ThreadATL

Big thanks to journalist Sean Keenan for talking with us about affordable housing developments in Atlanta! Sean has done great work covering this topic (and more) at Atlanta Civic Circle -- check out our new podcast episode. https://lnkd.in/g3wcuxJT

Join us on Wednesday, March 12 from 6pm-8pm! Buckhead Pizza Co 3324 Peachtree Rd NE (Buckhead Station, Bus 5, Bus 110) We're having a meetup to talk with each other about transit in Atlanta! You can scan the code in this graphic to register, or go to https://lnkd.in/e3f3udAb

The AJC reports that thousands of CDC staff who now telework are being ordered back to the office full-time at Emory. Office space is scarce for them. Also: high-capacity transit hasn't been expanded to the campus as was hoped. https://lnkd.in/eGmCgKie Which begs the question... what's the status of MARTA's Clifton Corridor project? Let's review. 2012: MARTA sets light rail as the preferred alternative for Clifton transit expansion, serving Emory & more. 2016: More MARTA tax passes w/ Clifton rail listed as a potential project 2017 - 2022: MARTA rethinks rail, floating Bus Rapid Transit as a more affordable option. 2023: MARTA sets BRT as the new preferred alternative for Clifton transit. 2025: thousands of CDC staff ordered back to office at Emory; Clifton Corridor website hasn't been updated since 2023. MARTA says project is in technical planning phase. MARTA's bus from Lindbergh to the CDC at Emory (the 6) runs every 20 minutes on weekdays at peak commute times for a 24 minute trip. That's not bad by MARTA bus standards, but it's also not the rapid transit many need. MARTA maybe at least update that website? https://lnkd.in/dcCzrjU5 EDIT: At a January City Council committee meeting, MARTA representative Carrie Rocha (Chief Capital Officer) implied that the Clifton project was on hold while they studied the potential for using Armour Yards as an endpoint. See...that would be some good info for MARTA to put on that Clifton Corridor web site.

Georgia Tech's student news site Technique reports on the new MARTA rail cars coming this year, which were recently previewed at an event. Deets: > The new rail cars will roll out incrementally over the next four years, replacing the current fleet. Some of the new cars will appear in service "later this year." > The 56 new CQ400 series trains have an open gangway design, which allows uninterrupted movement between train cars. > Rail cars feature USB charging ports and digital displays that present real-time transit information, including upcoming stops, service alerts and route connections. > Each rail car will be equipped with noise monitors and surveillance cameras. https://lnkd.in/eg-fVRY2

The City of Atlanta has partnered with a consultant to study issues with the city's nightlife and the report is now online. Unsurprisingly, it's filled with complaints about transportation. One of the biggest issues people raised in the study is the difficulty of getting to and from nightlife businesses. One smart comment in the report: "Public transportation needs to improve. Parking is going to keep disappearing." Exactly. While the study's recommendation of discounted parking options for employees of nightlife business is likely doable, it's not realistic to expect that free or cheap parking will significantly expand for customers in the city's hot entertainment districts. If there's anything we've learned from the great urban planner Donald Shoup who passed away last week, it's that parking has a high cost that can't be ignored -- especially in growing cities. Over time we need to build the city (and the larger metro area) in a format that better supports options like transit, walking, and biking. Which, at least in part, means employing the dreaded "d" word: density. Because when we build most of our places at a lower-density scale for cars, we get car traffic, along with scarce alternatives. But while that change happens, we also need to do everything we can to provide better options for getting around without cars late at night. That could include expanding service hours for transit, and turning some car lanes into safe lanes for bikes/e-scooters. Obviously, these improvements could help many people beyond just nightlife employees and customers. https://lnkd.in/eE8w3S8q

Thanks to Syd Haltom for sharing this ad for transit from 1947! "The easiest way of getting about Atlanta is to ride the trolleys and buses" ❤️ Which is a good reminder: what's up with the streetcar extension to the Beltline? Several weeks ago, Saporta Report quoted Mayor Dickens as saying that the city is currently analyzing various transit options for the Beltline & costs (haven't we already done that?) and that a report will be finished some time this year. Which probably explains why there appears to have been no mention of Beltline rail or the streetcar extension at the State of MARTA event today. You can read about the projects MARTA is currently excited about here: https://lnkd.in/eH3mpsgA And while there are some good things on MARTA's list, to be sure, you won't find any mention of expanding rail. That's a shame. We approved it in 2016 with the More MARTA referendum for a sales tax. We need to get to a place again where Atlantans can brag about transit being the best way to get about the city. Not simply in a nostalgic way that repeats the past -- but in a way that merges a new, walkable growth plus new transit lines for a better future.

Surveys such as this are valuable but often don't reach the needed respondents. So it falls on all of us to use our human connections to assist people to fill the survey out and help have their voices heard. Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) wants to know about the transportation needs of: Older adults People w disabilities People w limited English proficiency People w low incomes Zero-car households Veterans Please share this survey with them! https://lnkd.in/e84AXDHg

This is concerning...hopefully the City of Atlanta can address these issues and make great things happen for our street designs. In May of 2022, Atlanta voters approved an infrastructure spending package (Moving Atlanta Forward) featuring about $300 million for sidewalks, trails, safe streets, and protected bike lanes. But a recent audit has found that bureaucratic requirements, poor planning, and a lack of management staff are slowing progress on the projects. https://lnkd.in/gpBwbw3W

The Federal Rail Administration has completed a years-long study of preferred Amtrak expansion routes, and the results contain *three new lines* that connect with Atlanta: Chicago to Miami Dallas to Atlanta NYC to Houston This is only a preliminary step. Further analysis is needed before any of the new routes make it to funding and development stages. But it's exciting to see a proposal that increases Atlanta's rail service this much. Full report: https://lnkd.in/gri4tVXP

Send comments to GDOT by February 25th to support a new 2-way bike track on 14th Street! Read about the project & comment (find the "Take the survey" link): https://lnkd.in/e9vU_zvm The proposal is for a bike track, plus pedestrian safety improvements, on 14th Street from Northside Drive on the west end to West Peachtree Street on the east end. This would be a great benefit to the goal of a safe biking network in the city. From the GDOT document, here are the Benefits of Project Implementation: Roadway reconfiguration would increase safety by reducing speeds and implementing Federal Highway Authority (FHWA) validated countermeasures to reduce fatal and severe crashes along the corridor, particularly for vulnerable road users. Crashes would reduce by up to 47%, and the separated cycle track would reduce crashes by up to 49% (FHWA) as a result of roadway reconfiguration. Implementation of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at crossings enhances vulnerable road user safety by increasing pedestrian conspicuity and increasing driver awareness and yielding at uncontrolled marked crosswalks. The left turn lanes would reduce left turn crashes, make it easier for drivers to turn left, and could improve traffic flow by reducing weaving. Bicyclists would have a safe, comfortable cycle track to travel between West Midtown, Home Park, and Midtown.