Post Hurricane Katrina cycling.
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Do we really need any changes in ATL Transportation?Ok, how foolish of me. Instead of stating what changes I can imagine, I should just ask everyone else. Is Atlanta's implementation of alternate transportation alright with everyone? Does anyone want to see the way Atlanta governs automobile traffic change? |
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I'd like to see an
I'd like to see an improvement in how the city governs the existence of automobiles (total number of cars on the street). But for the most part, I'm ok with how the current cars are acting (speed limits, etc.)
I'd like to see a tax on
I'd like to see a tax on parking.
You have a parking lot in the city... then each space is gonna cost you X hundreds of dollars per spot a month to keep it. Unless you do creative stuff like build a deck, then you get a discount. No one, however, gets a free lunch.
Should building a deck
Should building a deck deserve a discount? Its similar to having lower water prices per gallon the more you take from the river. I would think having a deck would encouraging the problem (of more cars).
Better use of land -> higher
Better use of land -> higher density of people -> transit, biking, and walking friendly
If the choice is a surface lot or a deck, I'd choose deck. (Obviously removing mandatory minimum parking requirements would also be good...)
In my mind more cars is
In my mind more cars is beneficial to progressive transit... mostly because it breeds grid lock. People will seek out alternatives when faced with the choice of "sit in my car for four hours" and "sit in my car for four hours".
Normally the solution to grid lock is to add more lanes, but the city doesn't have enough land to do that.
Parking needs to be NYC expensive. Where $40 dollars a day is one hell of a deal.
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People will seek alternatives
Seth, I just can't buy this. Look at the DC area: absolutely crippling traffic even with a good metro system. NY, LA, SF, Chicago, Boston all have miserable traffic and alternative (maybe not LA?), and I don't see anything changing anytime soon.
Paul, have you visited NYC,
Paul, have you visited NYC, Chicago and Boston? I would rank all of their mass transit systems over DC, (which isn't bad.) But those other places have wider coverage, more frequent bus/train runs, better signage, extended hours and they run pretty reasonably on time. Why do you think DC is better? What are your criteria?
And FYI, the main reason DC has problems with traffic is that the infrastructure, both road and rail, has never even tried to keep pace with the population. I used to commute to work on metro rail (and bus) every day. I can assure you that it was not underused. The trains are standing room only during peak hours. They don't allow bicycles on metro during peak hours because it's so crowded. So plenty of people in DC do seek alternatives. They're just working at capacity too because nobody's ever built anything in anticipation of the Baltimore/Washington population boom. Considering how sparse metrorail's coverage is compared to places like Chicago or NYC, I find that very impressive.
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I have been to all those cities and I know the way you describe them is accurate. But that's my point. They're are alternatives there and the traffic persists.
Whoops.
Misunderstood you. Thought you meant that people didn't use the alternatives because they were inadequate.
No, I'm not saying that the
No, I'm not saying that the choice of alternatives will alleviate the traffic... I'm saying the traffic will bring about the alternatives. The traffic never disappears.
In regards to LA, the traffic you speak of is expressway traffic. LA, unlike Atlanta, has tons and tons of room to expand (well they did... that's why they have 12+ lane highways).
?
What natural boundaries does Atlanta has (aside from federally witheld funds due to poor air quality?)
Re: Expanding roads inside the city limits.
High rises and houses.
Don't say 'eminent domain' either. Freedom Park shoots down that argument.
..unless there are tunnels
..unless there are tunnels and bridges.
$$$
$$$
Of course so are 'alternatives'. Some cost analyst will sit down and do the numbers and axe the one that cost more though.
If you are referring to highways, those are the State's responsibility and not the city's. I'm talking about surface streets inside city limits.
Know your boundaries.
Change MARTA's budgeting balance,
provide government (state) subsidies at a reasonable level, and lower the fare. No subsides for any parking, public or private. Smog tax added to gasoline sales. Things that make driving a single occupant car in the city expensive and PIA, and make alternative, less polluting transit modes cheaper and easier.
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Also, repeal state-level gasoline price subsidies.
Other things I'd like MARTA to do with state funding: Have extended hours (rather than reduced) on the weekends, extend/add heavy rail lines, make sure every bus stop is marked with maps, schedules and bus numbers.
City is accepting input on a new Transportation Plan right now
Cross-posted on SBL Advocacy Forum:
Atlanta's Bureau of Planning is seeking public input on its transportation plan . The reason I say the City is listening to cyclists is they are giving fair consideration to cycling as a viable alternative to cars. You've got two ways to express your (cycling-favorable) opinion and help tip the balance in favor of cycling vs. cars:
First (and easiest) is an online survey. Within a few minutes of clicking the link above, you can tell planners you use your bike, prefer walkable communities, and support building infrastructure that helps people leave their cars in the driveway.
Second, public workshops are being held according to your Atlanta neighborhood. I'm in NPU-F (Virginia-Highland) and will be attending one the workshops scheduled for March 24-27 at City Hall East. I'd love to have company if anyone is interested in tagging along.
Government works best when its informed citizens participate in the governing process. If you can't attend the meeting, please share your opinion in the online survey. We talk about getting the number of cyclists up so we can have a bigger impact. This is where that impact strikes.
I like Shanghai, cars and
I like Shanghai, cars and bikes get equal amounts of the road on most major roads.
SO many comments!
This is a great feed, just a few comments. Alternative transportation is difficult to integrate into the urban fabric. Transportation is an integral part of the community/region. Adding new lanes to the highway actually contributes to the phenomenon know as induced traffic. There is a simple supply/demand curve when examining the amount of travel. Adding new lanes allows for cheaper travel, therefore more travel. I think Atlanta struggles because it is a regional urban center. Neighboring counties exhibit this Anti-Atlantaism attitude towards the city. Regional commissions are needed to assess and implement large transportation networks. Similarly, land use has to accompany transportation. Higher density development allows for greater walkability, bikeability and alternative transit. The difficult thing is, developers are nearly convinced that high density units do not sell. The issues are complicated - there is no simple answer. The most effective changes will occur at the local level. Staying involved though and contacting our local governments is important.