The Art of Sprawl

The next time you fly into Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, look down on the suburban landscape. The rows after rows of homogenized housing clear cut out of the landscape are mesmerizing. I have often wished I had a camera handy so I could take a picture. Well, artist Christoph Gielen has done just that.
He took his camera 6,000 to 10,000 feet above the suburban landscape to capture images of how suburbanites live. Gielen wants his images to not only intrigue, but to make people think about where and how they live.

Check it out in "America's suburban sprawl elevated to ariel art" by Mathew Knight of CNN.

Atlanta Streetcar wins funding

The effort launched by Lanier Parking Solutions to return the electric streetcar to Atlanta is a go. U.S. Congressman John Lewis announced this week that the U.S. DOT has agreed to grant the City of Atlanta $47 million to help build a streetcar line connecting the convention district, downtown hotels, and major tourist spots. It’s the culmination of seven years of work that began with Lanier’s founding of Atlanta Streetcar, Inc. in 2003.

This is the first step toward Lanier's vision of a complete streetcar system linking downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead. The streetcar will spur economic growth and development just as it has for years in leading cities around the world.

In October 2004, a feasibility study funded by Atlanta Streetcar, Inc. found streetcars would encourage the use of mass transit by "completing the trip," linking areas not served by MARTA rail. Atlanta Streetcar Inc., in coordination with Mayor Shirley Franklin, made the streetcar the centerpiece of the Peachtree Corridor Task Force, which moved the streetcar from concept to design. That evolved into the Peachtree Corridor Partnership, which sought funding for the project.

I want to hail all of those responsible for bringing the streetcar back to Atlanta after a 61 year hiatus. The resurgence has just begun!

Week 3 of my life without a car (and with less MARTA)

I am entering the third week of my low car diet and feeling pretty good about it, even with the dramatic service changes that MARTA (Atlanta's public transit system) made last week. If you have not heard, due to financial constraints on September 25 MARTA discontinued nearly 40% of its bus service, reduced frequencies for the rail service and shut down ride stores, bathrooms, and other amenities. The bus I sometimes used (it came once every hour) from Grant Park to the King Memorial Station was eliminated. Now, no matter what, I have to walk the 3/4 miles to and from the MARTA station each day. I am not sure if I have lost any weight, but I definitely feel better.

Actually, I have settled into a nice routine regarding my commute each day. I walk to the King Memorial station on the East/West line and ride the train two stops to Five Points before transfering to the North/South line for a single stop. It takes about 25 minutes from start to finish. Although it would only take me 5-10 minutes to drive, I figure my commute is still less than the average Atlantan who commutes 30+ minutes each way.

During the day, I use MARTA as often as possible, and when MARTA does not work for me, I have Zipcar. I know this is a Zipcar promotion, and Lanier is a Zipcar partner, but I can not say enough good things about their service. They totally rock! Once you have actually reserved a car and used it a couple times, it is amazingly convenient. The only complaint I have is that there are not enough cars. The last time I reserved a Zipcar, I had to get on MARTA and ride to the nearest available vehicle. I have spoken to Sonny DelGrosso the Zipcar Markeitng Manager, and he assured me more cars are on the way.
Only 13 more days in my diet, and I have to say I am not craving my car. Of course, I have not committed to getting rid of it yet. But that isn't really the point of Zipcar. It's about leaving your car at home more often. Or if you and your significant other have two cars, maybe you can get rid of one.
I will keep you posted as the wrap up date nears.

Week 1 of my life without a car

The first week of my Zipcar® Low Car Diet has come to an end, and so far, it has been quite a rewarding challenge. I have logged numerous miles via transit (bus and rail), pedestrian and carpool. MARTA has been the true champion as its Route 16 has twice come in handy: when I needed to get home from Emory University, and when I went from home to the Carter Center.
My feet have also carried me a long way. I have walked to bus stops, MARTA stations, home and even dinner. I must have logged more than 10 miles on foot alone.

Finally, I have to give props to all my colleagues and friends who have given me rides to meetings and appointments around town. I do my best to minimize these requests and certainly make every effort not to inconvenience anyone. One surprise of the week is that I have not needed a Zipcar. I guess I will continue to bank the credits for another week.

More about the Low Car Diet promotion in this AJC story.

Follow the progress of all Low Car Diet participants.

Giving up the auto fix

Well, today is the first day of my new diet, the "Low Car Diet," sponsored by Zipcar, the carsharing service. I pledged to give up my vehicle for 30 days and find other ways to meet my transportation needs.

I have been a Zipcar member (formerly Flexcar) since Lanier brought it to Atlanta four years ago. Until now, however, my personal car has been my primary mode of transportation, especially during the week. It seems when you have a car, you drive it, even if other options are available. It is like having a big piece of chocolate cake placed in front of you after every meal. You just eat it.

Well, no more. Starting today, I am giving up the automobile fix. At least for a month. I will keep you posted on how I do.

The Most Dangerous Pedestrian Cities in the World

What are the most dangerous cities in the world to walk in?

GOOD Magazine has come out with an excellent info graphic illustrating the world cities with the most pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 residents. Three American cities made the list: Detroit, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Detroit and Atlanta had 10 per 100,000, and Los Angeles had 7.

The study source is the New York City Pedestrian Safety and Action Plan dated August 2010.

You think you have it bad

When I was a kid and I did not finish my vegetables, my parents would always remind me of the poor children starving in other parts of the world. Well now, parents who have children who complain about how long it takes to drive somewhere can say, "You are lucky you are not a child stranded in the 60+ mile traffic jam in China."
It appears China's new love affair with the auto combined with truck traffic has resulted in a 10-day traffic jam that may span into September. The WSJ reports that businesses popped up along the route to take advantage of the captive audience, and law enforcement was out in force to quell the unrest.
We in the United States have never experienced such a thing, and I hope we never will, but we certainly have felt the negative impact of our own love affair with the car, and it has resulted in new thinking around the way we develop and move around. For example, we have embraced mixed use developments that support alternative forms of transportation. The Chinese have their own ideas, and you can read about them here.