A Holiday Blog

Hey Red Lady, lots of people have today off, honoring Presidents Day. Old Abe and George (the Older George, no relation to the current George) have birthdays close together, and in light of convenience for businesses, we celebrate both their birthdays on a Monday. So instead of starting a Race Riot or an International Incident today, let's keep it light: Trolley's on Peachtree Street.
Something must be done to make Atlanta less automobile dependent. Lots of people lauged at Dekalb County at first because they appropriated money to put sidewalks on many steets, but I think that was a Great Idea. Dekalb Ave is a nicer looking place due to the sidewalks, and possibly even safer. With all the Marta stops along Dekalb Ave, it makes it easier and more convenient to get to those stations. I think we need more Bike Lanes, Sidewalks, busses and other public transportation. I think the counties that voted not to be part of Marta (Cobb, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Henry, etc) should be forced to participate. They reap some of the benefits by being in the Metro Atlanta Area, they should pay for them. Marietta is NOT the center of the known Universe!
This idea for Peachtree Street is a good one. We need something with some charisma in downtown Atlanta, they blew it with the Banana Bridge at 17th Street. It has no character, it's just yellow. The traffic on Peachtree is a nightmare, at all times of the day and night. With all the businesses, restaurants and residential places, and no real easy way to get anywhere, it will stay that way. I have some friends who live in Midtown and do walk almost everywhere. But these are Young Folks, who will probably move to the suburbs when they get married and have kids.
Trollies are a clean air way to get the public transportation, and they have character. How they plan on widening Peachtree to accomodate these trollies is a mystery to me, but I'm not a traffic engineer. The city all together needs to be more pedestrian friendly, and everyone needs to obey laws. Drivers, pedestrians have the right of way. Walkers, cross ONLY when the light is green and try to make an effort to get across the street, don't take a Sunday stroll.
Now if they would only build wonderful places like Atlantic Station on the Marta lines, we'd have it all taken care of.