Hot take: Is the new Beltline tunnel at Piedmont Park a win or a bad idea?

I rode through that new pedestrian tunnel under Piedmont Park last week and right at the midpoint my bike chain slipped off and I ate pavement in the dark. What was supposed to be a smooth shortcut turned into me walking a busted bike a quarter mile back to the exit. I get it's supposed to keep people safe from the road, but the lighting is terrible and the floor gets slick after rain. Has anyone else had a close call in there or am I just being dramatic about the design?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila_craig420d ago

@willowc60 called it with the painted floor issue, that stuff is basically Teflon when wet. But here's something nobody talks about: that tunnel funnels noise like crazy. I went through with my riding group last weekend and we had five bikes echoing off the walls plus cars overhead rumbling. You literally can't hear someone yelling "on your left" until they're right on top of you. Already seen two near misses because people can't communicate. The Beltline designers forgot that tunnels change how sound works, not just how people walk.

willowc6020d ago

Get some brighter lights for your bike, that tunnel is a gamble in low light. Also watch the painted sections on the floor, they turn into ice when wet. I learned that the hard way too.