THE SOUP PEDDLER

David Ansel, a.k.a. the Soup Peddler, a bicycle-deliverer-of-homemade-soup American folk hero, believes strongly in putting one's money where one's mouth is, so to speak. That's why he expends the extra effort to bicycle-deliver the soup to his customers. Lots of folks talk big about being environmentalists, but when it comes to putting some elbow grease to it, the crowd gets a lot smaller.

The bicycle is a way of demonstrating that business can be done with conscience and that a little physical exertion for the cause of the environment never killed anyone. The bicycle is also a nod to responsible urban planning, showing that livable, connected neighborhoods can support human-scale, environmentally-responsible efforts such as this.

You can use the Soup Peddler's Pedaling Worksheet to see more about how to make bicycling part of your daily lifestyle.

Although his comments are specific to his hometown of Austin, they apply just as well to Atlanta.

A DESIRE NAMED STREETCAR

Organizers say the idea of running streetcars from downtown Atlanta to the Buckhead shopping and entertainment district has been so popular that they're bypassing plans for a preliminary study and moving straight to more detailed feasibility research.

Read more... Source: WSBTV.com

Although significant alternative transportation choices are still largely a dream in the minds of a relatively small critical mass of the US population, it's not a utopic, fantasy-drenched vision of what could be. Take a trip to Germany, for example. In places like Munich you will find a harmonious blend of biking, walking, trains, trams, trolleys, and buses as the preferred methods of transportation. And they manufacture some of the finest automobiles on the planet! Even so, they build their towns and infrastructure so that people have a choice. I lived in Augsburg, a smaller version of Munich, and experienced this lifestyle firsthand. Having done so makes it hard to shake the vision of what our American cities and towns can become.

If you've never had the pleasure of living in such a place you can catch a glimpse of the dream at TransportationPlanet.com, featuring an online slideshow of Transportation in Munich.

TRAIL PROJECTS ABOUND IN DEKALB

Everything is turning up green in DeKalb County! Fueled by a green-friendly administration and the PATH Greenway Trail Master Plan, trails and linear parks are planned and underway in every quadrant of the county. The county's greenway trail mileage will more than double this year and is likely to double again next year as well. The fully realized master plan will provide 124 miles of alternate commuter routes and recreational opportunities! Go here for the full scoop.

THE "BUC" STOPS THERE. GO ON AND TAKE A FREE RIDE!

The "Buc" will stop in Buckhead starting in late November.

The newly selected name for the free shuttle bus service from MARTA's Buckhead and Lenox stations to major hotels, malls and office buildings was chosen for its simplicity, and because it's an acronym for Buckhead's Uptown Connection.

The service, to be operated by the Norcross branch of national bus company Coach USA, will use 10 compressed-natural-gas buses, each seating 22 passengers. It will operate Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Advocates hope it will cut traffic in Buckhead's business district.

Source: ajc.com::Ahead of the Curve