MARTA Chief Counsel Elizabeth O’Neill will temporarily l take over leadership of the agency as it searches for a new permanent leader to replace outgoing General Manager and CEO Keith Parker.
Tag: Transit
Posted inLatest News
Ga. Tech to crunch data from high-tech traffic system to improve flow of commuters
The demonstration project hasn’t even opened, and Atlanta already is expanding its deal with the Georgia Tech Research Alliance to crunch data in an effort to move commuters – whether by foot, bike or vehicle – more quickly and safely through the busy North Avenue corridor.
Posted inColumns
The future of mobility being planned for SW Atlanta’s Campbellton Road
Atlanta’s first transportation corridor of the future is to be established in Southwest Atlanta along Campbellton Road by the city and MARTA. Naturally, a computer and the internet of things are at the heart of the effort.
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MARTA saves millions by paying off a debt incurred partly to fund bus rapid transit
MARTA expects to save a total of $41.6 million in future interest costs by refinancing $250 million in bonds that were sold in 2009. Part of the money was to have helped pay for a long-envisioned bus that would travel in a dedicated lane
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State Senate leader reboots transit hub talk
After years of fizzled discussions, the chair of the state Senate Transportation Committee said that he thinks conditions are getting ripe for metro Atlanta to get its own “Union Station.”
Posted inColumns
Moreland Avenue’s remake will promote alternative transit in a growing community
By Guest Columnist CARL HOLT, an avid promoter of bicycling who volunteered as project manager for the installation of Atlanta’s first bike corral, in the Kirkwood neighborhood
The Georgia Department of Transportation, along with City of Atlanta and Little Five Points Community Improvement District, has been working to transform a half-mile section of Moreland Avenue (U.S. 23/Ga. 42) from a traditional urban highway to a Complete Street. A Complete Street usually involves a road diet, to provide a safer corridor for all modes of transportation. What is unique about this corridor is that Moreland Avenue is a six-lane roadway passing through one of Atlanta’s more pedestrian active business districts, Little Five Points.
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I-85 collapse prompted greater use of telecommuting, transit: CBRE report
A new report from the real estate firm CBRE on lessons learned from the collapse of Interstate 85 in Atlanta shows that telecommuting played a greater role than MARTA in helping employees continue their work while avoiding traffic congestion.
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Georgia House leader signals openness to state funding for transit
A group of state legislators plus county and transit bosses convened in Atlanta on Thursday to start work on recommendations for the state’s transit systems. They heard a hint that state leaders may look favorably on Georgia contributions toward transit.
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ATL Streetcar transfer to MARTA to take about a year: Public Works commissioner
The transfer of the ownership and management of the Atlanta Streetcar from the city to MARTA will take about a year to finalize and will be retroactive to July 1, Atlanta’s Public Works commissioner said Wednesday.
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MARTA aims for better transit experience through art
When Jenn Cornell cranked up her cello at the top of the Northbound train escalator at MARTA’s Five Points Station Monday afternoon, maybe a dozen or so passengers gathered round to watch or listen or take videos. Atlanta transit riders can expect more moments worth stopping for – be it music, dance, painting or other art – as the transit system kicks off a reinvigorated arts program.
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A section of Spring Street to be retooled with bike lane, trees, better sidewalks
Atlanta and Midtown Alliance are collaborating on an effort to make the northern stretch of Spring Street more inviting for pedestrians and bicyclists. The city issued a request for engineering proposals Monday and Midtown Alliance released it Tuesday.
Posted inColumns
Yes, you can bike in Atlanta
By Guest Columnist KEVIN H. POSEY, an advocate for sustainable transportation and urban development practices worldwide
Atlanta is notorious for being a car-dependent city. Whether it’s minor snowstorms that create scenes akin to a bad disaster movie or burning bridges made of steel and concrete – materials not known for their combustibility – Atlanta’s car addiction is now in the same league as that of legendary Los Angeles. But in a revolutionary change of direction, the bike is being elevated as a legitimate way to get around for those of us who wouldn’t be caught dead in Lycra.
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Mark Pendergrast asks: Is Atlanta on the verge of greatness or mediocrity
In the eyes of Mark Pendergast, Atlanta is a “City on the Verge.”
Pendergast, an Atlanta native and author, has just penned an elaborate and exhaustive tale about the Atlanta BeltLine in his most recent book – “City on the Verge.”
Throughout the book, Pendergast sandwiches in slices of Atlanta’s history – providing a non-judgmental view of the city’s racial tensions and successes as well as its obsession with transportation and its own identity – nationally and internationally.
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GRTA riders can get discount Uber fares on trips that begin, end at a GRTA parking lot
GRTA passengers are eligible for a 50 percent discount on a shared Uber ride for trips that begin or end at an Xpress Park-and-Ride lot during weekday commute hours. The promotion runs through May 31, GRTA announced today.
Posted inColumns
Atlanta’s multiuse trails create linear parks and alternative travel options in light of I-85 breach
Transportation options.
Never have those two words held as much meaning for Atlanta as they do now. The Friday collapse of a section of Interstate 85 – has severed a key transportation artery for the region.
Immediately, and with good reason, there were pleas for us to get serious about regional rail transit – once and for all. A silver lining of this manmade disaster is the probability that transit will gain momentum during this transportation debacle.
Posted inColumns
Time has arrived for politicians to step up and fund transit, mobility
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.
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Report: ATL Streetcar fares cover 4.5 percent of cost, safety issues resolved, free of MARTA
The Atlanta Streetcar has improved its safety and operations and is on track to sever its relation with MARTA and function solely as an entity of the city, even as passenger fares cover just 4.5 percent of expenses, according to Atlanta’s public works commissioner.
Posted inColumns
Learning from our past for a brighter transit tomorrow
By Guest Columnist NATHANIEL SMITH, founder and chief equity officer (CEqO), Partnership for Southern Equity
More than 100 people attended an event at Georgia Tech recently to mark the release of a report, “Opportunity Deferred: Race, Transportation and the Future of Metropolitan Atlanta,” that was commissioned by the Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE).
Posted inColumns
Transit making headway in Georgia and Fulton – with trip to Dallas
Transit in the Atlanta region is gaining traction.
As evidence, an incredible trip took place last Thursday and Friday with the state’s top transportation leaders and officials from Fulton County going to the Dallas region to take a focused look at possible transit options.
That took place two days after Georgia House Speaker David Ralston’s strong support for transit during his comments at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs & Issues Breakfast on Jan. 10 – suggesting the state could be more supportive of transit.
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Better late then never: ‘A path forward’ for Ga. transit funding
No more flying pigs?
Georgia’s Legislature has suffered a failure to launch on the issue of public transportation for years, but that may finally be changing. A legislative study committee report released last month recommends that the state provide operating funds to local transit agencies all across Georgia – including MARTA.
Yes, it’s only a study committee and waaay to early to start celebrating. But this promising and long overdue development has implications that are too important for even the most cynical among us (me) to dismiss. While flying pigs exist only in fantasy, a serious discussion about dedicated transit funding in Georgia is already taking flight.
