"Commuting by automobile now takes so long that many workers have no time to do any actual work. When they reach their place of employment, they grab a cup of coffee, spend a few minutes discussing the previous night's episode of 'The Apprentice' with their co-workers, and immediately start the long commute home, unaware that their jobs were outsourced to Asia months ago."
-- Dave Barry
Monday, November 08, 2004
Friday, November 05, 2004
RED OR BLUE RALLYING POINT: RELIEF FROM GRIDLOCK
In cities and suburbs — small, large, red and blue — voters were united this week on one key issue: paying to get out of traffic jams. They approved almost 80% of transportation tax and bond measures.
At least 23 of 31 ballot measures to launch or expand bus and rail lines in 11 states were approved. The price tag: more than $40 billion.
"It speaks volumes to what voters see as a very important problem," says Matt Jeanneret, spokesman for the transportation lobbying group. "People are clamoring for relief from traffic congestion. ... The voters are way ahead of the politicians on this."
Read more...
In cities and suburbs — small, large, red and blue — voters were united this week on one key issue: paying to get out of traffic jams. They approved almost 80% of transportation tax and bond measures.
At least 23 of 31 ballot measures to launch or expand bus and rail lines in 11 states were approved. The price tag: more than $40 billion.
"It speaks volumes to what voters see as a very important problem," says Matt Jeanneret, spokesman for the transportation lobbying group. "People are clamoring for relief from traffic congestion. ... The voters are way ahead of the politicians on this."
Read more...
Thursday, October 28, 2004
SILVER COMET TRAIL A MAGNET FOR DEVELOPMENT
Builders are filling empty lots or redeveloping land by the trail with new subdivisions. Sidewalks from the neighborhoods link directly to the trail. And entire towns — such as Powder Springs and Rockmart — that grew up along the old train track a century and more ago are beginning to see signs of renaissance, which they attribute in part to the Silver Comet. Powder Springs recently approved two new trailside subdivisions and is building its own trail, the Lucille Creek II Trail, which will connect 1,100 established homes to it.
Read more...
Builders are filling empty lots or redeveloping land by the trail with new subdivisions. Sidewalks from the neighborhoods link directly to the trail. And entire towns — such as Powder Springs and Rockmart — that grew up along the old train track a century and more ago are beginning to see signs of renaissance, which they attribute in part to the Silver Comet. Powder Springs recently approved two new trailside subdivisions and is building its own trail, the Lucille Creek II Trail, which will connect 1,100 established homes to it.
Read more...
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
A TREND TOWARD TRANSIT-ORIENTED TOWNHOMES
A study by Reconnecting America’s Center for Transit Oriented Development shows that demand for compact housing near transit is likely to more than double by 2025.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Capturing the Demand for Housing Near Transit finds that across the U.S. more than 14.6 million households are likely to want to rent and buy housing near transit by 2025, double the number that live in these neighborhoods today. Meeting this demand would require building 2,100 residential units near each of the 3,971 stations included in the study.
Read more...
A study by Reconnecting America’s Center for Transit Oriented Development shows that demand for compact housing near transit is likely to more than double by 2025.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Capturing the Demand for Housing Near Transit finds that across the U.S. more than 14.6 million households are likely to want to rent and buy housing near transit by 2025, double the number that live in these neighborhoods today. Meeting this demand would require building 2,100 residential units near each of the 3,971 stations included in the study.
Read more...
Saturday, October 23, 2004
BELTLINE RAIL ESTATE PURCHASE #1
Legendary Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason is buying a choice corridor of kudzu-covered rail track that runs through the residential heart of Atlanta — a rusty line the city wants to revive as a transit system.
Mason is under contract to pay Norfolk Southern Corp. $25 million for the 4.6-mile rail artery running from DeKalb Avenue to Piedmont Park to I-85. The elongated strip of land amounts to about 67 acres.
The property is a key section of the Belt Line, a dormant, 22-mile railroad loop that Atlanta officials want to use as a transit path joining the city's historic neighborhoods and landmarks. The $679 million system would connect to several MARTA stations and move people from the Carter Center to Piedmont Park to the West End.
Source: ajc.com
Legendary Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason is buying a choice corridor of kudzu-covered rail track that runs through the residential heart of Atlanta — a rusty line the city wants to revive as a transit system.
Mason is under contract to pay Norfolk Southern Corp. $25 million for the 4.6-mile rail artery running from DeKalb Avenue to Piedmont Park to I-85. The elongated strip of land amounts to about 67 acres.
The property is a key section of the Belt Line, a dormant, 22-mile railroad loop that Atlanta officials want to use as a transit path joining the city's historic neighborhoods and landmarks. The $679 million system would connect to several MARTA stations and move people from the Carter Center to Piedmont Park to the West End.
Source: ajc.com
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
NORCROSS SCHOOLS CELEBRATE WALK/BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY
According to a Sept. 7th Gwinnett Daily Post article, "About 600 students from Simpson Elementary ditched the bus Wednesday in favor of their feet. Simpson was one of several schools nationwide to participate in International Walk and Bike to School Day, an event designed to promote health, safety, physical activity and environmental concern. The streets surrounding Simpson were packed with students, parents and dogs who say the day gives them a chance to bond and enjoy the morning air. Kim Tardy walked with her daughter Bailey, and 8-year-old third-grader. She said Bailey normally rides the bus, but the family made special arrangements to take the two-mile trek from their home.
"'It's a community thing, and it's a healthy thing,' Tardy said. 'It teaches our kids that we are involved in what they are doing.' Walk to School Day was established in the United States in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America. It is Simpson's fourth time participating, said PTA representative Lynn Grove. 'It's a very tight community and this is another way for us to get out say 'Hi' and have fun with our kids,' she said. Elizabeth Friedman walked her daughter Lauren, 10, to school at about 8:30 a.m. She said a lot of parents park their cars in nearby neighborhoods and finish the walk, but she and her daughter made the two-mile trip from their house on foot..."
Source: www.gwinnettdailyonline.com
According to a Sept. 7th Gwinnett Daily Post article, "About 600 students from Simpson Elementary ditched the bus Wednesday in favor of their feet. Simpson was one of several schools nationwide to participate in International Walk and Bike to School Day, an event designed to promote health, safety, physical activity and environmental concern. The streets surrounding Simpson were packed with students, parents and dogs who say the day gives them a chance to bond and enjoy the morning air. Kim Tardy walked with her daughter Bailey, and 8-year-old third-grader. She said Bailey normally rides the bus, but the family made special arrangements to take the two-mile trek from their home.
"'It's a community thing, and it's a healthy thing,' Tardy said. 'It teaches our kids that we are involved in what they are doing.' Walk to School Day was established in the United States in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America. It is Simpson's fourth time participating, said PTA representative Lynn Grove. 'It's a very tight community and this is another way for us to get out say 'Hi' and have fun with our kids,' she said. Elizabeth Friedman walked her daughter Lauren, 10, to school at about 8:30 a.m. She said a lot of parents park their cars in nearby neighborhoods and finish the walk, but she and her daughter made the two-mile trip from their house on foot..."
Source: www.gwinnettdailyonline.com
Monday, September 20, 2004
MARTA holding public meetings to gather input on the BeltLine and C-Loop
MARTA is holding four public meetings to gather input on the Belt Line and C-Loop, mass transit proposals for the city of Atlanta and DeKalb County. The Belt Line is a 22-mile ring of train tracks circling Atlanta, where a street car or trolley could run. The C-Loop is a rail route connecting Emory University, downtown Atlanta and the Atlanta University Center. Two meetings this week are:
• 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at Antioch Baptist Church, 540 Kennedy St. N.W., Atlanta. Call 404-688-5679 for more information.
• 4-6 p.m. Wednesday at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta. Call 404-727-5166 for more information.
MARTA is holding four public meetings to gather input on the Belt Line and C-Loop, mass transit proposals for the city of Atlanta and DeKalb County. The Belt Line is a 22-mile ring of train tracks circling Atlanta, where a street car or trolley could run. The C-Loop is a rail route connecting Emory University, downtown Atlanta and the Atlanta University Center. Two meetings this week are:
• 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at Antioch Baptist Church, 540 Kennedy St. N.W., Atlanta. Call 404-688-5679 for more information.
• 4-6 p.m. Wednesday at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta. Call 404-727-5166 for more information.
Thursday, September 16, 2004
The BeltLine: "mass transit darling of the region's 25-year transportation plan."
It came out on top in a 2003 study of possible transit routes, beating out bus lanes on I-285, commuter train service to Gainesville, and any new MARTA train line. Now the region is ready to invest over $680 million in the Belt Line and another intown transit route called the C-Loop because it forms a "C" linking Emory University, Lindbergh Center, downtown Atlanta and the Gallery at South DeKalb, formerly South DeKalb Mall.
Read more...
It came out on top in a 2003 study of possible transit routes, beating out bus lanes on I-285, commuter train service to Gainesville, and any new MARTA train line. Now the region is ready to invest over $680 million in the Belt Line and another intown transit route called the C-Loop because it forms a "C" linking Emory University, Lindbergh Center, downtown Atlanta and the Gallery at South DeKalb, formerly South DeKalb Mall.
Read more...
Monday, September 13, 2004
Thursday, September 02, 2004
The Vision for NYC's High Line:
When the High Line is converted to public open space, you will be able to rise up from the streets and step into a place apart, tranquil and green. You will see the Hudson River, the Manhattan skyline, and secret gardens inside city blocks as you've never seen them before. You will move between Penn Station and the Hudson River Park, from the convention center to the Gansevoort Market Historic District, without meeting a car or truck. The High Line will be a promenade—a linear public place where you will see and be seen. You will sense New York's industrial past in the rivets and girders. You will perceive the future unrolling before you in an artfully designed environment of unprecedented innovation. It will be yours—public in the truest sense of the word. Public dollars helped build it in the 1930s. Public legislation empowers us to make it a place anyone can visit. It will be proof New York City no longer casts aside its priceless transportation infrastructure but instead creates bold new uses for these monuments to human power and ambition.*
The Vision for Atlanta's BeltLine:
Now imagine this same scenario in Atlanta encompassing 22 miles instead of 2.5!
*Source: Friends of the High Line
When the High Line is converted to public open space, you will be able to rise up from the streets and step into a place apart, tranquil and green. You will see the Hudson River, the Manhattan skyline, and secret gardens inside city blocks as you've never seen them before. You will move between Penn Station and the Hudson River Park, from the convention center to the Gansevoort Market Historic District, without meeting a car or truck. The High Line will be a promenade—a linear public place where you will see and be seen. You will sense New York's industrial past in the rivets and girders. You will perceive the future unrolling before you in an artfully designed environment of unprecedented innovation. It will be yours—public in the truest sense of the word. Public dollars helped build it in the 1930s. Public legislation empowers us to make it a place anyone can visit. It will be proof New York City no longer casts aside its priceless transportation infrastructure but instead creates bold new uses for these monuments to human power and ambition.*
The Vision for Atlanta's BeltLine:
Now imagine this same scenario in Atlanta encompassing 22 miles instead of 2.5!
*Source: Friends of the High Line
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
The ultimate lean, green, clean machine
Bamboo Bicycle
I am riding a bamboo bicycle through the main street of Christiania. Usually it takes quite a bit to make the roughies turn their heads - but this bamboo bicycle does the trick. It is beautiful, light and fast - and it is nice to touch. As I park the bamboo bicycle in front of the Shop in order to have a black currant juice it feels almost as if I am dismounting a Harley right next to a café - several people come over to touch the frame and to check out how the bike is made. "Where have you got that from?” they ask, here in the Paradise of Bicycles, the almost car-free town in the middle of Copenhagen. So where have I got it from? - Well, from The Smithy next to The Grey Hall. The Smithy of Christiania has for the last 30 years been a furnace of innovation on the bicycle front. First came the Dursly-Pedersen bicycle whose rider feels like he is in a camels saddle. Then came the bicycle trailer, which became car free families way of transporting groceries on holidays and on weekdays, and at the moment The Smithy sells carrier bicycles for the transportation of children and many an odd purpose. And now the bamboo bicycle is being introduced. Flavio Deslandes is the man behind the development of a bicycle made of bamboo. He is Brazilian and he is an industrial designer from the PUC-Rio University. I met him in his small workshop next to The Smithy. The bicycle is one of the worlds most brilliant inventions. It is hard to find a disadvantage (to the bicycle) - except the material it is made from. Light bicycles are made from aluminum, which is one of the most resource demanding materials that exist. My bicycles are made of grass, he says. I scan my own knowledge and experience with bamboo. Let’s skip the cane and the flower sticks - what else is there? Garden furniture and squeaky armchairs. It is hard to find anything particularly brilliant about that material. But Flavio makes me see things differently: Bamboo is a resource of immense potential. And it is strong too. What makes it possible to build bicycles from it is that it is stronger than steel when strained in the longitudinal direction, 17% to be exact. I can stuff my thoughts about squeaky furniture. History teaches us that it was bamboo Faber glowing in Edisons first electric bulb and that it was bamboo that kept the very first airplanes in Paris, constructed by Santos Dumont, together. Bamboo is beneficial to the CO2 value of the atmosphere. While growing it emits more oxygen that the equivalent amount of wood pulp. So please caress your bamboo bicycle gently while you marvel at the thought that bamboo keeps more that two billion people around the world employed, that it grows without fertilizer and that it can be used for almost everything - from tasty rice dishes to building material. Bamboo is a species of grass and every third year it can be harvested. It needs no replanting and it comes in sizes from small to extra large literally speaking: The biggest ones grow up to 60 meters tall. While Flavio turns on the computer he tells me a couple of more facts about bamboo. The first thing flowering in Hiroshima after that the bomb had destroyed everything was - take a guess. The only building still standing after the earth quake in Costa Rica in 1992 was - yes, that is the correct answer. Flavio searches in his CAD program and comes up with a wheel. Not that he invented it but he looks just like he did when he looks up at me with sparks in his jet black eyes. "This is going to be a revolution: the bicycle wheel made out of bamboo. There is steel in the assemblies of my bicycles. But unlike everything else that is made out of bamboo - for instance the furniture that you talked about - the steel used here serves the bamboo, not the other way around. I use bamboo in its natural form in the bicycle. If you start bending it, drilling holes in it or you put nails or spikes into it you’ll weaken the structure,” he says. He shows me how every part of the frame is fitted into the assembling and kept in place with glue. "But I keep on researching in order to find even more replacements for the metal parts. This wheel here is one hundred percent bamboo: Rims and hub are made out of laminated bamboo and the spokes are made out of straight bamboo sticks. I also work on being able to produce pedals and pedal arms in bamboo,” Flavio says proudly. "Building these bicycles is art. It is not something you just do. Every bamboo must be selected and fitted into the frame according to size and quality. The secret lies in treating and handling the material the right way. Learning that takes times and the maintenance takes time as well. Just like it takes time to learn how to play football,” Flavio Deslandes says and smiles Brazilianly.
by Steen Heinsen
Source: American Bamboo Society
Bamboo Bicycle
I am riding a bamboo bicycle through the main street of Christiania. Usually it takes quite a bit to make the roughies turn their heads - but this bamboo bicycle does the trick. It is beautiful, light and fast - and it is nice to touch. As I park the bamboo bicycle in front of the Shop in order to have a black currant juice it feels almost as if I am dismounting a Harley right next to a café - several people come over to touch the frame and to check out how the bike is made. "Where have you got that from?” they ask, here in the Paradise of Bicycles, the almost car-free town in the middle of Copenhagen. So where have I got it from? - Well, from The Smithy next to The Grey Hall. The Smithy of Christiania has for the last 30 years been a furnace of innovation on the bicycle front. First came the Dursly-Pedersen bicycle whose rider feels like he is in a camels saddle. Then came the bicycle trailer, which became car free families way of transporting groceries on holidays and on weekdays, and at the moment The Smithy sells carrier bicycles for the transportation of children and many an odd purpose. And now the bamboo bicycle is being introduced. Flavio Deslandes is the man behind the development of a bicycle made of bamboo. He is Brazilian and he is an industrial designer from the PUC-Rio University. I met him in his small workshop next to The Smithy. The bicycle is one of the worlds most brilliant inventions. It is hard to find a disadvantage (to the bicycle) - except the material it is made from. Light bicycles are made from aluminum, which is one of the most resource demanding materials that exist. My bicycles are made of grass, he says. I scan my own knowledge and experience with bamboo. Let’s skip the cane and the flower sticks - what else is there? Garden furniture and squeaky armchairs. It is hard to find anything particularly brilliant about that material. But Flavio makes me see things differently: Bamboo is a resource of immense potential. And it is strong too. What makes it possible to build bicycles from it is that it is stronger than steel when strained in the longitudinal direction, 17% to be exact. I can stuff my thoughts about squeaky furniture. History teaches us that it was bamboo Faber glowing in Edisons first electric bulb and that it was bamboo that kept the very first airplanes in Paris, constructed by Santos Dumont, together. Bamboo is beneficial to the CO2 value of the atmosphere. While growing it emits more oxygen that the equivalent amount of wood pulp. So please caress your bamboo bicycle gently while you marvel at the thought that bamboo keeps more that two billion people around the world employed, that it grows without fertilizer and that it can be used for almost everything - from tasty rice dishes to building material. Bamboo is a species of grass and every third year it can be harvested. It needs no replanting and it comes in sizes from small to extra large literally speaking: The biggest ones grow up to 60 meters tall. While Flavio turns on the computer he tells me a couple of more facts about bamboo. The first thing flowering in Hiroshima after that the bomb had destroyed everything was - take a guess. The only building still standing after the earth quake in Costa Rica in 1992 was - yes, that is the correct answer. Flavio searches in his CAD program and comes up with a wheel. Not that he invented it but he looks just like he did when he looks up at me with sparks in his jet black eyes. "This is going to be a revolution: the bicycle wheel made out of bamboo. There is steel in the assemblies of my bicycles. But unlike everything else that is made out of bamboo - for instance the furniture that you talked about - the steel used here serves the bamboo, not the other way around. I use bamboo in its natural form in the bicycle. If you start bending it, drilling holes in it or you put nails or spikes into it you’ll weaken the structure,” he says. He shows me how every part of the frame is fitted into the assembling and kept in place with glue. "But I keep on researching in order to find even more replacements for the metal parts. This wheel here is one hundred percent bamboo: Rims and hub are made out of laminated bamboo and the spokes are made out of straight bamboo sticks. I also work on being able to produce pedals and pedal arms in bamboo,” Flavio says proudly. "Building these bicycles is art. It is not something you just do. Every bamboo must be selected and fitted into the frame according to size and quality. The secret lies in treating and handling the material the right way. Learning that takes times and the maintenance takes time as well. Just like it takes time to learn how to play football,” Flavio Deslandes says and smiles Brazilianly.
by Steen Heinsen
Source: American Bamboo Society
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
San Francisco's "F" Line Streetcar: "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."
San Francisco has experienced overwhelming success with its newly-introduced F-Embarcadero streetcar line. It's four miles long and carries 20,000 passengers a day, more than twice the projections.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports the line is so popular it has surpassed ridership of all of the city's cable cars combined, and the city has ordered 11 more streetcars just to keep up with demand. They're also already looking at expanding to new lines.
They've supplemented the system with buses, but one local business leader says he saw a man refuse to board, saying he wanted a streetcar, not a bus.
Source: Atlanta Streetcar, Inc. Newsletter
Read the complete article here...
San Francisco has experienced overwhelming success with its newly-introduced F-Embarcadero streetcar line. It's four miles long and carries 20,000 passengers a day, more than twice the projections.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports the line is so popular it has surpassed ridership of all of the city's cable cars combined, and the city has ordered 11 more streetcars just to keep up with demand. They're also already looking at expanding to new lines.
They've supplemented the system with buses, but one local business leader says he saw a man refuse to board, saying he wanted a streetcar, not a bus.
Source: Atlanta Streetcar, Inc. Newsletter
Read the complete article here...
Monday, August 23, 2004
Britain's Strategic Rail Authority has announced the launch of "a major new awards scheme to recognise progress made by the rail industry towards encouraging the integrated use of bicycles and travel by train.
Expert judges will consider nominations in five categories: station of the year, best on-train experience, top customer service, most outstanding individual service and best integrated rail and cycling innovation."
Read the full story here.
Expert judges will consider nominations in five categories: station of the year, best on-train experience, top customer service, most outstanding individual service and best integrated rail and cycling innovation."
Read the full story here.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Yale planner Garvin to study Belt Line
Atlanta's Belt Line concept continues to pick up steam.
In the latest move, renowned Yale University planner Alexander Garvin has signed on to study the effort to redevelop a largely abandoned series of rail lines that surround downtown in a 22-mile loop. Garvin's goal is to identify areas near the Belt Line that could be turned into large parks.
Garvin, whose recent projects include the redevelopment of ground zero in New York City and that city's 2012 Olympics bid, has been hired by the Trust for Public Land, a national land conservation group.
James Langford, director of TPL's Georgia office, said a report from Garvin is expected before the end of the year. The Belt Line, conceived by former Georgia Tech student Ryan Gravel, may include a transit line as well as a path for bicycling and walking.
— Paul Donsky
Source: ajc.com>Ahead of the Curve
Atlanta's Belt Line concept continues to pick up steam.
In the latest move, renowned Yale University planner Alexander Garvin has signed on to study the effort to redevelop a largely abandoned series of rail lines that surround downtown in a 22-mile loop. Garvin's goal is to identify areas near the Belt Line that could be turned into large parks.
Garvin, whose recent projects include the redevelopment of ground zero in New York City and that city's 2012 Olympics bid, has been hired by the Trust for Public Land, a national land conservation group.
James Langford, director of TPL's Georgia office, said a report from Garvin is expected before the end of the year. The Belt Line, conceived by former Georgia Tech student Ryan Gravel, may include a transit line as well as a path for bicycling and walking.
— Paul Donsky
Source: ajc.com>Ahead of the Curve
Friday, August 13, 2004
TRACTION FOR SPINNING WHEELS
The Atlanta Regional Commission has recently concluded that the most effective transit initiative planned for construction in the next 25 years is the one known as the Belt Line/C-Loop. ARC officials are calling it the Inner Core Transit, a line that would include a parallel trail network and loop through many of Atlanta's intown neighborhoods, linking them to MARTA and each other.
"The Inner Core is an extremely important piece," said ARC Transportation Planning Director Jane Hayse.
Read more...
The Atlanta Regional Commission has recently concluded that the most effective transit initiative planned for construction in the next 25 years is the one known as the Belt Line/C-Loop. ARC officials are calling it the Inner Core Transit, a line that would include a parallel trail network and loop through many of Atlanta's intown neighborhoods, linking them to MARTA and each other.
"The Inner Core is an extremely important piece," said ARC Transportation Planning Director Jane Hayse.
Read more...
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Atlanta Mayor Franklin vows to make "the multimodal station, the Belt Line, the Peachtree Streetcar... affordable housing, parks... accessibility, MARTA... air quality, traffic congestion" a good part of her primary focus during the remainder of her time in office.
"Reinforcing her point, Franklin said the city wants a viable MARTA system, more development, more density and more parks. And just about everyone agrees that a strong region needs a healthy core."
Source: ajc.com>Business>Maria Saporta
"Reinforcing her point, Franklin said the city wants a viable MARTA system, more development, more density and more parks. And just about everyone agrees that a strong region needs a healthy core."
Source: ajc.com>Business>Maria Saporta
Monday, August 09, 2004
TPL Greenspace Study
The Trust for Public Land has tapped world-renowned park planner and greenspace advocate Alexander Garvin to do a greenspace study for the Belt Line. TPL is examining the Belt Line proposal as an opportunity to assist the City in acquiring appropriate tracts on which to develop parks and other recreational facilities along the old railroad corridors. In addition to the proposed linear park and trail, TPL wants to expand the 'emerald necklace' idea to include several new park 'jewels' around the 22-mile loop. "This is one of those rare opportunities that come along once in a lifetime," says TPL's Georgia State Director James Langford. "What we have here is a chance to have a dramatic effect not only on the volume but also on the quality of parks in Atlanta. We know the impact that something like the Belt Line is bound to have on the economic vitality of the city; and what it does for the economy, it can also do for Atlanta’s park system."
Source: Friends of the BeltLine Newsletter
The Trust for Public Land has tapped world-renowned park planner and greenspace advocate Alexander Garvin to do a greenspace study for the Belt Line. TPL is examining the Belt Line proposal as an opportunity to assist the City in acquiring appropriate tracts on which to develop parks and other recreational facilities along the old railroad corridors. In addition to the proposed linear park and trail, TPL wants to expand the 'emerald necklace' idea to include several new park 'jewels' around the 22-mile loop. "This is one of those rare opportunities that come along once in a lifetime," says TPL's Georgia State Director James Langford. "What we have here is a chance to have a dramatic effect not only on the volume but also on the quality of parks in Atlanta. We know the impact that something like the Belt Line is bound to have on the economic vitality of the city; and what it does for the economy, it can also do for Atlanta’s park system."
Source: Friends of the BeltLine Newsletter
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Greenbelts = Happy Trails for Hampton, Georgia
As "interconnectivity" and "transportation solutions" become buzzwords, one Hampton group has taken steps to make sure they become reality.
The Trail and Rail Action Coalition (TRAC) recently incorporated as a non-profit organization in the spirit of the PATH Foundation to promote the establishment of paved walking and biking trails that will tie into neighborhoods and other transportation systems.
And they've got some big help. Former Hampton City Manager Chris Rainwater signed on as executive director and the coalition's only employee.
Read the full story online at HenryHerald.com
As "interconnectivity" and "transportation solutions" become buzzwords, one Hampton group has taken steps to make sure they become reality.
The Trail and Rail Action Coalition (TRAC) recently incorporated as a non-profit organization in the spirit of the PATH Foundation to promote the establishment of paved walking and biking trails that will tie into neighborhoods and other transportation systems.
And they've got some big help. Former Hampton City Manager Chris Rainwater signed on as executive director and the coalition's only employee.
Read the full story online at HenryHerald.com
Saturday, July 24, 2004
DART is right on target for successful modern transit
One of the most aggressive new train systems under way is the Dallas light rail network (DART) which started construction just 5 years ago. Its now in the process of doubling the size of the original system with over 50 more miles of new track being laid, and 14 new rail stations under construction. The citizens voted to expand the system several times, and it currently receives daily ridership of over 38,000 passengers. The new train system has spurred a number of new urban development projects around the stations totaling more than $800 million. Property values have gone up 25% around the stations over the past 4 years.Good design has played a big part in the success of the current wave of new train systems. In addition to attractive and modern rail cars, DART has spent a lot of time and money coming up with exceptionally designed stations, slick marketing campaigns, and an old movie theme to their advertisements and poster designs. Good design encourages more people to ride, and makes the new trains more successful. Even their website is well designed and informative: Dart.org
Source: NewTrains.org
One of the most aggressive new train systems under way is the Dallas light rail network (DART) which started construction just 5 years ago. Its now in the process of doubling the size of the original system with over 50 more miles of new track being laid, and 14 new rail stations under construction. The citizens voted to expand the system several times, and it currently receives daily ridership of over 38,000 passengers. The new train system has spurred a number of new urban development projects around the stations totaling more than $800 million. Property values have gone up 25% around the stations over the past 4 years.Good design has played a big part in the success of the current wave of new train systems. In addition to attractive and modern rail cars, DART has spent a lot of time and money coming up with exceptionally designed stations, slick marketing campaigns, and an old movie theme to their advertisements and poster designs. Good design encourages more people to ride, and makes the new trains more successful. Even their website is well designed and informative: Dart.org
Source: NewTrains.org
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
ATLANTA STREETCAR VIDEO
Learn how a Streetcar Initiative along Peachtree Street could help ease traffic congestion, create connectivity, and promote tourism and development. Narrated by WSB-TV news anchor Monica Kaufman, the video gives an overview of how the Streetcar could transform Atlanta into a more liveable city.
Click here to view the video.
Learn how a Streetcar Initiative along Peachtree Street could help ease traffic congestion, create connectivity, and promote tourism and development. Narrated by WSB-TV news anchor Monica Kaufman, the video gives an overview of how the Streetcar could transform Atlanta into a more liveable city.
Click here to view the video.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
City consolidates transit studies
Atlanta's development agency appears to be doing all it can to fast-track an effort to determine the feasibility of a transit loop and greenway around the inner city.
The city has asked the private sector for proposals on how to fund construction of the Belt Line, which is expected to spark development in blighted neighborhoods and possibly provide transit through a greenway. The working idea is to create a special tax district to buy land and help fund projects in the corridor.
Now the Atlanta Development Authority is offering to help companies get the information they need as fast as possible. It will assemble existing studies, rather than having the companies seek them. And it will make arrangements for data to be provided swiftly by key potential partners, including the city, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Trust for Public Land and the PATH Foundation.
The authority also narrowed the focus of the study. Instead of having companies consider a wide array of possible routes, including potential recommendations from an ongoing review by MARTA, the companies are to consider 22-mile-long loop now comprised of unused rail lines.
— David Pendered
Source: ajc.com>metro>horizons>ahead of the curve
Atlanta's development agency appears to be doing all it can to fast-track an effort to determine the feasibility of a transit loop and greenway around the inner city.
The city has asked the private sector for proposals on how to fund construction of the Belt Line, which is expected to spark development in blighted neighborhoods and possibly provide transit through a greenway. The working idea is to create a special tax district to buy land and help fund projects in the corridor.
Now the Atlanta Development Authority is offering to help companies get the information they need as fast as possible. It will assemble existing studies, rather than having the companies seek them. And it will make arrangements for data to be provided swiftly by key potential partners, including the city, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Trust for Public Land and the PATH Foundation.
The authority also narrowed the focus of the study. Instead of having companies consider a wide array of possible routes, including potential recommendations from an ongoing review by MARTA, the companies are to consider 22-mile-long loop now comprised of unused rail lines.
— David Pendered
Source: ajc.com>metro>horizons>ahead of the curve
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Segway LLC is offering US customers special pricing on their p Series Human Transporter (HT) for the month of July. Customers can save $1,000 if they purchase the p Series HT before July 31, 2004.
The p Series is their smallest and lightest model. It was designed to easily navigate in congested pedestrian environments, be taken on a train or subway, and operate where bikes, cars, and people come together.
The p Series is their smallest and lightest model. It was designed to easily navigate in congested pedestrian environments, be taken on a train or subway, and operate where bikes, cars, and people come together.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
"Imagine being able to tell our visitors each year simply to step onto Peachtree and the streetcar will take them wherever they wish to go along the Peachtree Corridor,” says Spurgeon Richardson, CEO of Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The streetcar would undoubtedly serve as an incredible benefit to the tourism and convention industry. Hundreds of world class restaurants, theaters, museums, art galleries and other retail shops would easily be within visitors' reach, and these organizations would in turn benefit from the increased volume the streetcar would bring. We look forward to working with Atlanta Streetcar, Inc. to help the Streetcar become an asset to the convention and tourism industry.”
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
TRANSIT COULD TRANSFORM ATLANTA
Maria Saporta says that "metro Atlanta could be completely transformed if all the innovative rail projects now being contemplated actually see the light of day." Saporta illustrates the plausibility of implementing a number of area rail projects as well as the gravity of making these projects happen in the very near future. She notes that ARC Public Forums consistently reveal that people feel "the kind of transportation funding needed in the urbanized areas of the region is transit (from MARTA to light rail to streetcar) combined with pedestrian/bicycle facilities."
Not only will these rail initiatives reduce dependence on our cars, but they will also result in economic development and a healthier environment for all of us.
Click here to read Maria Saporta's column in the AJC Horizon.
Maria Saporta says that "metro Atlanta could be completely transformed if all the innovative rail projects now being contemplated actually see the light of day." Saporta illustrates the plausibility of implementing a number of area rail projects as well as the gravity of making these projects happen in the very near future. She notes that ARC Public Forums consistently reveal that people feel "the kind of transportation funding needed in the urbanized areas of the region is transit (from MARTA to light rail to streetcar) combined with pedestrian/bicycle facilities."
Not only will these rail initiatives reduce dependence on our cars, but they will also result in economic development and a healthier environment for all of us.
Click here to read Maria Saporta's column in the AJC Horizon.
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
DEFINITIONS:
Rails with Trails: Greenway trails running alongside active railway.
Rails to Trails: Old railroad rights of way converted into greenway trail transportation networks.
Trails without Rails: Community activist groups working to prevent re-establishment of rail service where trails share the right of way.
Trail~Rail Hot Spots: Areas where trail networks feed into Rail Stations.
Rail Estate: Real Estate located within the pedestrian shed (1/2 mile) of a Rail Station.
Trail Estate: Real Estate located within 1/2 mile of greenway trail access.
Rails with Trails: Greenway trails running alongside active railway.
Rails to Trails: Old railroad rights of way converted into greenway trail transportation networks.
Trails without Rails: Community activist groups working to prevent re-establishment of rail service where trails share the right of way.
Trail~Rail Hot Spots: Areas where trail networks feed into Rail Stations.
Rail Estate: Real Estate located within the pedestrian shed (1/2 mile) of a Rail Station.
Trail Estate: Real Estate located within 1/2 mile of greenway trail access.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Earlier this month, the Hampton City Council unanimously approved a Resolution supporting the PATH organization and the building of greenway trails in Hampton. Coinciding with this fantastic step forward, the City recently received a $500,000 Transportation Enhancement Grant from GDOT. The purpose of the grant is “to build or improve trails, sidewalks, greenways, streetscapes and historic transportation-related facilities.”
The next step is the creation of a Master Trail Plan for the City of Hampton by PATH Foundation. This Master Plan, combined with the current GDOT Grant and support from the City Council and Hampton Citizens provides powerful momentum for making this vision a reality. It also makes us eligible for GDOT Recreational Trail Grants, starting this Fall. These can be substantial and could serve to further jump-start our Initiative. Our immediate goal is to designate and build a “show mile” of trail that connects as many communities with as many public facilities, schools, shopping and other destinations as possible. Achieving this will help everyone to see the tremendous value this Network will bring to our community.
The next step is the creation of a Master Trail Plan for the City of Hampton by PATH Foundation. This Master Plan, combined with the current GDOT Grant and support from the City Council and Hampton Citizens provides powerful momentum for making this vision a reality. It also makes us eligible for GDOT Recreational Trail Grants, starting this Fall. These can be substantial and could serve to further jump-start our Initiative. Our immediate goal is to designate and build a “show mile” of trail that connects as many communities with as many public facilities, schools, shopping and other destinations as possible. Achieving this will help everyone to see the tremendous value this Network will bring to our community.
Friday, June 11, 2004
The Grand Opening of The Arabia Trail, Dekalb County's latest collaboration with PATH Foundation on a community trail network, will be on June 14, 10:00 am, Nature Center at Arabia Mountain Park.
Join Congresswoman Denise Majette, DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones, and other community leaders as they cut the ribbon on DeKalb county’s newest greenway trail.
For more trail information, including maps, click to the Trail Fact Sheet.
Join Congresswoman Denise Majette, DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones, and other community leaders as they cut the ribbon on DeKalb county’s newest greenway trail.
For more trail information, including maps, click to the Trail Fact Sheet.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
XPRESS BUSES ARE A GOOD STOPGAP UNTIL ATLANTA-MACON COMMUTER LINE BEGINS SERVICE
On June 7 my family and I rode the Xpress Line from the Raceway [Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia] to Five Points Station in downtown Atlanta. The bus is very nice and it only took about 45 minutes to get downtown. Of course, riding on I-75 is much more pleasant than driving on it! With the exception of a couple of scheduling glitches (which I'm sure will be ironed out quickly) it was a good experience. I was excited to see people riding to and from work - it's great to be connected to the city. While the Xpress Line is a nice alternative to driving up 19/41 and I-75 it is in no way a good long term transportation solution. In order to keep this bus "express" we will need more H.O.V. lanes. (A bus is the same slave to traffic as an automobile!) A better long term solution is a commuter rail which would use tracks that already exist and will truly be "express". The entire Atlanta to Macon commuter train line will cost about the same as building 9 miles of H.O.V. lane!!!
- Originally posted on the Neighborhood Forum at OurHampton.com
On June 7 my family and I rode the Xpress Line from the Raceway [Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia] to Five Points Station in downtown Atlanta. The bus is very nice and it only took about 45 minutes to get downtown. Of course, riding on I-75 is much more pleasant than driving on it! With the exception of a couple of scheduling glitches (which I'm sure will be ironed out quickly) it was a good experience. I was excited to see people riding to and from work - it's great to be connected to the city. While the Xpress Line is a nice alternative to driving up 19/41 and I-75 it is in no way a good long term transportation solution. In order to keep this bus "express" we will need more H.O.V. lanes. (A bus is the same slave to traffic as an automobile!) A better long term solution is a commuter rail which would use tracks that already exist and will truly be "express". The entire Atlanta to Macon commuter train line will cost about the same as building 9 miles of H.O.V. lane!!!
- Originally posted on the Neighborhood Forum at OurHampton.com
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
ATLANTA STREETCAR IN THE NEWS
Click here to view the recent TV coverage Atlanta Streetcar received after receiving commitments of $75K from Atlanta's three districts, Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead.
Click here to view the recent TV coverage Atlanta Streetcar received after receiving commitments of $75K from Atlanta's three districts, Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead.
Saturday, May 22, 2004
GWINNETT COUNTY STARTS BIKE/WALK PILOT PROJECT
According to a May 10th Atlanta Journal-Constitution article,"Parent Lisa Carthy and sons Dylan and Jake walk a half-mile to Mason Elementary each morning, passing a long queue of cars snaking through the school's parking lot and down Bunten Road. They typically beat car-riding neighbors to the school's front door. On mornings when traffic congestion is especially annoying, Carthy often will greet neighbors still idling in traffic on her return trek home. Like a Pied Piper of pedestrians, she tends to attract other walkers on her journey, as harried parents call out, 'Can my child join you?'
"'We have seven subdivisions around Bunten, all within easy walking distance to the school,' Carthy said. 'In the foreseeable future, we'll have nine neighborhoods. It's hard to imagine why families who live so close will idle in traffic for a half-hour or more some morning and afternoons.'...Since January, Mason has piloted the Safe Routes to School program in Gwinnett. On two recent Sunday afternoons, the school sponsored bicycling safety clinics for youngsters, directed by the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign.
Source:
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/0504/10classfea.html
Archive search: http://www.newslibrary.com/sites/ajc/
Title: "Pilot program encourages walking, cycling"
Author: M. Elizabeth Neal
According to a May 10th Atlanta Journal-Constitution article,"Parent Lisa Carthy and sons Dylan and Jake walk a half-mile to Mason Elementary each morning, passing a long queue of cars snaking through the school's parking lot and down Bunten Road. They typically beat car-riding neighbors to the school's front door. On mornings when traffic congestion is especially annoying, Carthy often will greet neighbors still idling in traffic on her return trek home. Like a Pied Piper of pedestrians, she tends to attract other walkers on her journey, as harried parents call out, 'Can my child join you?'
"'We have seven subdivisions around Bunten, all within easy walking distance to the school,' Carthy said. 'In the foreseeable future, we'll have nine neighborhoods. It's hard to imagine why families who live so close will idle in traffic for a half-hour or more some morning and afternoons.'...Since January, Mason has piloted the Safe Routes to School program in Gwinnett. On two recent Sunday afternoons, the school sponsored bicycling safety clinics for youngsters, directed by the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign.
Source:
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/0504/10classfea.html
Archive search: http://www.newslibrary.com/sites/ajc/
Title: "Pilot program encourages walking, cycling"
Author: M. Elizabeth Neal
Monday, May 17, 2004
GROWING POPULARITY OF BELTLINE DUE TO IT'S UNIQUE NEXUS OF TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE
It's easy to see why the Belt Line is getting so much attention. Unlike some other transit projects that are too narrowly focused, the Belt Line recognizes the missing links between transportation and land use, a nexus that will become increasingly important as the population growth the city has seen in the last decade continues. A recent study found that Atlanta's core neighborhoods alone will add 180,000 new residents and 13,000 more jobs by 2030.
If the Belt Line is built, officials are confident that the value of the property would rapidly escalate, as it did in the Pearl District in Portland, Ore. The Pearl District attracted more than $1 billion in real estate improvements within five years of the launch of a streetcar line through the former warehouse sector.
City records show that land adjacent to the proposed Belt Line currently has a taxable value of $244.4 million, and transportation studies have found that every dollar invested in transit reaps about $6 in new investment.
Read more...
Source: ajc.com > Opinion
It's easy to see why the Belt Line is getting so much attention. Unlike some other transit projects that are too narrowly focused, the Belt Line recognizes the missing links between transportation and land use, a nexus that will become increasingly important as the population growth the city has seen in the last decade continues. A recent study found that Atlanta's core neighborhoods alone will add 180,000 new residents and 13,000 more jobs by 2030.
If the Belt Line is built, officials are confident that the value of the property would rapidly escalate, as it did in the Pearl District in Portland, Ore. The Pearl District attracted more than $1 billion in real estate improvements within five years of the launch of a streetcar line through the former warehouse sector.
City records show that land adjacent to the proposed Belt Line currently has a taxable value of $244.4 million, and transportation studies have found that every dollar invested in transit reaps about $6 in new investment.
Read more...
Source: ajc.com > Opinion
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Though the ARC removed several rail projects from it's new 25-year transportation plan (except Atlanta - Macon commuter line) that's not necessarily because there's little interest in rail. It's mostly a function of the fact that there are few dollars available to operate it, and no plans yet for any one entity to be in charge of operating the many transit projects planned for different counties in the region. However, there is money to build the BeltLine...
Read more...
Source: The Atlanta Business Chronicle Online
Read more...
Source: The Atlanta Business Chronicle Online
Thursday, May 13, 2004
TAX ALLOCATION DISTRICT FOR INTOWN TRAIL AND RAIL
An independent city of Atlanta panel has been assembled to decide whether a special tax district can generate enough money to pay for a proposed 22-mile transit line and greenbelt looping around the city's intown neighborhoods.
A tax allocation district uses additional taxes from the increased property values caused by development in a certain area to pay for public improvements in that specific area. Atlanta currently has five such districts, including the Atlantic Station megadevelopment in Midtown.
"We're going from 'Boy, wouldn't this be a good idea?' to the implementation phase," said Cathy Woolard, former City Council President and the BeltLine's most ardent political advocate.
Read more...
Source: ajc.com
An independent city of Atlanta panel has been assembled to decide whether a special tax district can generate enough money to pay for a proposed 22-mile transit line and greenbelt looping around the city's intown neighborhoods.
A tax allocation district uses additional taxes from the increased property values caused by development in a certain area to pay for public improvements in that specific area. Atlanta currently has five such districts, including the Atlantic Station megadevelopment in Midtown.
"We're going from 'Boy, wouldn't this be a good idea?' to the implementation phase," said Cathy Woolard, former City Council President and the BeltLine's most ardent political advocate.
Read more...
Source: ajc.com
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
NEW EVIDENCE SUGGESTS TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS DRIVERS, TOO
It's a perennial debate: On the one hand advocates of mass transit argue that transit is an essential strategy for combating congestion. On the other, road advocates maintain that since only a minority of travelers use transit, we're better off expanding roads that serve most people. What if there was convincing evidence that building transit benefits everybody, whether or not they use the system?
New evidence just developed for the forthcoming book "The New Transit Town" begins to make this case. The catch is that it requires both the construction of a transit system, and an effort by local government to encourage development around stations. When that's the case, everybody wins, even people who choose to live in single-family neighborhoods and drive everywhere they go. Read more...
It's a perennial debate: On the one hand advocates of mass transit argue that transit is an essential strategy for combating congestion. On the other, road advocates maintain that since only a minority of travelers use transit, we're better off expanding roads that serve most people. What if there was convincing evidence that building transit benefits everybody, whether or not they use the system?
New evidence just developed for the forthcoming book "The New Transit Town" begins to make this case. The catch is that it requires both the construction of a transit system, and an effort by local government to encourage development around stations. When that's the case, everybody wins, even people who choose to live in single-family neighborhoods and drive everywhere they go. Read more...
Friday, April 30, 2004
PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE IS ALSO THE PATH OF LEAST EXPENSE
The commuter train plan from Lovejoy to Atlanta is the least expensive transportation program of any solution being proposed. It will cost a little more than $4 million a mile to do everything needed to get trains in operation. Some will tell you that's too expensive. Yet the HOV lanes needed for the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority's Northwest Connectivity bus project on I-75 and I-575 will cost more than $30 million a mile to build, and their Bus Rapid Transit is estimated to cost $20 million a mile. Read more...
Source: ajc.com > Opinion
The commuter train plan from Lovejoy to Atlanta is the least expensive transportation program of any solution being proposed. It will cost a little more than $4 million a mile to do everything needed to get trains in operation. Some will tell you that's too expensive. Yet the HOV lanes needed for the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority's Northwest Connectivity bus project on I-75 and I-575 will cost more than $30 million a mile to build, and their Bus Rapid Transit is estimated to cost $20 million a mile. Read more...
Source: ajc.com > Opinion
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Atlanta needs commuter rail as an investment in its future. Our population simply cannot continue to grow as it has without offering rail as an alternative. Look at all the great cities of the world; this Atlanta native just returned from a visit to Boston, which has a rail network that can virtually take you anywhere on its multi line subways and radiating commuter routes.The Lovejoy (Macon) line is an unprecedented opportunity because if the state doesn't buy it- the line will eventually be abandoned and sold in pieces, never to be reassembled. It is a duplicate line to Macon that Norfolk Southern no longer needs. We cannot afford to lose this corridor in a metro area exceeding 4 million people and growing daily. Think beyond 2009- think 2019,2029 and beyond. Planners in Boston from 100 years ago knew this.
As to the cost- people complain when passenger rail is not self supporting- neither are our federally paid for roads and highways- and the amount our state and the nation spend on rail is a tiny, tiny fraction of what is spent on highways. Poor Amtrack begs for crumbs under the table of highway spending.
Gov Purdue exemplifies the state's short sightedness in his support for GRTA's $ 20 billion bus-only proposal.When I go to Boston and New York and Chicago- trains are what are packed, not buses. Rail is needed for the future of this city and this metro area.
Wendell Burks, Alpharetta
Source: ajc.com, Forum, in response to the question: "Should the state spend millions on commuter rail?"
As to the cost- people complain when passenger rail is not self supporting- neither are our federally paid for roads and highways- and the amount our state and the nation spend on rail is a tiny, tiny fraction of what is spent on highways. Poor Amtrack begs for crumbs under the table of highway spending.
Gov Purdue exemplifies the state's short sightedness in his support for GRTA's $ 20 billion bus-only proposal.When I go to Boston and New York and Chicago- trains are what are packed, not buses. Rail is needed for the future of this city and this metro area.
Wendell Burks, Alpharetta
Source: ajc.com, Forum, in response to the question: "Should the state spend millions on commuter rail?"
Saturday, April 24, 2004
ATTRACT SENIORS BY FOCUSING ON LIVABILITY
According to an April 19th USAToday column, "Even in the best of times, when local governments talk economic development, advocates for quality-of-life amenities such as hiking trails and the local library rarely get a seat at the table. The hard-core business types like to remind tree-huggers and the arts crowd that jobs trump 'frills' every time. But what if there were a powerful economic development argument for investing in frills first? What if there were an industry with dependable access to billions of dollars, which -- instead of demanding a break on taxes or relaxed environmental regulations -- most wanted communities to be good places to live?
"Well, that's pretty much the deal with the oldster industry. In areas with the potential to attract affluent seniors, conventional wisdom about economic development is turned on its head. Many of these places, especially rural communities and college towns without the urban infrastructure favored by traditional industries, have a chance to compete for migrating retirees the way others compete for relocating companies. With retirees, however, you don't sacrifice clean air and parks for the sake of jobs. In order to get the jobs and other financial benefits seniors bring, you save the environment, nurture the arts and enhance the walk-around appeal of your downtown..."
Source:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=679&ncid=742&e=14&u=/usatoday/20040419/cm_usatoday/retireesprovideattractivetargetforcommunities
Title: "Retirees provide attractive target for communities"
Author: Ben Brown
According to an April 19th USAToday column, "Even in the best of times, when local governments talk economic development, advocates for quality-of-life amenities such as hiking trails and the local library rarely get a seat at the table. The hard-core business types like to remind tree-huggers and the arts crowd that jobs trump 'frills' every time. But what if there were a powerful economic development argument for investing in frills first? What if there were an industry with dependable access to billions of dollars, which -- instead of demanding a break on taxes or relaxed environmental regulations -- most wanted communities to be good places to live?
"Well, that's pretty much the deal with the oldster industry. In areas with the potential to attract affluent seniors, conventional wisdom about economic development is turned on its head. Many of these places, especially rural communities and college towns without the urban infrastructure favored by traditional industries, have a chance to compete for migrating retirees the way others compete for relocating companies. With retirees, however, you don't sacrifice clean air and parks for the sake of jobs. In order to get the jobs and other financial benefits seniors bring, you save the environment, nurture the arts and enhance the walk-around appeal of your downtown..."
Source:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=679&ncid=742&e=14&u=/usatoday/20040419/cm_usatoday/retireesprovideattractivetargetforcommunities
Title: "Retirees provide attractive target for communities"
Author: Ben Brown
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Golf cart limits to be lifted today
Driver's licenses won't be needed in Peachtree City. Read more
Source: ajc.com
Driver's licenses won't be needed in Peachtree City. Read more
Source: ajc.com
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Two-wheel vehicles would aid MARTA
The main reason people do not ride MARTA to work is their place of employment is too far from MARTA stations to walk ["MARTA isn't ..."]. Each worker could purchase a small, two-wheel vehicle for less than the price of parking fees and gas needed to drive to work. Small vehicles would be fun to ride from MARTA stations and would entice people to ride them instead of driving cars. This would reduce rush-hour traffic as well as air pollution.
If each MARTA station inside Atlanta had secure parking spaces for individually owned small electric or gasoline scooters, people could park cars at outlying MARTA stations and ride MARTA trains and buses. The expense of secure parking would be recovered rapidly from rider fares.
Surely the companies where people work would make secure space available to park these small vehicles. Recharging utilities would be required at MARTA stations and workplaces.
EDWARD L. PHILLIPS
Newnan
Source: ajc.com, Letters to Horizon
The main reason people do not ride MARTA to work is their place of employment is too far from MARTA stations to walk ["MARTA isn't ..."]. Each worker could purchase a small, two-wheel vehicle for less than the price of parking fees and gas needed to drive to work. Small vehicles would be fun to ride from MARTA stations and would entice people to ride them instead of driving cars. This would reduce rush-hour traffic as well as air pollution.
If each MARTA station inside Atlanta had secure parking spaces for individually owned small electric or gasoline scooters, people could park cars at outlying MARTA stations and ride MARTA trains and buses. The expense of secure parking would be recovered rapidly from rider fares.
Surely the companies where people work would make secure space available to park these small vehicles. Recharging utilities would be required at MARTA stations and workplaces.
EDWARD L. PHILLIPS
Newnan
Source: ajc.com, Letters to Horizon
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
ARE WE THERE YET?
In this article "New Colonist" author Jessica Handler muses over the irony of the reluctance of inhabitants of a city that exists because of, and was originally named for its importance to rail traffic (Terminus) to use MARTA. Referring to conservative estimates putting growth in Atlanta's ten county area at more than one million people in the next 25 years, Jessica offers good advice: "In order to make city living attractive for newcomers and for natives, we need to make a habit of using the public transit that we have, be vocal about our likes and dislikes, and experience for ourselves how it should grow with us to meet our needs."
In this article "New Colonist" author Jessica Handler muses over the irony of the reluctance of inhabitants of a city that exists because of, and was originally named for its importance to rail traffic (Terminus) to use MARTA. Referring to conservative estimates putting growth in Atlanta's ten county area at more than one million people in the next 25 years, Jessica offers good advice: "In order to make city living attractive for newcomers and for natives, we need to make a habit of using the public transit that we have, be vocal about our likes and dislikes, and experience for ourselves how it should grow with us to meet our needs."
Monday, April 12, 2004
SUPPORT IS BULGING AROUND THE BELTLINE
The proposed Belt Line around Atlanta's intown neighborhoods is racing to the forefront of area transit plans, fueled by financial and public support.
Not only has the line, first proposed by Georgia Tech student-turned-architect Ryan Gravel and championed by Atlanta City Council President Cathy Woolard, found its way into transportation plans, it has attracted millions in pledged funding. A nonprofit citizens group has formed to keep the Belt Line's public support growing.
Just two years ago, Woolard began to advocate building the Belt Line. Until then it had been little more than Gravel's graduate thesis: a 22-mile transit loop using existing and mostly idle rail corridor around the city's core. Now, the concept is enshrined in the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority's comprehensive transit plan, the Atlanta Regional Commission's proposed long-range transportation plan, MARTA's planning program and the city's long-range land-use plan. Read more...
Source: ajc.com
The proposed Belt Line around Atlanta's intown neighborhoods is racing to the forefront of area transit plans, fueled by financial and public support.
Not only has the line, first proposed by Georgia Tech student-turned-architect Ryan Gravel and championed by Atlanta City Council President Cathy Woolard, found its way into transportation plans, it has attracted millions in pledged funding. A nonprofit citizens group has formed to keep the Belt Line's public support growing.
Just two years ago, Woolard began to advocate building the Belt Line. Until then it had been little more than Gravel's graduate thesis: a 22-mile transit loop using existing and mostly idle rail corridor around the city's core. Now, the concept is enshrined in the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority's comprehensive transit plan, the Atlanta Regional Commission's proposed long-range transportation plan, MARTA's planning program and the city's long-range land-use plan. Read more...
Source: ajc.com
Saturday, April 10, 2004
THE SPIRITUAL PATH
The labyrinth literally reintroduces the experience of walking a clearly defined path. This reminds us that there is a path, a process that brings us to unity, to the center of our beings. In the simple act of walking, the soul finds solace and peace. –LAUREN ARTESS, Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool, 1995.
The labyrinth literally reintroduces the experience of walking a clearly defined path. This reminds us that there is a path, a process that brings us to unity, to the center of our beings. In the simple act of walking, the soul finds solace and peace. –LAUREN ARTESS, Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool, 1995.
Friday, April 02, 2004
TRANSIT TOWN RISING
The Decatur Housing Authority will begin construction next year on a plan to turn much of the sprawling Avondale MARTA station parking lot into a neighborhood of apartments and condominiums. It's the first phase of a 20-year plan to transform a 40-acre warren of industrial warehouses between College Avenue and Columbia Drive on the city's east border into a community of small homes, shops and parks.
The Atlanta Regional Commission has provided $73 million in grants to communities to encourage development around transit stations and walkable neighborhoods. The ARC has earmarked $3.85 million — which includes a 20 percent local match — for the Avondale station. Read more...
The Decatur Housing Authority will begin construction next year on a plan to turn much of the sprawling Avondale MARTA station parking lot into a neighborhood of apartments and condominiums. It's the first phase of a 20-year plan to transform a 40-acre warren of industrial warehouses between College Avenue and Columbia Drive on the city's east border into a community of small homes, shops and parks.
The Atlanta Regional Commission has provided $73 million in grants to communities to encourage development around transit stations and walkable neighborhoods. The ARC has earmarked $3.85 million — which includes a 20 percent local match — for the Avondale station. Read more...
Sunday, March 28, 2004
HOMEOWNERS LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
According to a Mar. 14th Denver Post article, "Homeowners are beginning to emerge from their cocoons. Lifestyle guru Faith Popcorn coined the term 'cocooning' in the 1980s to describe the American need to retreat from the realities of life. Cocooning was considered a way to protect oneself and disconnect from the outside world. Now American homeowners are acting like a whole different type of insect.
"'Shortly after 9/11 there was a lot of discussion about a new return to home, about the 'new cocooning,'' said J. Walker Smith, president of Yankelovich, a Chapel Hill, N.C.-based marketing consulting group that tracks consumer attitudes. 'But this return is actually quite different.' Yankelovich trend-watchers began seeing signs of this new return home in 1998 and coined the term "hiving" in 2001. Like a beehive, a hive home represents engagement, interaction and connection with the outside environment. It has larger, open gathering areas. Hive homes are also often on smaller lots, encouraging use of community centers and parks that are an integral part of a hiving community..."
Source: http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~33~2014737,00.html
Title: "'Hiving' new community buzzword"
Author: Chryss Cada
Courtesy of: info@bikewalk.org
According to a Mar. 14th Denver Post article, "Homeowners are beginning to emerge from their cocoons. Lifestyle guru Faith Popcorn coined the term 'cocooning' in the 1980s to describe the American need to retreat from the realities of life. Cocooning was considered a way to protect oneself and disconnect from the outside world. Now American homeowners are acting like a whole different type of insect.
"'Shortly after 9/11 there was a lot of discussion about a new return to home, about the 'new cocooning,'' said J. Walker Smith, president of Yankelovich, a Chapel Hill, N.C.-based marketing consulting group that tracks consumer attitudes. 'But this return is actually quite different.' Yankelovich trend-watchers began seeing signs of this new return home in 1998 and coined the term "hiving" in 2001. Like a beehive, a hive home represents engagement, interaction and connection with the outside environment. It has larger, open gathering areas. Hive homes are also often on smaller lots, encouraging use of community centers and parks that are an integral part of a hiving community..."
Source: http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~33~2014737,00.html
Title: "'Hiving' new community buzzword"
Author: Chryss Cada
Courtesy of: info@bikewalk.org
Saturday, March 27, 2004
ATLANTA REGION PED/BIKE PLANNERS: SHOW ME THE $$!
According to a Feb. 21st Atlanta Journal-Constitution article, "Five
years after the Atlanta Regional Commission announced the first
planning grants for its much-heralded Livable Centers Initiative, the
program is still more potential than reality. But that hasn't curbed
enthusiasm among the government leaders and community activists trying
grab $280 million in federal transportation money to build their
distinctive districts, planned to encourage people to walk or take
public transit to reduce car trips that contribute to the region's
dirty air.
"As she walks along North Decatur Road with a spiral-bound planning
report in hand, Kathie Gannon, a board member of the Alliance to
Improve Emory Village, uses lingo to describe what is expected to
happen in her community. 'We're going to put the road on a diet,'
Gannon says, explaining that a section of North Decatur Road will be
reduced from four lanes to three, making room for a turning lane and
space for bicycles. She is equally excited about a proposed
'roundabout' that could transform the confusing five-way crossroads
into a calmer, nicely landscaped intersection..."
Source:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/business/horizon/0304/22livable.html
Title: "Rebuilding blocks"
Author: Janet Frankston
Courtesy: info@bikewalk.org
According to a Feb. 21st Atlanta Journal-Constitution article, "Five
years after the Atlanta Regional Commission announced the first
planning grants for its much-heralded Livable Centers Initiative, the
program is still more potential than reality. But that hasn't curbed
enthusiasm among the government leaders and community activists trying
grab $280 million in federal transportation money to build their
distinctive districts, planned to encourage people to walk or take
public transit to reduce car trips that contribute to the region's
dirty air.
"As she walks along North Decatur Road with a spiral-bound planning
report in hand, Kathie Gannon, a board member of the Alliance to
Improve Emory Village, uses lingo to describe what is expected to
happen in her community. 'We're going to put the road on a diet,'
Gannon says, explaining that a section of North Decatur Road will be
reduced from four lanes to three, making room for a turning lane and
space for bicycles. She is equally excited about a proposed
'roundabout' that could transform the confusing five-way crossroads
into a calmer, nicely landscaped intersection..."
Source:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/business/horizon/0304/22livable.html
Title: "Rebuilding blocks"
Author: Janet Frankston
Courtesy: info@bikewalk.org
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Friday, March 19, 2004
The Convergence of Trail and Rail: RAILBIKES!
Imagine gliding along on ribbons of steel, through breathtaking open space, enjoying the pristine air, the abundant wildlife, and the silence. Your ride is as smooth as glass - and there's no traffic. Your hands are free to take pictures or enjoy your lunch. Your path is never steep. Where there's a hill, you go around it, or through a tunnel. Sound like a cyclist's dream? You're not dreaming - you're RAILBIKING!
For more than 100 years people worldwide have been enjoying the sport of railbiking. The 1908 Sears catalog offered a railbike attachment for $5.45. In Europe today there are dozens of active railbike rental facilities using abandoned railroads.
- From the Publisher of Railbike: Cycling on Abandoned Railroads
If someone knows of a mono-railbike, I say we adopt these for usage on the BeltLine until the Trolleys come...
Other Links:
- RailBike Tours, Inc.
- Bentley RailBike
- RailBike in Europe
Imagine gliding along on ribbons of steel, through breathtaking open space, enjoying the pristine air, the abundant wildlife, and the silence. Your ride is as smooth as glass - and there's no traffic. Your hands are free to take pictures or enjoy your lunch. Your path is never steep. Where there's a hill, you go around it, or through a tunnel. Sound like a cyclist's dream? You're not dreaming - you're RAILBIKING!
For more than 100 years people worldwide have been enjoying the sport of railbiking. The 1908 Sears catalog offered a railbike attachment for $5.45. In Europe today there are dozens of active railbike rental facilities using abandoned railroads.
- From the Publisher of Railbike: Cycling on Abandoned Railroads
If someone knows of a mono-railbike, I say we adopt these for usage on the BeltLine until the Trolleys come...
Other Links:
- RailBike Tours, Inc.
- Bentley RailBike
- RailBike in Europe
Monday, March 15, 2004
Tales from the Silver Comet...
"The trail has honestly changed my life. I was a 2-pack-a-day smoker and February 6th will mark five years (and eight marathons) since I quit, all because of that awesome trail is right behind my house. As a single mom, I couldn't get to the gym or travel to run. With [the trail] so close and so safe, I can go anytime my schedule allows...I only have to put on my shoes."
- Dana Greene, Organizer Get-Fit Atlanta
Source: www.pathfoundation.org
"The trail has honestly changed my life. I was a 2-pack-a-day smoker and February 6th will mark five years (and eight marathons) since I quit, all because of that awesome trail is right behind my house. As a single mom, I couldn't get to the gym or travel to run. With [the trail] so close and so safe, I can go anytime my schedule allows...I only have to put on my shoes."
- Dana Greene, Organizer Get-Fit Atlanta
Source: www.pathfoundation.org
Saturday, March 13, 2004
Lovejoy Commuter Rail Plan Gains Speed
A plan to build a commuter rail line from Atlanta to Lovejoy got a boost of adrenaline Tuesday when Norfolk Southern said it wanted to operate the line and could get passengers moving by late next year. Read more.
Source: ajc.com
A plan to build a commuter rail line from Atlanta to Lovejoy got a boost of adrenaline Tuesday when Norfolk Southern said it wanted to operate the line and could get passengers moving by late next year. Read more.
Source: ajc.com
Friday, March 12, 2004
WALKING COULD BE THE NICEST THING TO DO IN ATLANTA
According to Colin Campbell column in the Mar. 7th Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "There's a new high-rise office building in Midtown, part of the Atlantic Station development. Its upper floors provide such an unexpected view of the city -- from west of the freeway, for a change -- you have to smile. Will growth in the heart of Atlanta just keep chugging along through recessions and budget crises? What new networks (streets, tracks, bike paths, fiber optics) will link tomorrow's neighborhoods? And what about those pedestrians down there, already strolling along the sidewalks of the yellow 17th Street bridge?
"It's this last point, the walkers, that struck me most. I think they're the wave of the future. Atlanta badly needs to make it safer to walk, and also more practical and fun. Because if we did that all over town, walking could become one of the nicest things to do in Atlanta. It could be a major supplement to cars, buses and trains, as it already is in many other cities. It would mean cleaner air, more stores and more customers. It would mean people-watching instead of the usual anxious glancing at other drivers. It would mean cafes, gardens and a better environment for children, families and the elderly..."
Source: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0304a/07colin.html
Archive search: http://www.newslibrary.com/sites/ajc/
Title: "Safer sidewalks would be big step into city's future"
Author: Colin Campbell
According to Colin Campbell column in the Mar. 7th Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "There's a new high-rise office building in Midtown, part of the Atlantic Station development. Its upper floors provide such an unexpected view of the city -- from west of the freeway, for a change -- you have to smile. Will growth in the heart of Atlanta just keep chugging along through recessions and budget crises? What new networks (streets, tracks, bike paths, fiber optics) will link tomorrow's neighborhoods? And what about those pedestrians down there, already strolling along the sidewalks of the yellow 17th Street bridge?
"It's this last point, the walkers, that struck me most. I think they're the wave of the future. Atlanta badly needs to make it safer to walk, and also more practical and fun. Because if we did that all over town, walking could become one of the nicest things to do in Atlanta. It could be a major supplement to cars, buses and trains, as it already is in many other cities. It would mean cleaner air, more stores and more customers. It would mean people-watching instead of the usual anxious glancing at other drivers. It would mean cafes, gardens and a better environment for children, families and the elderly..."
Source: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0304a/07colin.html
Archive search: http://www.newslibrary.com/sites/ajc/
Title: "Safer sidewalks would be big step into city's future"
Author: Colin Campbell
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Saturday, March 06, 2004
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Rail planners desperate for community support
Facing some high-ranking skeptics and a tight budget, planners of a proposed Atlanta-Lovejoy commuter rail line find themselves forced to offer some creative funding sources to keep the project alive.
GDOT Intermodal Committee board chairman E.C. McClinton insists that political support, both within the Gold Dome and in the outlying communities along the rail line, must be broad.
"We're going to have to ask the cities and counties on the line to step up," McClinton said. "This thing has to have as much support as possible."
Under proposal are the formation of community improvement districts along the rail line. To set up a community improvement district, half of commercial property owners representing 75 percent of the tax digest value must consent, and legislative approval is required.
Selling naming rights of the stations, a la stadiums and arenas, was another possibility considered. Read more...
Source: Rail planners trying to keep project alive, MaconTelegraph.com
As a citizen/businessman of downtown Hampton, Georgia, I propose that we may be ideal for a Community Improvement District. I would venture to say that the commercial property owner tax digest value component could be met. Or, does anyone like the ring of "Speedway Station?" I'm sure that Atlanta Motor Speedway could find some value in naming rights to the Station.
Facing some high-ranking skeptics and a tight budget, planners of a proposed Atlanta-Lovejoy commuter rail line find themselves forced to offer some creative funding sources to keep the project alive.
GDOT Intermodal Committee board chairman E.C. McClinton insists that political support, both within the Gold Dome and in the outlying communities along the rail line, must be broad.
"We're going to have to ask the cities and counties on the line to step up," McClinton said. "This thing has to have as much support as possible."
Under proposal are the formation of community improvement districts along the rail line. To set up a community improvement district, half of commercial property owners representing 75 percent of the tax digest value must consent, and legislative approval is required.
Selling naming rights of the stations, a la stadiums and arenas, was another possibility considered. Read more...
Source: Rail planners trying to keep project alive, MaconTelegraph.com
As a citizen/businessman of downtown Hampton, Georgia, I propose that we may be ideal for a Community Improvement District. I would venture to say that the commercial property owner tax digest value component could be met. Or, does anyone like the ring of "Speedway Station?" I'm sure that Atlanta Motor Speedway could find some value in naming rights to the Station.
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
AJC Mass Transit Forum
What will it take to get us out of our cars and into a bus, train or the new trainlike trolleys called bus rapid transit? Visit the ajc.com Transit Forum to see what others are saying and to voice your own opinions...
What will it take to get us out of our cars and into a bus, train or the new trainlike trolleys called bus rapid transit? Visit the ajc.com Transit Forum to see what others are saying and to voice your own opinions...
Sunday, February 15, 2004
Last month I made an appeal to contact Governor Perdue in support of the Lovejoy-Atlanta Commuter Rail Initiative. Many of you did. The Govenor's office is the last hurdle in the Commuter Rail becoming reality. I've published the Governor's response to my appeal, below. Unfortunately the response reveals either a misunderstanding, or worse, a misrepresentation of the facts. The assertion that rail usage is 10 - 12 years away is simply untrue. Railcar rolling stock takes two years to deliver as it is built to order. Local GDOT office has confirmed that if rolling stock were ordered today the existing rail corridor from Lovejoy to Atlanta could be ready in time for the delivery. That's two years, not ten or twelve. The money allocated for the commuter rail cannot be spent on anything but the rail and will be forfeited if not used. Therefore the "current budget situation" has no bearing on spending Federal dollars allocated to a logical solution to efficient transportation. Fiscal responsibility would dictate that the total investment of 350 million dollars required to complete the long overdue Atlanta-Macon route would not be better spent in building only nine miles of the HOV lanes the Rapid Buses will run on.
Once again, I invite you to send a message to Gov. Perdue if you feel so inclined. The Governor's response follows:
Dear Mr. Sisco:
Thank you for your message regarding a proposed commuter rail system for
Georgia. As we all know, efficient transportation has long been one of
the keys to quality of life and a robust economy in our state.
To that end, in September 2003 I announced the "Georgia Gets Going"
transportation bond package, totaling $424 million, to provide an infusion
of capital to some important projects that will increase mobility where
this is most needed. This investment underlines the state's duty to
support the implementation of a regional transit system in the Atlanta
region. These are regionally significant, cost-effective transportation
projects. County and state authorities are working together to eliminate
traffic bottlenecks and offer commuters additional choices for their
commute.
Rail options are a consideration in Georgia's bond program. $4 million
has been earmarked to secure $29 million in federal funding for a future
Atlanta-to-Macon commuter rail line. $4.2 million will also be spent for
the acquisition and rehabilitation of a short-line railroad, designed to
preserve service to industry in Lowndes, Cook and Berrien Counties.
However, previously-considered commuter rail plans may be fiscally
inadvisable at the present time, given Georgia's current budget situation.
If we were to build a heavy rail system now, the first rider would board
it 10 or 12 years from now. While it may well be considered at a later
date, I do not believe we can afford to wait that long for traffic
solutions. Our priority must be to look for the biggest return on our
investment.
A network of express bus routes will be established, with train-style
stations along 13 of Atlanta's busiest roads. Over the next few years,
express bus service will grow to 25 routes to major activity centers,
including downtown and midtown Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson International
Airport, MARTA stations and shopping malls. This bus system would be far
less expensive than expanding MARTA rail, which presently can only serve
Fulton and DeKalb Counties.
I firmly believe that if we concentrate our efforts on achieving the
common-sense solutions now and planning additional cost-effective projects
for the near future, we will be able to make improvements that will
benefit people in a reasonable period of time. I want to caution you,
however, that we will not be able to rely on quick fixes for Georgia's
long-term transportation needs. These problems have developed over time,
and it will require energy, difficult decisions and considerable patience
before we as a state can implement a comprehensive plan that will serve
the needs of our citizenry as a whole.
Thank you again for letting me know of your interest in this issue, and I
hope you will continue to participate in future discussions as we progress
toward our common goal.
Sincerely,
Sonny Perdue
Once again, I invite you to send a message to Gov. Perdue if you feel so inclined. The Governor's response follows:
Dear Mr. Sisco:
Thank you for your message regarding a proposed commuter rail system for
Georgia. As we all know, efficient transportation has long been one of
the keys to quality of life and a robust economy in our state.
To that end, in September 2003 I announced the "Georgia Gets Going"
transportation bond package, totaling $424 million, to provide an infusion
of capital to some important projects that will increase mobility where
this is most needed. This investment underlines the state's duty to
support the implementation of a regional transit system in the Atlanta
region. These are regionally significant, cost-effective transportation
projects. County and state authorities are working together to eliminate
traffic bottlenecks and offer commuters additional choices for their
commute.
Rail options are a consideration in Georgia's bond program. $4 million
has been earmarked to secure $29 million in federal funding for a future
Atlanta-to-Macon commuter rail line. $4.2 million will also be spent for
the acquisition and rehabilitation of a short-line railroad, designed to
preserve service to industry in Lowndes, Cook and Berrien Counties.
However, previously-considered commuter rail plans may be fiscally
inadvisable at the present time, given Georgia's current budget situation.
If we were to build a heavy rail system now, the first rider would board
it 10 or 12 years from now. While it may well be considered at a later
date, I do not believe we can afford to wait that long for traffic
solutions. Our priority must be to look for the biggest return on our
investment.
A network of express bus routes will be established, with train-style
stations along 13 of Atlanta's busiest roads. Over the next few years,
express bus service will grow to 25 routes to major activity centers,
including downtown and midtown Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson International
Airport, MARTA stations and shopping malls. This bus system would be far
less expensive than expanding MARTA rail, which presently can only serve
Fulton and DeKalb Counties.
I firmly believe that if we concentrate our efforts on achieving the
common-sense solutions now and planning additional cost-effective projects
for the near future, we will be able to make improvements that will
benefit people in a reasonable period of time. I want to caution you,
however, that we will not be able to rely on quick fixes for Georgia's
long-term transportation needs. These problems have developed over time,
and it will require energy, difficult decisions and considerable patience
before we as a state can implement a comprehensive plan that will serve
the needs of our citizenry as a whole.
Thank you again for letting me know of your interest in this issue, and I
hope you will continue to participate in future discussions as we progress
toward our common goal.
Sincerely,
Sonny Perdue
Saturday, February 14, 2004
San Diego's 'City of Villages' concept, touted as a "models for the rest of the city," could serve as a such for the city of Atlanta, as well
Plans to develop five pilot villages as examples of how San Diego should grow over the next 20 years were approved unanimously by the San Diego City Council earlier this month.
Mayor Dick Murphy said the projects "will be role models for the rest of the city" in revitalizing older communities, providing affordable housing and reducing traffic congestion.
The pilot villages combine housing and centers of employment and recreation with access to mass transit. They are meant to demonstrate how older urban neighborhoods could be redeveloped as alternatives to sprawl in what planners call a "City of Villages" concept. Read more...
What an awesome concept for Atlanta to adopt! The BeltLine provides the framework...
Plans to develop five pilot villages as examples of how San Diego should grow over the next 20 years were approved unanimously by the San Diego City Council earlier this month.
Mayor Dick Murphy said the projects "will be role models for the rest of the city" in revitalizing older communities, providing affordable housing and reducing traffic congestion.
The pilot villages combine housing and centers of employment and recreation with access to mass transit. They are meant to demonstrate how older urban neighborhoods could be redeveloped as alternatives to sprawl in what planners call a "City of Villages" concept. Read more...
What an awesome concept for Atlanta to adopt! The BeltLine provides the framework...
Friday, February 13, 2004
"Consider this. If a 150 pound person walked briskly to a store or post
office that was five blocks away every day for a year, that person
would weigh 10 fewer pounds at the end of that time, according to the
CDC."
------- Connie Rausch Director, Butler County (KS) Dept. on Aging
http://www.eldoradotimes.com/articles/2004/02/12/news/news44.txt
office that was five blocks away every day for a year, that person
would weigh 10 fewer pounds at the end of that time, according to the
CDC."
------- Connie Rausch Director, Butler County (KS) Dept. on Aging
http://www.eldoradotimes.com/articles/2004/02/12/news/news44.txt
Monday, February 09, 2004
Transit villages are becoming popular -- and economically successful -- throughout Southern California.
Full story: New generation is right on track
Source: Los Angeles Times, Feb 08, 2004.
Full story: New generation is right on track
Source: Los Angeles Times, Feb 08, 2004.
Sunday, February 08, 2004
Golf Cart bill goes to Gov.
The governor's signature is all that is standing between unlicensed golf cart drivers in Peachtree City and their carts. Use of the golf carts has drawn people to the Fayette County community where some of the 34,000 residents have registered 9,000 golf carts that putter along 88 miles of paved golf cart paths. Read more...
Source: ajc.com
The governor's signature is all that is standing between unlicensed golf cart drivers in Peachtree City and their carts. Use of the golf carts has drawn people to the Fayette County community where some of the 34,000 residents have registered 9,000 golf carts that putter along 88 miles of paved golf cart paths. Read more...
Source: ajc.com
Friday, February 06, 2004
California transportation funds to be tied to housing
For the first time in recent history, a member of the California governor's Cabinet has called for a link between state transportation dollars and housing construction.
Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak says "We have not been getting enough return on our investment. We have improved capacity in some areas but we have increased congestion because we have an inefficient land-use pattern that has hurt our economic competitiveness."
"Highway or transit improvements in job-rich communities that reject new homes and force workers to drive long distances "are absolutely unacceptable," McPeak said. Read more...
Title: "Transportation funds to be tied to housing"
Source: ContraCostaTimes.com
For the first time in recent history, a member of the California governor's Cabinet has called for a link between state transportation dollars and housing construction.
Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak says "We have not been getting enough return on our investment. We have improved capacity in some areas but we have increased congestion because we have an inefficient land-use pattern that has hurt our economic competitiveness."
"Highway or transit improvements in job-rich communities that reject new homes and force workers to drive long distances "are absolutely unacceptable," McPeak said. Read more...
Title: "Transportation funds to be tied to housing"
Source: ContraCostaTimes.com
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Smart and Smarter
New homebuyers taking advantage of Fannie Mae's new Smart Commute Mortgage (applies to home purchases within 1/2 mile of transit stations or 1/4 mile of bus stops) will enjoy a special bonus. MARTA has agreed to sweeten the deal by giving new home buyers a six-month MARTA pass worth about $315.
New homebuyers taking advantage of Fannie Mae's new Smart Commute Mortgage (applies to home purchases within 1/2 mile of transit stations or 1/4 mile of bus stops) will enjoy a special bonus. MARTA has agreed to sweeten the deal by giving new home buyers a six-month MARTA pass worth about $315.
Monday, February 02, 2004
MARTA gets even smarter
MARTA customers may now obtain the best train and bus routes to reach their destination by accessing MARTA’s Trip Planner. This new trip planner allows you to use the Internet, day or night, to obtain trip information or route directions by using street addresses and street intersections as origin and destination locations. You will also be able to get directions to places of interest or events. Try it here...
MARTA customers may now obtain the best train and bus routes to reach their destination by accessing MARTA’s Trip Planner. This new trip planner allows you to use the Internet, day or night, to obtain trip information or route directions by using street addresses and street intersections as origin and destination locations. You will also be able to get directions to places of interest or events. Try it here...
Sunday, February 01, 2004
Transit Tipping Point for Atlanta?
Two-thirds of Atlanta-area commuters may consider leaving their cars at home if they had a mass transit system that was fast, inexpensive and easy to use, according to a marketing survey commissioned by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and several private business groups. Read more...
Source: http://www.accessnorthga.com/
Two-thirds of Atlanta-area commuters may consider leaving their cars at home if they had a mass transit system that was fast, inexpensive and easy to use, according to a marketing survey commissioned by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and several private business groups. Read more...
Source: http://www.accessnorthga.com/
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
On Tuesday, Fannie Mae, MARTA, ARC and Suntrust Bank announced a new initiative called "Smart Commute." Smart Commute rewards home buyers that purchase a home within one-quarter mile of a public bus stop or one-half mile of a rail station and commit to using the transit instead of a car. The benefits include adding a home buyer's anticipated transportation savings to the buyer's qualifying income - increasing the size mortgage for which they may qualify.
Unfortunately, when this program was announced, the BeltLine was left out of the discussion. Its ability to accommodate at least 100,000 new homes within a ¼ mile of a dedicated rail corridor is a compelling argument for how it can both benefit and be benefited by Smart Commute.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution ran an editorial on Wednesday praising the program. To keep the BeltLine fresh in the discussion about linking housing and public transportation, I encourage you to write to the AJC to express your thoughts about the value of the BeltLine. You can e-mail the editors at letters@ajc.com or fax them at (404) 526-5610. Letters should be no longer than 150 words.
- Cathy Woolard, Atlanta City Council President
Unfortunately, when this program was announced, the BeltLine was left out of the discussion. Its ability to accommodate at least 100,000 new homes within a ¼ mile of a dedicated rail corridor is a compelling argument for how it can both benefit and be benefited by Smart Commute.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution ran an editorial on Wednesday praising the program. To keep the BeltLine fresh in the discussion about linking housing and public transportation, I encourage you to write to the AJC to express your thoughts about the value of the BeltLine. You can e-mail the editors at letters@ajc.com or fax them at (404) 526-5610. Letters should be no longer than 150 words.
- Cathy Woolard, Atlanta City Council President
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
The Atlanta Bicycle Campaign is working to establish a bike lane network linking neighborhoods and major activity centers in Buckhead. To get involved, join the Buckhead BUG (Bicycle User Group). Contact Kevin McCauley kpmccauley@netscape.net or phone 404-531-0006 or Mike McLeod mamcleod@us.ibm.com or phone 404-842-1791 or check out the ABC Web site at www.AtlantaBike.org
Monday, January 26, 2004
U.S. Reps. Johnny Isakson and Denise Majette will kick-off Fannie Mae's Smart Commute Initiative for the Atlanta area today. This represents the first time the benefits of location-efficient mortgages have been available to Atlantans wishing to purchase houses within the pedestrian-shed of transit. This initiative is certain to stimulate more interest in transit-oriented real estate (1/2 mile of a MARTA station) Intown. Benefits of the Initiative include:
> An additional $200 per month for one wage earner, $250 per month for two wage-earners
> Down payment of only three percent of home value, or a down payment as little as $500, depending on borrower’s income eligibility
> Free MARTA transit pass for six months, a $315 value.
> The ability to reduce or eliminate the expense and upkeep of a personal vehicle.
> An additional $200 per month for one wage earner, $250 per month for two wage-earners
> Down payment of only three percent of home value, or a down payment as little as $500, depending on borrower’s income eligibility
> Free MARTA transit pass for six months, a $315 value.
> The ability to reduce or eliminate the expense and upkeep of a personal vehicle.
Saturday, January 24, 2004
The inaugural meeting of the Atlanta Streetcar Inc. board of directors, held last Tuesday, was a great success, with local media giving it extensive coverage. The official website was also launched last week. Visit them at www.atlantastreetcar.org and learn more about this project and how it will help ease traffic and spur smart growth development in Atlanta.
Friday, January 23, 2004
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
MEAN STREETS
"It's strange about the shoes. There are a lot of shoes out here, shoes without people attached. Ghost shoes: a flattened leather boot, a new black patent leather military dress shoe, a faded blue canvas sneaker. And it's always one shoe, half a pair. How do you lose one shoe?
Such are the mysteries of the lonely pedestrian. And I do mean lonely. I'm 24 miles and five days into a 50-mile hike west out of Washington, walking the commuter routes, the fastest roads from downtown to the suburbs. Except for a few people at bus stops here and there, I haven't seen a soul afoot. There's no one walking."
This article by a Washington Post reporter is a profound statement on the loss of something very precious in America: The Human Scale.
Source:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60034-2004Jan6.html
Archive search:
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/advancedsearch.html
Title: "A Walk on the Wild Side"
Author: Mary Battiata
"It's strange about the shoes. There are a lot of shoes out here, shoes without people attached. Ghost shoes: a flattened leather boot, a new black patent leather military dress shoe, a faded blue canvas sneaker. And it's always one shoe, half a pair. How do you lose one shoe?
Such are the mysteries of the lonely pedestrian. And I do mean lonely. I'm 24 miles and five days into a 50-mile hike west out of Washington, walking the commuter routes, the fastest roads from downtown to the suburbs. Except for a few people at bus stops here and there, I haven't seen a soul afoot. There's no one walking."
This article by a Washington Post reporter is a profound statement on the loss of something very precious in America: The Human Scale.
Source:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60034-2004Jan6.html
Archive search:
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/advancedsearch.html
Title: "A Walk on the Wild Side"
Author: Mary Battiata
Monday, January 19, 2004
The inaugural meeting of the Atlanta Streetcar Inc. board of directors is scheduled at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Federal Reserve Bank, 1000 Peachtree St. N.E., in Midtown. Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, former Atlanta Olympics leader Billy Payne, and Georgia Tech President Wayne Clough will be among the guest speakers. For information, call 404-577-8900.
Source: ajc.com, What's up this week
Source: ajc.com, What's up this week
Friday, January 16, 2004
RAIL ADVOCATES MUST SOUND OFF!!
Maria Saporta says the Atlanta-Lovejoy Commuter Rail is a "no-brainer." She does an excellent job of comparing the costs to rapid bus and more road development. Read her outstanding article here.
The AJC also published a portion of my Dec. 29th commentary on the Commuter Rail in the Horizon, Letters to the Editor section. Read it here.
After reading Maria's article and speaking with some GRTA officials last week, it is clear that the last hurdle to this effort is the Governor's office. It is imperative that Governor Perdue hear from rail advocates. Click here for a direct link to the Governor's Inbox.
Maria Saporta says the Atlanta-Lovejoy Commuter Rail is a "no-brainer." She does an excellent job of comparing the costs to rapid bus and more road development. Read her outstanding article here.
The AJC also published a portion of my Dec. 29th commentary on the Commuter Rail in the Horizon, Letters to the Editor section. Read it here.
After reading Maria's article and speaking with some GRTA officials last week, it is clear that the last hurdle to this effort is the Governor's office. It is imperative that Governor Perdue hear from rail advocates. Click here for a direct link to the Governor's Inbox.
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
A miniature and novel beltline of sorts is being proposed for Tuscumbia, Alabama. The concept involves a steam engine replica pulling three cars and making a loop through the downtown area, evoking the city's past while providing mobility and a tourism draw. Read more...
Source: TimesDaily.com
Source: TimesDaily.com
Friday, January 09, 2004
ARC proposes flex-trolley line connecting Cumberland-Galleria to Doraville MARTA Station
The proposed transit line is projected to attract 67,200 riders daily, including 39,962 new transit riders. Read more...
Source: ajc.com
The proposed transit line is projected to attract 67,200 riders daily, including 39,962 new transit riders. Read more...
Source: ajc.com
Thursday, January 08, 2004
CHARLOTTE TROLLEYS TRANSITION FROM TOURIST TRAFFIC TO INTOWN COMMUTER TRAVELERS
Many South End residents and trolley riders are asking for earlier hours, CATS deputy director Keith Parker said Wednesday.
Hundreds of new condos and apartments have opened along the trolley line since the late 1990s, and many residents say they moved there so they could ride the trolley or future light-rail trains into uptown.
Starting Oct. 18, the trolley hours will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. One-way fare is $1.
Read more...
Many South End residents and trolley riders are asking for earlier hours, CATS deputy director Keith Parker said Wednesday.
Hundreds of new condos and apartments have opened along the trolley line since the late 1990s, and many residents say they moved there so they could ride the trolley or future light-rail trains into uptown.
Starting Oct. 18, the trolley hours will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. One-way fare is $1.
Read more...
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Tracking the future
Want to get a vision of the transit metropolis that Atlanta can become? Check out this outstanding map by rail enthusiast Jason King. Although Jason calls it a "fantasy map", it's based on either current plans or past studies. I've posted the commentary he sent me on the map below. Keep in mind that his map does not include commuter rail or street cars...
Blue Line: This is the current North-South line extended to Windward Parkway. There would be five new stations on the northern end of this line.
Red Line: This is the current Northeast-South line extended into Gwinnett county. There are three new stations: International, Pleasentdale, and Presidential.
Other new stations on the red and blue lines:
Jackson Terminal - The new international terminal at the airport will have its own station.
Firefly & Whitehall - Both of these station are in old industrial areas ripe for redevelopment. The proximity to downtown, interstates and the main transit line would almost guarantee success. Current plans for the green line show it intersecting the red/blue lines at West End station but in reality West End is a good distance from the green line right of way. Building a new station as part of a larger mixed use development would be the reason for the Firefly station.
Yellow Line: This line would be an extension of the current Proctor Creek and East/West lines. Six new stations would be built deep into currently underserved southern DeKalb county.
Purple Line: This line would also travel along the current East/West line. At the west end would be one new station, Fulton Industrial. The east end of the line would terminate that the Avondale station. Avondale is alread slated to be transformed in a mixed use TOD. This, along with a connection to the gray line would make this station relatively busy.
Black Line: Not currently on any long range plan or study, the black line would have four new mini-stations in the rapidly densifing Midtown and Downtown areas. The new underground station platforms would be small, servicing trains with only two or three cars. The purpose of the black line would be to reduce the time between trains, making use of trains more appealing to intown residents who would like to live car free. MARTA was designed for 90 second headways. Currently the time between trains is as short at four minutes on the main line during rush hour and as long as twenty minutes on the northern sections during non-peak hours.
Green Line (light rail): This light rail line is most likely the first line to be built. It enjoys strong support from the neighborhoods along the path of the rail lines and is being championed by the president of the city council. This line would likely be built with private funds by developers along the route who see it as a way to open old industrial properties into high density mixed use.
Orange Line (light rail): When MARTA was originally conceived, a northwest line to Marietta was part of the plan. The residents of Cobb county opted to go with more roads instead of transit. Times have changed and Cobb is more open to a rail line. Besides the green line, this line has the second greatest chance of being built. The new 17th Street Bridge over the downtown connector includes a lane for the orange line.
White Line (light rail): One of the problems with the current rail system in Atlanta is that many residents of the northern suburbs have jobs that are located in another part of the gridlocked sprawl from where they live. The white line would help move riders across the northern part of the metro, connecting the various employment centers together.
Brown Line (light rail): The brown line would help connect south and west DeKalb county residents to the rest of the transit network. It would also service Turner Field.
Gray Line (light rail): There has been strong opposition to rail lines by neighborhoods along the gray line. For this reason, I've left the stations off this line since the route would have to be carefully designed to prevent opposition. Emory and the CDC have been very supportive of rail proposals and would certainly have at least one station on this line.
----------------------
The name GReAT came from my belief that the name MARTA has been tainted and will never be accepted outside of Fulton/DeKalb. I also left Atlanta out of the name for pretty much the same reason. I think people in other counties would be more accepting of a state run system. While MARTA does have its problems, I think it doesn't deserve anything approaching its current poor reputation.
Of course, it would be even better if development was built in such a way as to allow people to walk more places and not need their car or transit for most trips. Since you walk to work also, you know what a joy it is to avoid commuting.
Sometime in the near future, I'm going to try to flesh out the gray line some more. It is the one line that I haven't been able to find documents showing where stations would go (other than Emory/CDC). If you have any opinions on this one, feel free to share them.
Want to get a vision of the transit metropolis that Atlanta can become? Check out this outstanding map by rail enthusiast Jason King. Although Jason calls it a "fantasy map", it's based on either current plans or past studies. I've posted the commentary he sent me on the map below. Keep in mind that his map does not include commuter rail or street cars...
Blue Line: This is the current North-South line extended to Windward Parkway. There would be five new stations on the northern end of this line.
Red Line: This is the current Northeast-South line extended into Gwinnett county. There are three new stations: International, Pleasentdale, and Presidential.
Other new stations on the red and blue lines:
Jackson Terminal - The new international terminal at the airport will have its own station.
Firefly & Whitehall - Both of these station are in old industrial areas ripe for redevelopment. The proximity to downtown, interstates and the main transit line would almost guarantee success. Current plans for the green line show it intersecting the red/blue lines at West End station but in reality West End is a good distance from the green line right of way. Building a new station as part of a larger mixed use development would be the reason for the Firefly station.
Yellow Line: This line would be an extension of the current Proctor Creek and East/West lines. Six new stations would be built deep into currently underserved southern DeKalb county.
Purple Line: This line would also travel along the current East/West line. At the west end would be one new station, Fulton Industrial. The east end of the line would terminate that the Avondale station. Avondale is alread slated to be transformed in a mixed use TOD. This, along with a connection to the gray line would make this station relatively busy.
Black Line: Not currently on any long range plan or study, the black line would have four new mini-stations in the rapidly densifing Midtown and Downtown areas. The new underground station platforms would be small, servicing trains with only two or three cars. The purpose of the black line would be to reduce the time between trains, making use of trains more appealing to intown residents who would like to live car free. MARTA was designed for 90 second headways. Currently the time between trains is as short at four minutes on the main line during rush hour and as long as twenty minutes on the northern sections during non-peak hours.
Green Line (light rail): This light rail line is most likely the first line to be built. It enjoys strong support from the neighborhoods along the path of the rail lines and is being championed by the president of the city council. This line would likely be built with private funds by developers along the route who see it as a way to open old industrial properties into high density mixed use.
Orange Line (light rail): When MARTA was originally conceived, a northwest line to Marietta was part of the plan. The residents of Cobb county opted to go with more roads instead of transit. Times have changed and Cobb is more open to a rail line. Besides the green line, this line has the second greatest chance of being built. The new 17th Street Bridge over the downtown connector includes a lane for the orange line.
White Line (light rail): One of the problems with the current rail system in Atlanta is that many residents of the northern suburbs have jobs that are located in another part of the gridlocked sprawl from where they live. The white line would help move riders across the northern part of the metro, connecting the various employment centers together.
Brown Line (light rail): The brown line would help connect south and west DeKalb county residents to the rest of the transit network. It would also service Turner Field.
Gray Line (light rail): There has been strong opposition to rail lines by neighborhoods along the gray line. For this reason, I've left the stations off this line since the route would have to be carefully designed to prevent opposition. Emory and the CDC have been very supportive of rail proposals and would certainly have at least one station on this line.
----------------------
The name GReAT came from my belief that the name MARTA has been tainted and will never be accepted outside of Fulton/DeKalb. I also left Atlanta out of the name for pretty much the same reason. I think people in other counties would be more accepting of a state run system. While MARTA does have its problems, I think it doesn't deserve anything approaching its current poor reputation.
Of course, it would be even better if development was built in such a way as to allow people to walk more places and not need their car or transit for most trips. Since you walk to work also, you know what a joy it is to avoid commuting.
Sometime in the near future, I'm going to try to flesh out the gray line some more. It is the one line that I haven't been able to find documents showing where stations would go (other than Emory/CDC). If you have any opinions on this one, feel free to share them.
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