The Atlanta City Council proclaimed October 2025 as “Biketober” at its Oct. 20 meeting and joined city transportation officials, regional partners and council members in promoting cycling as a mobility, health and climate option.

Council member Byron Amos, chair of the council’s transportation committee, read a proclamation describing Biketober as an effort led by Georgia Commute Options and the Atlanta Regional Commission to encourage bicycling for transportation, fitness and community building. The proclamation cited the city’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminating traffic fatalities.

Solomon Cabiness, commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATL DOT), said the department partners with Georgia Commute Options, Propel ATL and others to promote bike commuting and build lanes across the city. "We are partnering with Georgia Commute Options or My Georgia Commute Options, Propel ATL and our council members and all those who are supporters of a healthier way of moving around the city," Cabiness said.

Deputy Commissioner Betty Smoot Madison said the department’s strategy and planning team encourages residents to try alternative modes for short trips, to join city teams that log miles during Biketober and to use trails such as the Atlanta BeltLine. Madison cited the city’s Vision Zero target to reach zero traffic‑related fatalities by 2040 and urged riders to use lights and other safety measures as daylight shortens in October.

Council members described recent local investments in protected bike lanes, especially on the South Side, and events designed to increase ridership and safety. Council member Jason Dozier described how riding connected his family to transit and said his daughter had returned to biking after being struck by a car months earlier. Council member Antonio Lewis said recent work has expanded protected lanes near middle schools on the South Side and pledged continued focus on safe connections to the BeltLine.

Representatives of the Atlanta Regional Commission and Georgia Commute Options said employers and community organizations can compete in the Biketober challenge, with roughly 360 companies participating in the region’s competition at the time of the meeting and prizes such as e‑bikes available to winners.

Nut graf: ATL DOT and its regional partners used the council proclamation to press multiple objectives at once—encouraging ridership through October events and employer challenges, advancing the city’s Vision Zero safety target and promoting infrastructure investments such as protected lanes and rebate programs to make cycling a practical option across neighborhoods.

Programs and partnerships referenced in the meeting included the Atlanta e‑bike rebate, Biketober employer teams and prize incentives, continued construction of protected bike lanes in several council districts, and outreach to schools and community groups. Officials repeatedly framed the work as a mix of infrastructure, education and incentives designed to reduce congestion and traffic fatalities.

Ending: City officials and partners encouraged residents to log Biketober miles through the end of October, join employer or community teams and watch for further announcements about rebate programs and protected‑lane projects.