Need to find a bike rack in Atlanta? There's an app for that

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Department of Transportation has launched a new application with the goal of making parking for bikers easier. They’re calling it ATL Rack ‘n Ride.

City leaders say the goal of this initiative isn’t just to create an inventory of the current bike racks throughout the city but also to find out where more are needed.

John Venneman often uses his bike to get around East Atlanta Village.

"I live approximately two miles south of the village. It just makes more sense to ride a bike, better for me, better for the environment," Venneman said.

"Where they’re building parking lots used to be condos, there’s less and less parking, and so, it’s easier to just bring a bike," he added.

However, he said bike racks there are limited, forcing him to lock his bike up elsewhere on busy nights.

"A poll, a tree, any kind of fixed object, but with a bike, I can generally find something, but it would be far superior to have actual bike racks," he explained.

That’s just one spot in the city cyclists have told FOX 5 is in need of more bike racks. And that’s the information ATLDOT wants to know. That’s why they launch the ATL Rack ‘n Ride application allowing residents to document where current bike racks are located as well as note where they’d like to see more.

"We’re really just trying to figure out all of those multimodal connections and really just identify where the gaps are that are maybe barriers for people who would choose to cycle," Ashley Finch, Shared Micromobility Coordinator for ATLDOT, explained.

Finch said they then plan to take that information and add racks where needed.

"We really see accessible mobility options as being key to improving traffic congestion. And so, it’s really important to our goals as a department to give people options to have other mobility opportunities," she added.

Venneman said the initiative is a good step to improving access for bikers as the city continues to grow.

"As the density is increasing, people aren’t coming from as far away, so bikes make way more sense," he said.

"It’s fun to be part of, kind of, the bicycle renaissance in Atlanta as they’re adding bike lanes. I grew up in California, where all this stuff is taken for granted, and Atlanta is slowly getting there," he added.