October 27, 2009 Community Benefits Transportation meeting

Two new points to ponder from the meeting on Tuesday October 27, 2009. Forming a Transportation Management Organization. What do we really know about the proposed high-speed rail line from Athens to Macon and co-locating an East Point stop with the existing MARTA rail services?

The Short Path to a Brighter Future

A Long Time Coming…..
Did you know that in the City of Atlanta in the year 2009, there were still unpaved roads in residential neighborhoods? That saga came to an end in the Venetian Hills neighborhood on Sunday October 25, 2009, when the Paths Foundation in partnership with the Councilman Caesar Mitchell, the Westridge Sandtown Community, Community Activists, and the Family of Crystal Sykes turned the one unpaved block of Cahaba Drive into a walking/biking trail.

You see, in 1997, the unpaved Cahaba Drive caused the fatal injury to Crystal Sykes, an 11 year old community resident. Her younger brother and she were riding their bikes along the road when Crystal hit a “pot hole” and was thrown from her bike and in the process injured by the bike’s handlebars. Along the now paved and landscaped paths you’ll find the sitting stones and beautiful trees. At the beginning of the path, a stone memorial with a bronze plaque commemorates Crystal’s short but happy life.

It’s a start – you see, with the coming of the new development on the Ft. Mac property, our friends and neighbors want to see more walking and biking trails for our children as well as for older community members. The future belongs to the youngest generation: we’re just borrowing it for now – let’s give it back to our children in much better shape than we found it.

Redirecting our existing neighborhood spaces to promote sustainability, walkability, alternative transportation, and community. It’s an issue that demands a great deal of thought.

Fort Mac Community Benefits - Transportation Committee

The committee got a fresh perspective tonight. We had 2 citizens from East Point to weigh in on their concerns regarding the flow of traffic as-is and how it will be at the completion on the project. Stay tuned...

Focus on Urban Transportation

Here in the City of Atlanta, there were still vendors of fruits, vegetables, ice, and rags - yes rags, who purveyed their goods by horse and wagon in the 1950's this was not an uncommon sight. Neither were unpaved roads and streets without sidewalks. The rule of that day however were paved two-lane highways, in-town neighborhoods with paved roads and no side walks.

Six decades later, in the 2nd decade of the 21st century, the situation in the neighborhoods remains the same. The City of Atlanta has "plans" to add sidewalks and bike lanes in some corridors. A little progress; but not enough.

Getting Involved With Community Redevelopment

A few years ago when I heard that Fort McPherson was on the U.S. Army's "Closing" list I didn't know quite what to make of it. Many of my neighbors in the Southwest Communities of Atlanta were afraid that the void created by the closing of the base would leave our in-town community devastated: loss of jobs, empty and unused property, and loss of revenue. Then we heard the 480 plus acre Fort McPherson (Ft. Mac) property was to be redeveloped. Oh Joy!!! - or maybe not. This blog has as its focus the existing neighborhood involvement in the redevelopment process - stay tuned....