Atlanta residents are to be allowed to voice their thoughts about how the city’s newly created Department of Transportation goes about its business – including transit planning. Late 2020 is the target date for the new department to be fully functional, according to legislation approved Monday by the Atlanta City Council.
Commuter response to the recently opened toll lanes along the Northwest Corridor is above expectations as drivers use the toll lanes that run adjacent to the highway system in Cobb and Cherokee counties, according to a report by Moody’s Investors Service.
By Guest Columnist ERIC GANTHER, a mobility planner in metro Atlanta
Congestion pricing manages traffic with money instead of time. Without congestion pricing, we pay by sitting in traffic. With it, we pay a small fee and get a shorter trip. The HOT lanes on I-75 in Cobb and Clayton counties and on I-85 in Gwinnett County are examples of how this works, except with congestion pricing there are no “free” lanes.
The idea is to make a one-stop-shop, and better coordination, for all things road-related.
“Thirty million dollars to $60 million dollars can remove a whole lot of barriers for a whole lot of people in our state,” said state Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville.
On Jan. 11, MARTA CEO Jeff Parker stood before the audience of the 6th annual State of MARTA address announcing that within the next few decades the metro Atlanta area would need to invest $100 billion in new transit & developments to meet future needs by 2045.
I remember growing up in the 1990’s daydreaming during community meetings while my mom and countless advocated for better MARTA bus service in our section of Decatur. As a kid, the walks seemed endless – miles between our apartment complex and South DeKalb Mall – our connection point for buses and the occasional expensive cab ride.
By Guest Columnist PAUL MCLENNAN, a retired member of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 732, co-host of WRFG’s Labor Forum and human rights activist
With the closing of a major interstate in the heart of the city, Atlanta is facing a major transportation crisis. Traffic came to a standstill. Some parked their cars on side streets and chose to walk miles to get home. Schools have been closed. Workers must spend longer hours in their commute. Businesses and productivity will take a huge hit.
A 17-mile trail system taking shape in Sandy Springs to connect parks, neighborhoods, destinationsJune 24, 2019 - 12:25 pm
Georgia's endangered marine mammal to get relief from planned halt of offshore oil explorationJune 23, 2019 - 1:03 pm
Dead dolphins off Tampa join dolphin deaths, huge dead zone in northern Gulf of MexicoJune 21, 2019 - 11:28 pm
