I'm a pretty confident cyclist -- but I really can't imagine what could be done to Dekalb Avenue (within the constraints of its current width) that would make me choose to use it instead of cutting over to Edgewood or Auburn or another side street.

Reduction in pace, by narrowing to two lanes (plus a turning lane) plus a protected bike path? That has certainly been a part of the proposals that fit within the current width of the street. It seems likely the suicide lane is going away in favor of turn lanes, the question becomes how do they allocate the rest of the space.

Also, there are big problems with Dekalb Avenue that don't seem to be part of this plan -- notably the lack of a sidewalk connection on the south side of the street where it crosses Boulevard, making it impossible to walk from the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts to the King Memorial Station (just 1000 feet away) without going several blocks out of the way.

This is a bad intersection for cars too. Seems like there is a pretty simple solution once someone wants to make one.