Atlanta Expands Protected Cycling Routes for Families Across City Parks

Atlanta added 8 miles of family-designated cycling lanes in Piedmont Park and along the Eastside BeltLine this spring.

Wellness programs run by the Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department drew 12,000 new participants last year, many seeking low-impact outdoor options during the humid July season.

Named routes in key neighborhoods

The 2.5-mile loop inside Piedmont Park starts at the 14th Street entrance and circles Lake Clara Meer on a flat, paved surface separated from walkers by a painted buffer. The Eastside BeltLine segment between Inman Park and Krog Street Market offers a 3-mile stretch with rest stations every half mile and bike racks installed by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition in 2025.

Grant Park also opened a beginner circuit along Cherokee Avenue in March, complete with traffic signals timed for slower riders and shaded benches supplied by the PATH Foundation.

Usage data and costs

City records show the BeltLine recorded 2.1 million trips in 2025, a 35 percent rise from 2024, with family groups accounting for 28 percent of those visits. Weekly group rides led by Atlanta Parks staff cost $10 per child and include helmet fittings at the park office on Ponce de Leon Avenue.

Riders can rent kid-sized bikes for $12 an hour at the Chastain Park boathouse, which added 40 child frames last month.

Beginners should start on weekday mornings before 10 a.m. when paths are least crowded, check the Atlanta Parks website for temporary closures, and carry water on stretches longer than 2 miles. Local bike shops in Virginia-Highland offer free safety checks every Saturday through August.