How did I miss this?  Wait.  How did YOU ALL miss this?!

Though far from being the two-wheelers’ playground it could be, Atlanta’s made some inroads when it comes to cycling. The most welcome addition to the metro region’s disparate bicycle network: Decatur’s new bike lanes along West Ponce de Leon Avenue and West Trinity Place. Wide and well-marked, the lanes clearly show where cyclists are supposed to pedal and motorists are supposed to yield. Designers even threw in a “bike box,” an area that allows cyclists to skip in front of cars at the red light and make a safe turn across traffic when the light changes to green. Decatur could’ve just tossed down a strip of paint on a busy road, but it went one step further and placed West Ponce on a “road diet” — actually reducing the number of automobile lanes in order to discourage drivers from roaring down the street. Sure, it’s one small $550,000 project. But it’s a great step for a city that’s building on its reputation as a paradise for progressives.