Racism, Gwinnett, and MARTA: A Never-ending Tale

What a welcoming sign into Gwinnett County from DeKalb! 

This blog post is going to be a very local one. (Sorry to all my non-Atlantan readers, but some of what you read may resonate with you too!) It covers the relationship between MARTA and Gwinnett county. I am going to split up the post into three sections: 1) some facts, 2) some sobering history, and 3) the current situation. If you find my opinions to be scathing or hard, then hopefully your eyes will have been opened to how bad the current situation is.

First some facts:

• 56% of Gwinnettians are willing to pay more for public transportation
• Half of likely voters in Gwinnett support a 1% tax increase to join MARTA
• Gwinnett is the second most populous county in Georgia
• Within the next fifteen years, the population will top one million residents
• The county is under-served by its transit system: Gwinnett County Transit
• The county has a minority-majority populace but its commissioners are all white, all Republican
• CAR OWNERSHIP IS A PRIVILEGE
• ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS A HUMAN RIGHT

County Commissioner seats... I wonder how the gerrymandering works here to ensure Republicans maintain control of all seats, not even allowing Democrats to have a seat at the table!

Now, I will recount a long (and  racist) history between MARTA and Gwinnett County:

• In 1971, Gwinnett voters rejected joining MARTA. At the time, MARTA was being created to bring mass transit service across the Atlanta area. Voters in DeKalb and Fulton Counties voted to join the authority while Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett voters voted against the expanding authority. There were multiple reasons for this split: large costs, low densities, small populations, a tax increase, and a rural setting. Decidedly though, the large black populations of Fulton and DeKalb Counties deterred white voters of these bedroom communities into voting against the MARTA system.
• In 1990, there was a referendum in Gwinnett about joining MARTA. Again, the vote failed. This decision though was more pure. By 1990, Gwinnett was growing rapidly. It was becoming more urban and less rural. People were told to expect a massive population boom in the coming decade according to growth models. So why the denial of public transit despite the stronger need for it? Racism. White Gwinnettians didn't want black people in Atlanta to have access to their community.  
• In 2001, 2002, express and then local bus service began by Gwinnett County Transit (GCT). A little too late though, as the county had already become the fastest growing county in the country at this time. Notably, local bus service primarily services middle or low-income communities, not the wealthy neighborhoods to the north and east.  



Sorry to curse, but what the actual fuck is this kind of service? How does this adequately serve Gwinnett? Someone ask Charlotte Nash for me because I'd love to know!

• Since then: the recession has cut local bus service (essential to those who can't afford a car) while express service has been expanded to serve the Atlanta commuters. The county has continued to grow resulting in worse traffic. Bad traffic creates unhealthy smog that hurts asthmatics during the year. In addition, the county has diversified. People hold different backgrounds and different opinions than those of 1990 or 1971. It has become distinctly urban with the only remaining agricultural uses at the fringes of the county away from the major highways. Additionally, surveys and polls show Gwinnettians support expanded public transit and/or MARTA expansion. 

The current situation:

• Charlotte Nash, county commissioner and chairwoman, on MARTA expansion: "It's an uphill battle... Its about feeling like they don't have control of the county's transit system." 
• Translation: 'Uphill battle' = her political career, she's unwillingly to jeopardize her political future by allowing a referendum, literally a decision made by the public, to go forward. 'Don't  have control of the county's transit system' = don't have control of preventing poor people from moving northward. Currently, GCT is limited to local bus service in certain disadvantaged areas in the west and center of the county. Joining MARTA would mean robust local bus service for the whole county since MARTA has the funds available for this. The only problem in that is she and her cronies would no longer have a say in preventing bus service to her affluent areas. Apparently providing public transit to her constituents isn't critical as long as the rich don't have to encounter a bloody bus allowing people to get to work. 
• John Heard, county commissioner: "I believe that if we put it on the ballet, a local transit SPLOST will pass -- for Gwinnett County only. Nobody wants to send our money down to the City of Atlanta."  
• Translation: 'for Gwinnett County only' = he's only interested in helping the affluent Atlanta commuter, not the average Gwinnettian (or Atlantan for that matter) without a car. 'Nobody wants to send our money down to the City of Atlanta' = Democrats/black people aren't taking our money. This might sound like a harsh translation, but it's not. He is being explicitly racist in what he is saying here. If Gwinnett joined MARTA, all taxes raised would go toward the expansion of MARTA in Gwinnett. He is lying to his constituents or he is being naive. He for sure is being racist in showing his distaste towards allowing a transit service use funds to provide robust transit that will directly allow better mobility for people of color.  

So here is what is actually going on. Our county commissioners are misleading the public by already throwing out incorrect facts about MARTA. MARTA, by no means, is a perfect transit system, but if Gwinnett joins it, we aren't losing control of where are money goes, how it is used, and how we are serviced. Ask Clayton County. They recently joined MARTA, now have robust bus service across the whole county, and will soon be discussing how to provide a commuter train to its communities. Gwinnett, on the other hand, recently lost NCR and its 3,000+ jobs because of a lack of transit access. Gwinnett has no plans moving forward on how to deal with its traffic problem. In fact, all Gwinnett is doing is sitting in traffic wasting time and money behind the wheel. Charlotte Nash and her Republican controlled commission are unfairly using their power to prevent democracy. They are preventing the county from moving forward by not allowing a referendum on MARTA. They are clinging onto power in a time when Gwinnett needs strong leadership and real change. Business as usual is failing. Growth and the economy is moving elsewhere but for some reason, everyone is sitting in traffic in denial about this.

Dacula, on the right, in relation to the rest of the county

What should you do? Demand your referendum! Charlotte Nash doesn't live along the 85 corridor; she lives all the way out in Dacula. She doesn't have to sit through an hour of traffic a day to get to a well-paying job that happens to be outside of the county. She doesn't grasp how bad it is. She and her fellow commissioners also don't grasp what it means to be apart of a region. Gwinnett is great, success does live here, but it is great because it relies on the greater Atlanta region. Gwinnett needs to be a part of its transportation system if it hopes to stay competitive in the future. Ask your neighbor what they would think of getting MARTA service. Chances are they wouldn't mind it! 

Remember these water towers? A moto we need to continue to live by! 

Our leaders are playing politics. It doesn't take much to read between the lines of their statements and see where their true opinions lie. Luckily, that doesn't mean we can't sway them. If enough of us raise a racket, we will get our referendum and the congestion relief and public transit that WE DESPERATELY NEED. 

*A lot of this article references David Wickert's reporting from the AJC. I encourage you to read his reports of the state of transportation in the AJC. http://commuting.blog.ajc.com/2017/10/27/will-gwinnett-county-join-marta-not-likely-officials-say/        

What Seattle and Gwinnett Have In Common? Voting No, Apparently

Seattle Traffic

Today, I read an article in the Seattle Times about a decision their citizens made in the 1970's. The journalists wrote about how a referendum that would subsidize heavy rail by the federal government failed due to lack of support by the people of Seattle. He then compared Seattle's decision to Atlanta's decision in which we DID support the same referendum. The result was Atlanta was given millions of federal dollars to design, implement, and run MARTA. About 50 miles of heavy rail line was laid out throughout the city, connecting major business hubs with the CBD and the airport. Seattle on the other hand was forced to let sprawl become king in King County because its citizen choose to not invest in long term mass transportation options. In 2015, both Seattle and Atlanta have suffered from the effects of urban sprawl with long commute times, smog, and few alternatives to using a car. The difference, according to the journalist, is that in Atlanta we have the option to use an efficient and well laid out subway/heavy rail system when in Seattle, they are confined to their less efficient, slower light rail and commuter rail system (this of course is very debatable but he's not from Atlanta, so we can't blame him).

Looking across Metro Atlanta today, you can see a changing opinion of what the region needs in terms of transportation needs. Within the Atlanta city limits, the people are all gung-ho for more transit where there is strong support the expansion of the Atlanta Streetcar and the Atlanta Beltline. In DeKalb County, residents support a light rail line through the Clifton Corridor connecting Lenox with Avondale MARTA stations. In North Fulton and Alpharetta, residents are starting to come around to the idea of using MARTA to enhance the Connect 400 Initiative. In Clayton County, residents saw MARTA bus service begin limited service to parts of the county, after they voted yes on a referendum asking whether the county wanted to join the system. Even in Cobb County, county commissioners will vote on a budget tonight that earmarks money for a referendum on a bus rapid transit line. (YES, you heard me right, Cobb County!) And in Gwinnett, their Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey on whether residents would support expanding MARTA to the county, and 63% said they would support an expansion. But when the Gwinnett County Commission was asked about an expansion, she says the county needs to have a "comprehensive discussion about transportation in the county" before making any rash decisions (No offense Mrs. Nash, but WTF have you seen our commute times?)

Gwinnett County Municipalities and Main Thoroughfares

As a resident of Gwinnett County, its pretty obvious to me that not only do we need to have a discussion about transportation, but we also need to act on it because rush hour is actually "let's sit on 85 and do nothing" hour in Gwinnett. As a transit enthusiast, I do not understand why the pro-business commissioner is hesitating on supporting transit: expanding mass transit create jobs in several industries, stimulates economic growth, stimulates real estate around transit-oriented developments, provides more access to our businesses, allows for greater tourism with more access to Gwinnett amenities, and is a great investment in the future success of the area. Yes, we would be taking on a large and costly investment, but the benefits are too good to pass on and the alternative would mean stunted economic growth for the county.

And when you look at the county as a whole, there is also greater reason to question the commissioner's hesitancy. Gwinnett is the second largest county in the state with over a half-a-million people living there. It is diversifying faster than any other county in that state and will soon be a majority-minority county. It is a middle class heaven where homes are affordable, the schools are incredible, but the cars and transportation costs are expensive (even with the low price of gas currently). While the Great Recession really hurt the local economy, strong leadership by our commissioners and county government prevented our budget from going awry and unlike other counties, Gwinnett fared better with less layoffs and budget cuts during the recession. To me, Gwinnett's current demographics and stable budget are all the more reason, we should be like Atlanta and be gung-ho for making a major investment in mass transportation.

What Bus Rapid Transit or Light Rail Transit could look like on Satellite Boulevard

But one difference between Chairman Nash and me is where we live. She lives in the less populated eastern side of the county where its more rural than urban. I live in the middle of the I-85 corridor where the demographic shifts, worse traffic, and increased densification is more obvious and has had a greater impact on the quality of life. This means that throughout the county different areas have very different wants and needs. My neighbors and I need access to a BRT or LRT line that can ease the flow of traffic on I-85 and provide more commute option between our neighborhoods and the major business hubs. But residents of Dacula and Grayson have no interest in using or more importantly paying for a transit line along the I-85 corridor when they live and work elsewhere. So when this comprehensive conversation about transportation begins in Gwinnett, I hope this demographic difference is noted.

One way to bridge the gap between the disconnect between the different areas of Gwinnett is to create more Community Improvement Districts along the I-85 Corridor and elsewhere. CID's would allow citizens in Unincorporated Gwinnett to have more of a voice of what goes on in their communities. It would also allow citizens to address their most immediate needs in their respective regions. Around the Gwinnett Arena, a CID would focus on smart growth, transportation needs, and traffic easement while other CID might focus more on safety or environmental needs.

Jimmy Carter Boulevard Diverging Diamond Bridge Rendering

Already in Gwinnett, the Gwinnett Village and Gwinnett Place Community Improvement Districts have  already made huge impacts on their respective communities and have partnered together to outline the need for a light rail line on Satellite Boulevard. Their work has created diverging diamonds on the Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road bridges and has beautified and cleaned up the public spaces and sidewalks. Without their CID titles none of this work would've been done, and they do not create the expensive bureaucracies that municipalities such as Norcross or Lawrenceville need.

In addition to using the CID's for more localized issues, in about two-three years time when the county government will be ready to present and allow residents to vote on a transportation referendum, allowing CID's to vote on the referendum as units would better help the county. For instance, CID's along I-85 could vote "Yes" and receive the much needed public transportation investments they desire, while other parts of the county could choose to vote "No" and spend their taxpayer money elsewhere without impacting the needs of another part of the county.

My idea may be a little too extravagant and complicated, but the point is that in Gwinnett, one size does not fit all. So when the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and the county leaders take the initiative to make transportation a priority, I hope we can make a real impact on focusing on localized areas rather than the diverse county as a whole.                    

Why We Can't Afford Inaction Anymore

Spaghetti Junction in Gwinnett County- this year's legislative focus: transportation and infrastructure

This month the General Assembly opened up its 2015 legislative session. Top issues this session range from continued prison reform led by Governor Deal to controversial educational reform about state-control over failing school systems. But, the issue that will take up the majority of the attention this session is over transportation funding. Last year, a legislative task force on transportation funding released their recommendations that told us something we already knew: Georgia needs to reinvest itself in its transportation system and quickly.

Their study found that we need to raise $1-1.5 billion in revenue for infrastructure improvements and repairs. With the facts now laid out on the table, its time for our representatives to act on this issue because if we don't, not only will we not have alternative transportation options, but we won't even have adequate roads for our car-centric region. We might be the number one state to do business in currently, but in the near future, we won't be if we are stuck in traffic on failing roads and bridges that are falling apart beneath our tires. To me, the regular citizen, the answer seems obvious: raise taxes for transportation so we can move on to life's more pressing issues.

Governor Deal hopes for action on transportation funding this year in the Georgia Assembly

Unfortunately though, there is a current faction within the Republican party known as the Tea Party whose mission seems to be never raising taxes EVER. This is unfortunate since we still need $1-1.5 billions worth of transportation improvements and repairs for our roads and transportation systems, and we have no other source of funding for this except through raising taxes. Governor Deal, Casey Cagle, David Ralston, and many other republicans understand and agree that something has to be done, and currently, they believe the best way to raise these funds is through a gas tax. But with about half  of the Republican party out the picture in supporting this tax, Republican State Senate and House leaders will have to reach out to the other side of the aisle to pass this bill. Democrats in Georgia generally support investments in infrastructure, but they will probably only support this tax if some small portion of it goes toward an alternative transportation fund. This means there will be a lot of debating, bickering, and hopefully compromise in the 2015 legislative session.

But all of this is expected in a Red State such as Georgia. What is unexpected and gives this tax an actual chance (unlike T-SPLOST 2012) is that the economy in Metro Atlanta and Georgia is booming like it was before the Great Recession, gas prices are lower than they have been in years due to the introduction of more American-produced oil in our market, and MARTA's new leadership and improvements are improving the region's image of public and alternative transit in Atlanta. Firstly, a strong economy provides consumers' confidence at home meaning that traditionally conservative households this year will be more open to allowing their representatives to vote yes to an indirect tax increase. Furthermore, with gas prices being so low, people will be more open  to the idea of a gas tax since they can actually afford paying a gas tax currently. Also, MARTA had a stellar year last year, and as a result, government officials have more confidence and trust in the agency and its ability to function as a viable alternative to driving within the region. So the strong economy, low gas prices, and high opinion of MARTA can provide the recipe for success for a gas tax to raise transportation funding, but what cannot happen is doing nothing like in times past.

If we do not act on transportation funding during this legislative session, our governmental officials are putting our region's future at the risk. If they care about not only our reputation as an international city to do business and work, but also, the sustainability and livability of the residents living in Metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia, they will find a way to pass this gas tax. We cannot allow inaction anymore because it is not a solution when we have over $1 billions worth of infrastructure repair and improvements needed. The federal government will not come to our rescue, private investment will not come to our rescue, only the representatives in the Georgia Assembly this legislative session can provide for this region and state's future. So it is time to act up and make some actual progress this year.

"We can debate how much it costs to do something, but let us not forget how much it will cost to do nothing." -Governor Deal at the start of the legislative session this year 

It's Time To Cut The Commute

Atlanta Railroads in the early 1900's

Atlanta was built on rails. If you ever travel downtown, you might notice the cities complicated street grid. Unlike most major U.S. city street grids which run North-South like in New York or Philadephia, if you look at Atlanta's old CBD, you will find that it sits sideways on the street grid. This is because when the city was first built, it was built up around the connection of several train lines. So the adjacent development mirrored the diagonal nature of those railroads. The railroads then continued out from the heart of what is now "underground" Atlanta and moved outward in all major directions. The railroads basically sprawled out in each direction from Atlanta.

Atlanta Interstate in the 1970's Just South of Downtown

In the 1960's, another road was then built from the heart of Atlanta and has also sprawled out from its core. The interstate bulldozed its way right through the center of our city, and from the interstate, suburban development has enveloped the city of Atlanta. Suburbs sprang up as if from nowhere, and these new smaller, closer communities became and still are an enticing reason to move to Atlanta. But with population growth comes more congestion, and so now the small towns like Lawrenceville, Roswell, Conyers, Kennesaw, and Douglasville are mini metropolises of traffic and car mayhem. 

So what's the connection between the old railroads and the lifeline of our city, the interstate? The answer lies in the maps. Along every major interstate and highway in Atlanta, a railroad runs parallel with it. Coincidence? I think not! The highway developers of the 60's and 70's purposefully built the interstate right next to the rail and rail towns already built. It was the best way to provide a route in and out of Atlanta in connection with the other nearest cities. So as the rails that built Atlanta began losing its prestige and importance, the interstates took its centerpiece place. The novelty of driving your own car wherever you needed it became the defining characteristic of new Atlanta development. Walk-ability and smart development took the bench while new roads and single family homes became the new norm. The integral part of this system was the road that connected them all: the interstate. The interstate was our new rail, our new connection between work and home.

But today at the end of 2014 this driving novelty has worn off. With 4.5 million people living within the 10 county metro region and an expected 2.5 million more people to come by 2040, we have found out that our transportation system isn't flawless. Traffic backups are now a defining characteristic of life in Atlanta. Everyone complains about it, everyone hates it, and everyone has been stuck in it, but what has anyone done about it? Absolutely nothing! When the housing boom of the 1990's and early 2000's took hold of the city, our government officials did no planning to prevent the congestion that continued to grow everyday. Their mentality was to build, build, build, and people bought into the new, newer, and newest communities they were building. But never did they offer the suburbanites an alternative to driving. The new developments came along with a garage and a driveway because automobiles are the only way to successfully get around Metro Atlanta now-a-days. So it is not surprising that a 30 minute commute takes over two hours during rush hour. It's just the "norm" or a part of life in suburban Atlanta.

But this norm isn't attractive. When Northerners consider moving their homes and business south to Atlanta, they love everything about our lifestyle except the lack of transportation options. They want to take the subway, the commute train, or the bus because they know how efficient and easy public transportation can be, and they (like any normal person) despise traffic. It is not appealing to millennials looking to start their small business or family, it is not appealing to the elderly who want to retire in peace, and it is not appealing to white-collared workers because it takes away from their free time. Traffic has become one of the main deterrents to moving and living in Atlanta. So if Atlanta wants to continue to grow and expand, we can no longer ignore this traffic problem.

If you are asking, what are metro leaders doing now to help alleviate this problem, there is some good news. Suburban cities such as Suwanee, Woodstock, and Marietta are developing their communities into live, work, play communities where ideally you can have a home, go to work, and have a nice lifestyle in the town centers they have developed. All new development in these cities are now directed at this more sustainable and smarter growth pattern. The success these cities have had with this concept is now being transplanted in more suburban communities across the metro, but this has done little to help the Cobb or Gwinnett commuter who depends on the interstate daily to get to work and back. Interstate-dependent Counties and GDOT leaders have pushed for expanded HOT lanes (toll lanes) outside of the Perimeter. On these HOT lanes, GDOT can move commute buses back and forth from major work hubs and residential hubs, but the lack of advertisement, the lack of bus stations, the complicated system maps, and the interstate traffic they can't avoid have made these commute buses less successful.

But instead of blaming government officials for our traffic woes, its time to take some of the blame ourselves. Suburban counties could have MARTA service, but instead residents have voted down joining the system every time (except for now Clayton County). In 2012, when we could have provided city planners extra funds to fix our transportation system, the Metro area voted no to TSPLOST. Every time the government has offered an alternative to traffic and the interstate, Metro Atlanta has said no. So while we can complain and groan about the traffic and the smog and the waste of time, we also have to take responsibility for the predicament we are currently in.

Salt Lake City Commuter Rail (a system Atlanta can model itself after)

A solution to the congestion, I believe, lies in our past. Along every major suburban corridor in Atlanta, an old but still important freight railroad runs through each corridor. The same rails that I mentioned at the start of this post that first brought business and prosperity to Atlanta can once again do the same. Adding commuter trains and train service to suburban communities on these railroads will help alleviate traffic congestion from the interstate. Both the interstate and the railroad runs through or near major Atlanta work hubs such as Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown, and the airport, so providing Atlantans an alternative to the highway with the final destination being the same will draw thousands off the highway and onto commuter trains. Also, the commuter trains will be able to connect Atlantans to all the other major urban corridors throughout the city. For instance, the same railroad that travels through Carrrolton, GA also runs through Athens, GA. Providing Metro Atlantans with this kind of connectivity in public transportation for a low cost will increase business and help build a strong economy dependent of gas prices and cars. The benefits outweigh any drawbacks from providing commuter rail service to Metro Atlanta.

This being it's time to cut the commute. Commuter trains can provide direct transportation access to all of Atlanta's major centers on both sides of the Perimeter, its rail corridors are located in Atlanta's most densely populated areas and are located near millions of residents, and its service can cut commute times in half by offering an alternative to the automobile, the interstate, and the traffic. We can no longer afford to depend entirely on one transportation mode. By establishing a private-public partnership with county governments and and the business community called "Friends of the Commuter Train," the government can gain support for bringing commuter rail to entire metro, but in the end, the only way we can bring an alternative to the interstate is through the community. If Atlantans, the everyday people, demand an alternative, someone will provide. Whether this happens through a government-owned transportation system or through a private company, it doesn't matter, but if Atlantans demand for commuter rail, we will receive. We own this city in addition to its destiny, so it is up to us to call for more action, more options, and more change to the urban metropolis we call home. It's time to cut the commute, and we can do this through our past: through trains.  

MARTA On My Mind

For my first post, I find it very suiting that it is about my two favorite urban matters, transit and sustainable development. Last week, MARTA released  renderings of futuristic-looking stations that combine heavy rail stations and mixed-used developments. Along with releasing these renderings, the transit provider also released a statement that they were interested in developing on top of MARTA stations at Lenox, the Arts Center, Midtown, and North Avenue stops. MARTA would provide developers a 99-year lease to develop mixed-used centers on top of these stations. MARTA's aim in doing this is to increase ridership, increase development around stations, and make stations more appealing to citizens in the area. Below are the renderings MARTA has released to the public:






(Photos Credit: 11Alive)

I think by encouraging development on and around their stations, MARTA is reinventing what transit is in and throughout Atlanta. Historically, MARTA's bus and rail service has been commuter-oriented meaning that the purpose of its routes and lines were to transport workers in and out of Atlanta's commercial cores. But after surviving the Great Recession without going bankrupt, MARTA needed to readdress what kind of service it is to Atlantans.

Under the leadership of its new CEO Keith Parker, the last few years has transformed the company from one on the verge of financial ruin to now being on the cusp of its first expansion in over 30 years. MARTA is now envisioning itself as a service integral to our daily lives rather than just a way to take us to work. Working with the Atlanta Beltline and the Atlanta Streetcar, MARTA is now focusing on becoming a service that functions within the lives of an average Atlantan. This means MARTA needs to become a convenience rather than a hassle.

By creating mixed-used developments around the stations that service the Midtown and Buckhead community, MARTA will be making an extremely smart move. Atlanta's music and arts district and largest commercial district are currently experiencing the most population growth within the city limits. Young adults are flocking to these hip, urban area not only to start their careers but to also start families now. With improving schools, a strong police presence, and its modern and cool cultures, people are finding that they can both live and work in the same community in Midtown and Buckhead. These young adults want walkable, bikable, friendly communities where they do not need a car to get around everywhere. By building these mixed-use centers around MARTA stations in these areas, people will find themselves using rail to not only go to work but to also visit a friend or meet up with co-workers after work or even to have a nice night out. The more shops, groceries, restaurants, and businesses MARTA can build around and on their stations, the more these new citizens will find MARTA an integral part of their life.

In addition to making their stations centers of commerce, business, and community, MARTA can optimize smart transit in around these stops by adding circulatory bus routes through transit-deprived areas surrounding Midtown and Buckhead. For instance, Virginia Highlands is serviced with MARTA buses that work on a commute-oriented route that takes buses on a one-way route in and out of the neighborhood. While this transit serves the community, it does not optimize its ability to become an integral part of the residents' lives. By adding a circulating bus route throughout Virginia Highlands to the Midtown stations, MARTA will be providing Virginia Highland residents with more direct access to Midtown. While this does not seem like a huge deal, when you consider the benefits of providing a regular, consistent bus service between a major residential area, a major business center, a major commercial center, and heavy rail transit to the greater area, ridership could increase dramatically in this area.

Recently, the Saporta Report published a piece by a Tech Grad student on the benefits of adding circulatory bus routes to transit-deprived areas like the Virginia Highland, Little Five Points, and the Westside, where the community is near major transit, but not within a reasonable walking distance to utilize it. Circulating buses provide residents a way to use public transportation in this "final mile" of their journey. It cuts the walking distance between to something more reasonable, and since the buses travel on more consistent schedules on circulatory routes, using transit becomes a plausible alternative to driving.

Creating mixed-used developments around MARTA stations will make the system more dynamic and useful, and by attaching more circulating bus routes like the Stinger, Atlantic Station Shuttle, and the Buc to these stations from transit-deprived areas, they will provide the system with more consistent riders. MARTA would create a culture of usefulness by bridging the gap between transit and actual communities, and suddenly for the first successful time in Atlanta's history, transit would be an integrated part of the average citizen's life.

MARTA has a huge opportunity in developing the land on and around the Lenox, Arts Center, Midtown, and North Avenue rail stations. These mixed-used developments will be the catalyst of expanding and using alternative transit in Atlanta. These developments will also be Atlanta's reattempt on making public transportation more of a regular occurrence in its citizens lives (s/o to Underground's ideals), so here's to hoping for a new kind of Atlanta! Here's to MARTA's resurgence!