Streets Alive will take place this weekend, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. This is a brand new cross-city route. It’s the longest Streets Alive stretch of road ever! The length of the event has also been extended to six full hours, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
For these six hours, select areas of Atlanta streets will be closed to traffic — and open for people to stroll, roll, bike, and play!
The Streets Alive Cross-City route includes DeKalb Avenue and Decatur Street all the way to Marietta Street and Howell Mill Road.
It stretches across 21 neighborhoods and connects to the first ever Decatur Streets Alive, bringing the total length of open streets to nearly ten miles!
The Decatur section of Streets Alive begins at the East Lake MARTA station and continues down W. Howard Avenue to S. McDonough Street.
Along the route, you’ll find a wealth of interactive experiences, hosted by community organizations, local businesses, and Streets Alive sponsors. You can stop at a free water station, or buy a commemorative event t-shirt.
Remember, there is no set beginning or end. You can explore the open streets from end to end, or enter and exit the route at any cross-street at any time during the six-hour activation.
Bring a valid ID with you if you’d like to enjoy a cocktail along the way.
Atlanta Streets Alive is FREE and fun for all ages. So bring your friends and family, and share in the experience of enjoying our city streets as public space!
The kickoff parade
The fun kicks off at the intersection of Marietta Street and Howell Mill Road, with an official opening and a parade along the route.
The parade lineup is at 1:30 p.m. and the parade begins at 2 p.m.
FREE bike decorations available while supplies last!
Remember, you don’t have to begin or end at a set point. You’re free to hop on and off the open streets anywhere you’d like. You don’t have to participate in the parade to enjoy Streets Alive.
RSVP on Facebook to show support for the event.
Get more information and view the route map, including locations of restrooms and special activities.
Plan a stop at The Optimist
The Optimist is hosting a Streets Alive patio party on Sunday from 2 to 8 p.m., featuring drink specials and live music by the Bird City Revolutionaries, followed by a DJ.
Light bites include octopus skewers with spicy honey ($9), smoked BBQ brisket ($10) peel and eat shrimp with comeback sauce ($8) and more!
The Optimist is located at 914 Howell Mill Rd., which is one of the streets that will be closed to traffic during Streets Alive.
See The Optimist’s Facebook events page for more info.
Here’s how it works:
(photo courtesy of Colony Square)
Streets Alive is FREE and it’s for everyone. You don’t have to be an athlete to join in. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what neighborhood you live in. Even if you’ve never heard of the Open Street concept before, you’re invited to get out and experience it firsthand.
The open street route has no formal beginning or end. You can hop on at any point you like. The flow of people will move in both directions, like it does on the Beltline.
This is a chance for you to EXPLORE our city. You can stroll, roll, shop, eat, play, socialize, or simply enjoy the spring weather — all without the noise, fumes, and intensity of Atlanta’s traffic. You create your own experience and the possibilities are endless.
The idea is to OPT OUT traffic. Getting to Atlanta Streets Alive is easy by MARTA, by bike, or any human-powered mode of transportation. Consider challenging yourself to leave your car at home all day and, if you have to drive, then carpool with others. (We realize some of you have to drive to a MARTA station!)
Streets Alive creates a a whole new healthy and vibrant city street experience in Atlanta. It’s a program inspired by open streets projects all over the world. So bring your bicycle, your skateboard, or just your feet, and get ready to explore your community streets in a safer, healthier, more livable way!
Upcoming Streets Alive experiences in 2019
- September 29th — Streets Alive will come to Southwest Atlanta for the first time, and the route is yet to be determined.
Getting there
Please don’t bring a car to Streets Alive!
You can walk, bike, or scooter to the route. You can also use Uber or Lyft, but the idea is to opt out of traffic.
You can access this route via the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, PATH Parkway near Georgia Tech, and the Stone Mountain Trail in Decatur.
This route is also accessible by six Marta stations — You can use any rail line between Five Points Station in downtown Atlanta to the East Lake Station in Decatur to access the route. These stations include:
- Five Points Station
- Georgia State Station
- King Memorial Station
- Inman Park Station
- Edgewood/Candler Park Station
- East Lake Station
To connect to the route, you can also hop on or off the Atlanta Streetcar at the Woodruff Park or King Historic District stops.
We recommend the Marta On The Go app for easy access to rail maps and timetables. Remember, trains run less often on Sundays, usually every 20 minutes.
NOTE: If you live or work in the area, be sure you’re aware of street closures in the area.
