Getting Around Atlanta ... Slowly

Returning from a trip to Los Angeles this week, the volume of Atlanta's transportation problems really stood out to me. 

LA is especially known for its sprawl and traffic congestion, with famous depictions such as in Steve Martin’s LA Story: "It's not like New York, where you can meet someone walking down the street.  In LA, you practically have to hit someone with your car. In fact, I know girls who speed just to meet cops." 

However, Atlanta has far surpassed LA in poor planning for transportation issues because we are not developing in accordance with our rapidly growing population and we lack intelligent leadership in City Hall. It is virtually impossible to travel here without a car.  LA even has a public bus and train system that can get you anywhere in LA County. 

Atlanta's options are much more limited. 

Complicit in this are a certain demographic of wealthy suburbanites who would rather keep the poor city-dwellers in the city by not allowing MARTA transit in their counties, but are OK with commuting via SUV to Midtown for work everyday.  In addition, lights are poorly timed throughout Peachtree Street for drivers, leading to intense traffic congestion, and there is not a good public transportation alternative.  Even getting to a MARTA train stop on 10th Street from Ansley can be an ordeal. 

“If you are trying to get to a part of the city that requires a bus transfer, it could be an all day affair,” said Eric Swymer, a former Midtown artist who has relocated to LA.

Driving from my city apartment to Papi's restaurant on Ponce de Leon this Saturday afternoon, I was blocked at every turn along Edgewood by the APD for a festival with a tiny turnout.  Cars were backed up, vying for a window to pass one another. It reminded me of a demolition derby. Meanwhile traffic congestion was even more intense beyond Ponce de Leon, as 10th Street was closed for Jazzfest.

In an area as dense as the center of Atlanta, why are more people not taking advantage of public transportation?  I think to a foreigner it would seem very bizarre, as I spend as much money to fill my car with gas each week as many people in the world earn in a month.  Meanwhile, I drive a Nissan sedan, while Suburbans and Hummers crowd our city streets and pollute our environment. 

Midtown is the most progressive part of Atlanta, with eclectic stores, restaurants, businesses and diversity.  The push for a smarter transportation system has to come from here and be carried into City Hall, which sadly has a history of corruption and backwardness.  Midtown attracts people from all over the metropolitan area to events such as Screen on the Green, Gay Pride, the Dogwood festival, music events, etc.  As anyone who lives in this area can attest, city streets, especially in the vicinity around 10th street and Piedmont Park, are jam-packed.  Residents are aggravated, and frequently have to enlist the help of parking enforcers and tow-truck drivers to keep their driveways free from unwelcome cars. 

The bottom-line is this is not going to get better.  We need smarter decisions for a rapidly growing metropolis, which need not be retarded by politics as usual.