Here's how to spend $25 million

By Mark Arum

For the AJC

On the surface it sounds great. The Feds have agreed to commit $47 million for an Atlanta transit project. For commuters that travel through Atlanta this sounds like amazing news. Until I tell you what the money must be used on. Wait for it...a trolley line between Centennial Olympic Park the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District! Amazing.

I can't tell you how many times I have been stuck with no way to get between those to areas. It seems every time I want to head over to the King Center from the Park, my car is broken. And there are no cabs. And my bike has a flat tire. And I've got a cramp in my thigh so I can't walk. The kicker to the trolley folly, is that the city will need to kick in an additional $25 million to complete the project.

According to taxiwiz.com, round trip cab fare from Centennial Olympic Park to the King Center is $18 including tip. The City of Atlanta needs to come up with $25 million to fully fund the trolley project. According to the calculator on my Blackberry, that means the city can either fund the trolley, or pay for 1.3 million taxi rides to and from the two tourist destinations. 1.3 million round trip fares. One point three million!

No one is going to come to Atlanta simply because of the trolley. More importantly, no one is NOT going to come to Atlanta because there isn't a trolley. If someone wants to go to the KIng Center (and I highly recommend they do) they will find a way to go! Google maps estimates that it's a six to seven minute ride in non-rush hour conditions. It's 13 minutes by bicycle, or a brisk 31 minute walk.

Listen, trolleys were great at the turn of the century. And so were typewriters. But I don't think we'd be better off relying on either right now.

If you have time, head over to youtube.com and search "Simpsons Monorail". Hopefully you'll find the irony somewhat therapeutic.

The crazy part of this whole situation, is that after spending $72 million there will be no traffic relief in Atlanta. In fact, I can only imagine the traffic headaches that will result as the trolley is installed along the proposed route.

If the city wants to spend $25 million, let me suggest where the money would be best spent. Left hand turn lanes on Peachtree Street. That would be the most effective way to help traffic flow through the city. If you drive between Downtown and Buckhead it might appear that Peachtree is a six lane thoroughfare, but in actually there are really only four travel lanes. Two in each direction. Because in reality, it is impossible to travel in the left lane on Peachtree in either direction. Why? Because if one vehicle is in the left lane trying to make a left turn, it renders that whole travel lane useless. Try it out today during lunch. Get in your car and drive on Peachtree in either direction staying in only the left lane. I predict you only make it a handful of blocks before abandoning the exercise, because it is truly an exercise in futility. I drive on Peachtree every day. I know better than to get in the left lane. It's a war zone. Try driving in the left lane on Peachtree between Roswell Rd. and Peachtree Battle in Buckhead. Go ahead, I dare you. Try driving in the left lane on Peachtree between Ponce and 14th Street in midtown. I'd rather have my fingernails pulled out one by one than deal with that kind of pain.

Big picture here folks. The smoother traffic on Peachtree flows, the smoother all of Atlanta flows. It's one of the world's most famous boulevards and it needs an upgrade.

How much would it cost to add left hand turn lanes along Peachtree? I have no idea. But I know $25 million would be a great way to start the project.

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