As Atlanta’s population grows, so does the seemingly endless number of vehicles on its interstates and city streets. Traffic in Atlanta is unbearable at times, making commutes excessively longer than they need to be. In large cities like New York City, people have long turned to other means of transportation, like bicycles.
Recently, commuters in bigger cities across the nation have combined the best of both worlds, renting electric bikes to get around the city on their daily drives. It is an environmentally, inexpensive, healthier alternative that comes with many pros, but of course, safety is always an utmost concern.
At Powell & Associates, Atlanta’s premier bicycle accident attorneys, we encourage electric bike sharing as long as you take heed and use the proper precautions.
Getting to Work Hassle-Free
We’ve all been there. You think you leave early enough for your commute down 85 and suddenly the interstate is a parking lot. With the city growing, many people began moving outside the perimeter to live, but kept their jobs in the city. This causes some of the worst-ranked traffic in the country, but now there is an alternative.
What started in Genoa, Italy in 2009 is now expected to become a global market of over $20 billion with more and more cities joining in. Electric bike sharing in Atlanta is growing from a fad to a daily means of transportation, offering a healthy and quicker alternative to the notorious traffic of the Atlanta roads.
A Healthy Alternative
If you’ve lived in Atlanta for any length of time, you know two things about the city, especially in the summer. It’s hilly and hot.
While bike rentals and commuting has been going on for some time in Atlanta, the electric aspect is relatively new. With a motor assisting in pedaling, those hot days are a little less dangerous and the hills a lot friendlier. It also provides less fuel emissions, slowly chipping away at the troubling smog-filled airs and making for a healthier environment.
Rev Up and Go
Perhaps the biggest advantage of electric bikes in Atlanta is that they are dockless. By not needing constant charging, electric bikes can be strategically placed around the city, ready to go for the next commuter. Someone can pick up a bike from downtown and ride to Midtown and simply leave the bike for the next eager commuter looking to beat traffic. The issue is ensuring there are enough electric bikes located throughout the city and not saturating one area of Atlanta, leaving commuters stranded and looking for alternatives without a car.
Is Atlanta Ready for Electric Bike Sharing?
There have been many strides made towards making Atlanta a much more bicycle-friendly city with added bike lanes and the Belt Line extending further and further through the city every week. There are still concerns and safety precautions to be wary of, as Atlanta’s city streets are full of cars, trucks and SUVs, often times making tight driving conditions.
Cyclists and automobile drivers must abide by similar rules and are under the same causes of negligence when it comes to accidents. Failure to understand right of way, ignoring traffic signals and weaving in and out of traffic are all legitimate concerns when more vehicles are on the road, whether they are cars, electric bikes or scooters.
Know Your Rights when Electric Bike Sharing
Electric bike sharing is an innovative and environmentally sound idea for a city with traffic issues like Atlanta.
At Powell & Associates, we want to remind you that even though they are smaller and slower, electric bikes are still vehicles. When on the roads of Atlanta, you must abide by the same traffic laws as an automobile or truck driver, or you could be held for negligence and at fault in an accident.
Be sure to take the proper safety precautions and obey the same traffic laws you would in a car as you begin your new commuting lifestyle in Atlanta.