The City of Atlanta has established a penalty for the improper use of bicycle routes, bicycle lanes, and multi-use trails to mirror that of stopping, standing, or parking on a sidewalk.

To avoid court and the court issued penalty, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition provides free bicycle safety classes through the Office of the City Solicitor’s Bicycle Diversion Program. The program is designed to promote understanding and awareness of the proper use of bicycle routes, bicycle lanes, multi-use trails within the City of Atlanta and to provide education on bicycle safety and traffic laws for both drivers and bicyclists.

Violators of the city’s ordinance shall be eligible for participation in the program once annually until termination of the program on December 31, 2021.

The city’s ordinance states:

  1.  No person shall stop, leave standing, or park any passenger vehicle, automobile, light truck, sport utility vehicle, or motorcycle whether attended or unattended, on any portion of a bicycle route, bicycle lane or multi-use trail within the city’s municipal street system and on extensions of a county road system within the city’s corporate limits, including but not limited to areas for loading and unloading, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic control device. Any person violating this provision shall be deemed guilty of an offense and upon conviction, shall be fined $100.00.

  2.  No person shall stop, leave standing, or park any motor vehicle operated separately or in combination with any trailer or semi trailer which has either two axles with six or more tires or three or more axles, whether attended or unattended, on any portion of a bicycle route, bicycle lane, or multi-use trail within the city’s municipal street system and on extensions of a county road system within the city’s corporate limits, including but not limited to areas for loading and unloading, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic control device. Any person violating this provision shall be deemed guilty of an offense and upon conviction, shall be fined $1,000.00.

To register for the Bicycle Diversion Program visit: www.atlantabike.org/ticket_diversion