Atlanta's Mayoral Forum on Transportation

Last night was the Mayoral Forum on Transportation, led by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and co-hosted by a number of transportation and environmental organizations such as Sierra Club, PEDs, Advance Atlanta, or MARTA Army.

I took some tabulated notes and impressions of all the candidates for Atlanta Mayor. Most of them gave solid answers to questions by moderator journalist Rose Scott.

The questions were as follows:

1. Introductions
2. Is the Atlanta Streetcar a good idea?
3. Should the city be responsible for repairing sidewalks?
4. How to connect transportation equity and affordable housing?
5. Do you support facilitating bike access to all?
6. How would you influence MARTA to improve transit?
7. How would you balance building bike projects vs. community opposition?
8. Dealing with Uber/Lyft?
9. What do you propose to curb greenhouse gas emissions? 
10. Closing statements.

Here is how I perceived the candidates responded for each question. Y is yes, N is no. Answers are ranked in 3 levels, 1 is weak, 3 is strong. A response that outlines a way to address a particular issue gets high marks. A plausible vision gets lower marks, and do-nothing responses and off-topic responses get lowest score.

Candidate	2	3	4	6	7	8	9
Peter Aman		3	2	2	2		2
Rohit Ammanamanchi	N	3	2	2	3		3
Keisha Lance Bottoms		3	1	1	3	3
John Eaves		3	1	1	1		2
Kwanza Hall		3	3	2	3	1	2
Laban King		2	2	1	3	1	2
Vincent Fort		3	1	1	2	2	2
Ceasar Mitchell		3	2	3	3	3	3
Mary Norwood		3	3	3	3		3
Michael Sterling		1	2	2	2
Cathy Woolard	N	2	3	3	2
Glen Wrightson	N	2	1	1	1		1

There was unanimous consent for providing access to bike infrastructure.
The question that candidates answered best was on the sidewalks. Responses were least elaborate on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Racial issues came up on numerous issues, namely in biking environments.

In my opinion, Norwood and Mitchell spoke the strongest answers, not surprisingly from their time at City Council, with solid challengers in Woolard, Ammanamanchi, Hall, Lance-Bottoms. But that's just on transportation issues, let's see how the candidates play out in other topics.


Also, as a joke, I came up with a list of adjectives for candidates. Can you find out which match whose?

• Dreamer
• Five Points
• Energized
• Teacher
• Regionalizer
• Entertainer
• Methodical
• Basics
• Very Cautious
• Inquirer
• Playboy
• Fortune Teller

#I85BridgeCollapse: What I have seen so far

On Thursday night (March 30) just before 7pm, a segment of the I-85 bridge in Atlanta near Buckhead collapsed due to a fire. Below is a recap of what I have seen. It will take several months for the bridge to be rebuilt.

I left work late on Thursday, going home using MARTA as usual. MARTA trains were not affected by the event. I did not see the fire, but I was able to catch evacuations on camera from the train.

#I85 evacuations under way after bridge collapsed north of @MidtownATL. Drive safe everyone. pic.twitter.com/aHGPDyZYCf

— Binh(Energy+Transit) (@bdenergytransit) March 31, 2017

On Friday, March 31, I decide to buy a monthly pass, which I loaded on one of my blue Breeze Cards. I used a separate card from the silver card I normally use because I knew I would start using the pass a few days later. Friday was the last day to reload blue Breeze Cards as MARTA is phasing them out. (You cannot reload or check balance on Blue cards anymore, and blue cards will not be accepted as of July 9, 2017.)

Last day today to reload your @MARTASERVICE blue... no, Sapphire Breeze card! @MarkToro pic.twitter.com/diPn7MOG1V

— Binh(Energy+Transit) (@bdenergytransit) March 31, 2017

I was able to catch on camera the emptiness of I-85 from the train on Friday morning. The sight was literally unreal, some friends referring to a 'Walking Dead' scene!

Unreal sight from #MARTA the morning after #i85collapse pic.twitter.com/7CztSSqZcH

— Binh(Energy+Transit) (@bdenergytransit) March 31, 2017

On Saturday, I traveled on Piedmont Rd near the I-85 bridge. Piedmont Rd was closed over the weekend for crews to clean the debris. Piedmont Rd is now partially reopen.

Piedmont Rd closed for cleanup. Buford hwy northbound is open (southbound is closed) #I85BridgeCollapse #i85collapse pic.twitter.com/7lvYq7xL4m

— Binh(Energy+Transit) (@bdenergytransit) April 3, 2017

On Monday and Tuesday during the rush hour, MARTA and MARTA Army deployed volunteers to handle the influx of new passengers. MARTA reported as much as 25% increase in ridership from the loss of the bridge. Around 40 volunteers were stationed throughout MARTA stations!

MARTA Army volunteers are helping first time users navigate the system throughout Metro Atlanta in the wake of #85Collapse pic.twitter.com/FNdVVWH4O5

— MARTA Army (@MARTAarmy) April 3, 2017

On Monday afternoon, MARTA Arts Center Station was noticeably more crowded. I worked remotely on Monday to avoid storms.

Noticeably larger crowds at #MARTA Arts Center #I85BridgeCollapse #i85collapse #LetsMoveAtl pic.twitter.com/09QIJeCscb

— Binh(Energy+Transit) (@bdenergytransit) April 3, 2017

What's next? Bridge reopening was announced for June 15. Meanwhile, commuters will have to do with delays, long detours, and low parking availability at MARTA stations and park-and-ride lots. Some hope that new transit users will find it worthwhile stick with it. What are your hopes?

Not one or two, but THREE petitions for MARTA expansion

There is growing, strong citizen interest for the most talked-about MARTA expansion plan since the transit agency was created.

(Photo: LWV)

Last Thursday, Sen. Brandon Beach's bill flexing a 0.5% sales tax to MARTA (known as SB330) passed the GA Senate Transportation Committee 8-3. The bill still has to be voted by the full GA legislature.

Citizens must continue to push officials until the MARTA referendum is held and passed by residents. If passed, $4 billion could be raised and matched to build and operate the proposed MARTA extensions. Citizens have now at least THREE related petitions they can sign:

1. "Support MARTA Expansion in Metro Atlanta" by Advance Atlanta. On the concepts outlined in the proposed map and the general legislative process.
2. "Support The Red Line to North Fulton – It’s About Time" by M. Hadden. Focused on Roswell and North Fulton areas and the general legislative process.
3. "Put MARTA rail expansion in north Fulton County on the November 2016 ballot" by B. Smith. This one is geared to county commissioners, who are responsible for holding the MARTA referendum if SB330 passes the GA legislature.
4. John's Creek wants MARTA - Facebook page that provides the facts and benefits of the proposed expansion in John's Creek.

Start by picking your petition! Then you can contact the individuals and organizations behind the petitions and learn how you can help make the MARTA expansion happen. 

2015 Earth Overshoot Day on August 14

Earth Overshoot Day was August 14. Earth Overshoot Day is an indicator from the Global Footprint Network that indicates, for each year, what day of the year humanity has consumed what Earth is capable of producing in one year.

In other words:

• We have just consumed one year worth's of production in less than eight months.
• We would need 1.6 earths to sustain our lifestyles.
• We are causing unsustainable damage to our environment (excess greenhouse gases, waste, and erosion that can no longer be naturally absorbed by the planet.)
• If Earth was a bank account, it would be in the red for the rest of the year.
• In some instances, people refer to excess consumption as 'ecological debt'.

Of course, each country has a unique resource allotment and consumption pattern that is averaged out in the Earth Overshoot Day indicator.

Excessive consumption may lead to shortage of resources such as fertile land, drinking water, that can lead to geopolitical conflicts. As a result, Earth Overshoot Day raises similar flags as the Countdown to Midnight clock. What do you think?

Fw: Your commute is costing you more than you realize

Via Reuters, Time/MSN News

Talk about $50,000 over ten years or $2600 per year. Primarily gas, but also car insurance and maintenance. Mileage for business trips accounts for these additional costs. Then there are the countless hours (200 avg) spent in traffic or in transit. Read at the source links to find out more!

Fw: Leo DiCaprio asks everyone in the world to stop pretending that global warming facts don't exist.

Via Upworthy.com

DiCaprio asking UN representatives to not fake global warming. He "pretends for a living", politicians must deal with reality. 

  

YPT Panel on Renew Atlanta Infrastructure Bond Referendum [Update: Passed 9:1]

Shot I took of the panel discussion. From left to right: Rebecca Serna (Atlanta Bicycle Coalition), Sally Hammock (PEDs), Jalal Slade (City of Atlanta), Kwanza Hall (Atlanta City Council), and Tom Weyandt (Moderator).

[Update] The bond referendum passed by a 9:1 margin. Nice to see Atlanta moving forward with infrastructure upkeep.

On March 5, 2015, YPT Atlanta (Young Professionals in Transportation) hosted a panel discussion on the upcoming Renew Atlanta Infrastructure Bond Referendum. The event was held at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. with a good turnout (25 pers). The Twitter handle is #RenewATL. Early voting is under way for the referendum, which date is March 17, 2015 (St. Patrick's Day). The municipal bond is a $250 million package to modernize a sizeable portion of Atlanta's roads, bridges, facilities, and more. If approved by Atlanta residents, the bond will be solely funded by existing city taxes over 20 years. 

Here are my summary notes from the event, paraphrased and in no particular order: 

• Tom Weyandt, Transportation Policy Advisor for Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, introduces the panel.
• Jalal Slade, City of Atlanta Senior Real Estate Advisor, describes the main highlights of the bond:
• The bond addresses $250 million out of about $1 billion of infrastructure upgrade backlog. The amount was selected for it's balanced impact on the city's finances.
• There will be two separate questions on the ballot:
• a $180 million allotment for transportation (roads, bridges, sidewalks, complete streets with bike lanes, traffic signal synchronization),
• a ~$84 million allotment for facilities (parks, fire and police stations).
• The project list will be finalized during the weeks after referendum passage, before actual bond issuance.
• Oversight may be similar to the management in place for Atlanta Airport.bonds.
• Kwanza Hall, District 2 Council Member, provides additional details:
• 2/3 of the bond amount will be for city-wide projects (~$134 million for transportation, $44 million for facilities).  
• The remainder will be for local projects.
• A small amount will be available to each City Council member for small fixes, and as buffer to complete or "top-off" projects that affect a particular district. Hall mentioned about the MLK Natatorium, once used for Olympic trials.
• Maturity of the bond is 20 years, and will be repaid using existing city taxes.
• City tax revenue is high enough to make bond an attractive option. 
• Sally Hammock, PEDs CEO, explains a drawback of the bond project line up:
• Only $5 million have been allocated for sidewalks, vs. the $40 million planned initially (sidewalks cost the city $15 million/year). 
• Sidewalks tend to be seen as add-on to large projects rather than priority projects.
• Sidewalk maintenance could be added to the city's annual budget. She references a Georgia Tech study on the state of sidewalks to quantify the current needs.
• Rebecca Serna, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (ABC) CEO, explains the transportation opportunities:
• A chance to rebalance modes, especially bikes and foot traffic.
• ABC has an objective of 15% allotment for "complete streets" in the project list. The actual fraction is about 13%, which is very close to the objective. The transformation of DeKalb Ave. using the complete streets approach will be the flagship project for bikers.
• Improved infrastructure such as new bike lanes must connect together rather than form a patchwork.
• The projects under this bond should be used as credit for future bonds.
• A topic on funding expansion is brought up by the moderator and the audience:
• Budgeting serves short-term projects better rather than 20-year projects.
• Rebecca Serna suggests levying parking fees.
• Kwanza Hall suggests figuring out how to attract economic development to the city and into existing buildings. He mentions incentives for students to remain after college, and the low occupancy of Bank of America Tower in Midtown Atlanta.
• Q&A session
• A resident mentions about Lee Street improvements, in Southwest Atlanta (near West End). There is an advocacy group for that corridor, however it is unlikely that Lee Street will be included in the bond project list.
• A Georgia Tech student asks about transit projects. Unfortunately there are none, however transit buses will benefit from road projects.
• A resident asks about financing after the bond matures. The answer from Kwanza Hall leaves may ideas open, most notably a 3% capex line in the city budget, property sales (Underground Atlanta, will provide capital and operational revenue). He also mentioned partnering with energy companies to promote building efficiency. It is still a "best bang for the buck" attitude.
• The panelists are asked about the tally after votes are cast. The panelists expect a large win.

Transportation: Attitudes changing in Georgia Legislature

Via AJC.com

This article from Atlanta Journal Constitution highlights the changing attitudes of the Georgia Legislature towards transportation. Rural lawmakers, once reluctant to provide state funding for transit and transportation investments, are moving a $1 billion transportation funding bill for overdue projects...

Fw: Georgia's stance on climate change? Head in the sand

Via Creative Loafing Atlanta

(image credit: epa.gov)

My recent posts (forwards, rather) all dealt with climate change one way or the other. For today, I share with you an article that best pictures the reaction of conservative politicians of the Georgia Legislature to the idea of climate change. Some conservative lawmakers may find these basic facts useful. Then read the author's point concerning topics such as... Education... Transportation... Enjoy the article!

Fw: It is 3 minutes to midnight

Via CNN and Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

 (Image source: http://thebulletin.org/multimedia/it-3-minutes-midnight)

A few days ago, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists updated their disaster countdown clock. We are now 3 minutes to midnight. Midnight signifies the end of the world. The reasons cited for bringing us this close to doomsday?
- Nuclear weapons is still a real threat, notably from Iran and North Korea, and UN Security Council countries are keeping/modernizing a stock of nuclear heads, just in case.
- Climate change remains largely unaddressed by the world's top powers.

Read on here and here. Follow the link under image for the announcement.

Two new findings on climate change [updated]

Two articles published in the last few days reveal a new twist in the magnitude of climate change.

(Image: nasa.gov)

This New York Times article reveals that 2014 has been the hottest year on record, with a bar chart showing evolution of temperature over last century. This article from Bloomberg goes further by animating superimposed monthly averages over 100 years, highlighting record years as they pass. You will see that the past 20 years have seen more record temperatures than the 80 years before then. The original publication (and the animation shown on this page) is from NASA/NOOA. Despite polar episodes and snow storms across the U.S., the warming trend is here to stay, and extreme weather such as draughts, super hot summers, violent storms, and cherry trees blooming in January (happened in 2013 in Atlanta) may become more common place.

To make matters worse, this Climate Central article reveals that sea level has been rising faster in recent years than initially thought. The authors of the study created a model that better captures contributions to sea level rise. The article raises the question about how this model will impact forecasts of sea levels in the future... no very reassuring to begin with.

These findings should serve as final warnings to those who are still skeptical about global warming. These articles might even try to tell us we have less time than initially thought to address climate change. Will we be up to the task?

Fw: Elon Musk to build Hyperloop test track

Via Business Insider

"Elon Musk Says He's Going To Build A 5-Mile Hyperloop Test Track, Probably In Texas." Read on here.

Controversy: Food Deserts

Food deserts are urban locations more than a mile away from a grocery store. Even in the richest country in the world, a significant portion of urban residents in less affluent neighborhoods do not have access to a grocery store. Or, it is a half day trek on buses to get to the grocery store. The lack of transportation options and lack of fresh food takes a toll on their lives.

Read more from the USDA and CDC and this story from the Atlanta Magazine, and use the USDA food desert atlas to locate food deserts you didn't know existed, as shown in the examples below for Atlanta and Raleigh.

Controversy: NASA-funded study: industrial civilisation headed for 'irreversible collapse'?

Natural and social scientists develop new model of how 'perfect storm' of crises could unravel global system... Read more here from The Guardian!