LOVEJOY RAIL PROJECT PRESENTS HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR PROGRESSIVE PLANNING

The debate that rages over the Atlanta-Lovejoy commuter rail tends to camp on ridership. It's not just about that. As crucial to the discussion is counteracting the typical sprawl pattern of growth that Atlanta is famous for. To understand the ridership issue, you must foresee the hidden opportunities for sprawl control a commuter rail station presents in Lovejoy. With clear logic, we see the ridership and sprawl issues addressed simultaneously.

If you've been to Lovejoy, you know it's one of the most sparsely populated areas (for now) on the Southside.

Therein lies the beauty of it.

Lovejoy is wide open for a world-class transit village to be constructed around the train station. Build a mixed-use village with residential, retail, and business at appropriate densities with sufficient connectivity to the station, and they will come and these urban pioneers will ride.

Before the density-haters cry "foul", consider that through Transect Planning, the density around the train station would become progressively less dense as you move outward from the transit zone, perserving more true rural character than would be the case with the current zoning model. Add in Transfer of Development Rights, where land owners can be paid to not develop their land by "sending" the rights inside the transit zone, and you've got a recipe for Super Smart Growth on the Southside.

We cannot afford to be in denial about the coming population explosion and must plan for it accordingly, bringing to bear the best in planning practices.

We must learn from the mistakes of the rampant growth of the Northside. Citizens and government who think the Southside can accomodate the growth by simply building more roads should wake up and smell the coming cloud of car exhaust.

Transit-oriented development, if allowed to be properly built around the commuter rail station, will put the ridership question to rest and provide a much-needed relief valve to the coming congestion.

- Burke Sisco