Atlanta roads are about to get BIG makeover to protect scooter riders

ATLANTA — There will be some big changes coming to Atlanta roads -- and they are aimed to keep bike and e-scooter riders safe.

Many areas in the city of Atlanta do not have dedicated lanes for bikes or scooters, which can be dangerous.

Several riders have died riding the scooters, so Atlanta's mayor has a new plan to make streets safer for everyone.

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Mayor Keisha Bottoms wants to add 20 miles of protected lanes. This comes after four fatal accidents in metro Atlanta since May.

Those protected lanes for bikes and scooters will look similar to the white plastic barriers that line up along 10th Street near Piedmont Park so there is some sort of physical barrier between cars, scooters and bikes.

As of right now, the city of Atlanta currently has four miles of protected bike and scooter lanes.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced on Wednesday, the city will add eight miles of newly-protected lanes and make other safety improvements to an additional 12 miles of roads.

Construction in Midtown for the first newly-protected lane will start in October.

Scooter riders say they are happy change is on the way and their safety from cars is becoming a priority.

"They get mad when they are on the sidewalk and they get mad when we are on the streets so where are we supposed to go?" one rider asked.

The entire project is expected to be done by 2021.

Cox Media Group