.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EView of cycle track near the Exhibition Hall and the Campus Recreation Center.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1754665728","gmt_created":"2025-08-08 15:08:48","changed":"1754665728","gmt_changed":"2025-08-08 15:08:48","alt":"View of cycle track near the Exhibition Hall and the Campus Recreation Center.","file":{"fid":"261538","name":"DSC_0030.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/08\/DSC_0030.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/08\/DSC_0030.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7348756,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/08\/DSC_0030.JPG?itok=Oyn47SzC"}},"677624":{"id":"677624","type":"image","title":"DSC_0043.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EView of the newly installed cycle track along the Fifth Street Bridge.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1754665895","gmt_created":"2025-08-08 15:11:35","changed":"1754665895","gmt_changed":"2025-08-08 15:11:35","alt":"View of the newly installed cycle track along the Fifth Street Bridge.","file":{"fid":"261539","name":"DSC_0043.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/08\/DSC_0043.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/08\/DSC_0043.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1092164,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/08\/DSC_0043.JPG?itok=CHRMkjRx"}}},"media_ids":["677622","677623","677624"],"related_links":[{"url":"entity:node\/682450","title":"Georgia Tech Wins Institutional Leadership in Mobility Award"}],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194097","name":"IS News"},{"id":"178819","name":"newsroom"},{"id":"192185","name":"Ferst Drive Realignment and Cycle Track"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECathy Brim\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EInfrastructure and Sustainability\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["cathy.brim@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}