Rail~Volution promises to live up to it's name with solutions like Colorado Railcar's DMU Self-Propelled Commuter Railcar to be demonstrated in Atlanta this September. This railcar with it's ability to run in mixed freight service makes Commuter Rail initiatives like Atlanta-to-Athens and Macon-to-Atlanta a reality now. Read more about the rail car here. The railcar will be on display at Rail~Volution from September 11 - 15 with running demos on the 12th and 13th.

All Aboard the future of commuter rail!

Belt Line Documentary to debut at Rail-Volution Conference

Respected Atlanta filmmaker Bill VanDerKloot is making a short film documenting the Belt Line transit project. The popular Belt Line will place trolley-like transit with bicycling and walking trails along railroad corridors that form a loop around central Atlanta. The film will be premiered during the Rail-Volution Conference, an annual gathering for smart growth advocates from across the country. It is being held in Atlanta beginning Thursday, September 11 through Sunday, September 14. The film will be shown during lunch on Friday the 12th. Atlanta City Council President Cathy Woolard will also be talking about the Belt Line during a session that morning. You can find out more details on the conference at www.railvolution.com.

Vote for street cars on Peachtree Street. Then read Maria Saporta's AJC Horizon article, Parking Magnate Leads Streetcar Push.

My love affair with pedestrian-friendly villages began while living in Europe for two years. The climax came when I visited the Isle of Capri, off the coast of Naples, Italy. The beauty and charm of this island is hard to describe. How exciting to discover the wonderful "A Quiet Week-end in Capri", a unique sightseeing and cultural tour/PC Adventure game-in-one. This award-winning, ingenious approach to tourist promotion features over 4500 photos of the stunning destination delivered in an adventure game format. (Adventure games are a game genre that has become a favorite pass-time of my wife and I, preferring the cerebral challenge of the puzzle-driven plot advancement to a typical night of bad TV).

So conclusive is the data correlating the U.S. obesity rates and other affluenza with the modern built environment that the CDC has responded with the Active Communities Environment Initiative (ACEs). The goal is to promote walking, bicycling, and the development of accessible recreation facilities as an integral part of our communities. These data suggest characteristics of our communities such as proximity of facilities, street design, density of housing, availability of public transit and of pedestrian and bicycle facilities play a significant role in promoting or discouraging physical activity. One specific action plan calls for Promoting Physical Activity Through Trails.

I believe a key reason the Belt Line has resonated throughout the Atlanta Community is that people are responding to the idea of Connected Carfree Communities. A Rails-with-Trails Solution like the Belt Line certainly accomplishes this goal, but the real revolution will begin when we realize that we don't need to wait on the ponderous governmental processes inherent with rail initiatives in the Metro Atlanta area.

As one example, the Silver Comet is already a linear Belt Line that will accomodate live, work, and play all along it's length. The trail is already there and being used by thousands, primarily for recreation. It's just waiting for the ACEs to be built in the wake of the realization that it represents a commuter solution, as well.

Want to live near the trail? Begin the adventure at www.trailestate.com.

Joe Morris has put together a nice little report of MARTA Station proximity restaurants, arts & entertainment venues, pubs, etc. at his "What's Near MARTA Stations?" page.

What we could really use is a resource like StationMasters Online, A Comprehensive Guide to MetroRail Station Neighborhoods in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. This site is produced by Bowring Cartographic and features a MetroRail System Map with hyperlinks to proximity maps of each station.

Andy Singer really doesn't like cars. He takes a humorous look at the problem with CARtoons.

Studies abound proving that many road expansion projects aren't solving traffic congestion -- they are actually inducing it!

Let's curb this wasteful exercise in futility...