Signs...interpreted

The signs are still there at the end of the bridge that is next to our building, their purpose and message unclear. 

This one reminds me of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, in which the visiting aliens (friendly) communicated through a series of tones. 

Could this be a similar type of message, in shades of color instead of sound?

Or, something more sinister?

This sign features wheels with lines inside -- Earth with its magnetic lines?  Starburst within a circle?

Or a color wheel?

Wait a minute...

The words "bike" scattered on the sign could be clues...

Oh.

Those are bicycle wheels on the sign.

I look over the side of the bridge, where the wooden ties of the abandoned rail line have been pulled up and stacked for removal.

Suddenly all is clear.  The signs must be markers for the new Atlanta Beltline, a 22-mile loop around intown Atlanta---walking and biking trails, linear park, light rail transit lines, and even an urban arboretum.

 It will pass near our property, just across Golf Circle and part of the Ansley Golf Club golf course.

Now I feel silly.

I start Googling, and find the article below, from the AJC.  I guess I missed it the first time around.

Watch for those BeltLine signs

Atlanta Journal Constitution, June 29, 2009, by Jamie Gumbrecht

WonderRoot co-founder Alex West, 25, of Atlanta

 paints a plywood sign.

Sometime Wednesday morning, you might notice a little something different along your commute.

About 60 people gathered at Eyedrum last weekend to paint signs that will mark the 22-mile BeltLine loop around Atlanta. About 100 plywood pieces measuring 1-by-4 feet, 2-by-4 feet and 4-by-4 feet will go up where Atlanta’s neighborhood transit project crosses public rights of way.

This isn’t a project of the Georgia Department of Transportation, or even BeltLine organizers. It’s the idea of “BeltLine cheerleader” Angel Poventud, who cooked up the plan about a year ago when he realized just how much traffic crossed the BeltLine’s path. When the official channels took too long for his taste, he went to WonderRoot, a Reynoldstown-based community arts organization, for help.

WonderRoot leaders spent about $600 on supplies and gathered artists, activists, students and transit fans to make the signs. They hope to post them Tuesday night. Most of the signs don’t mention the word “BeltLine,” but organizers hope they’ll signal that something special is coming to that location.

“It’s pretty simple, pretty quick and grassroots,” Poventud said. “I don’t want to say ‘Let’s take the BeltLine back.’ It’s kind of nice to take part of it back, to say ‘Let us do this from the community.’”

Of course, because this is all to be unofficial signage held up by nails and plastic ties, it could come down pretty quickly at the hand of vandals or transportation officials.

Poventud’s take: “They’ll be taken down, not because they’re not supposed to be there, but because they’re badass.”

—Jamie Gumbrecht