As part of Atlanta’s “Elevate” event Saturday, sponsored by the city’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs, I moderated a panel that focused on public art and transportation, and how the former can enrich the latter. With panelists representing MARTA, Atlanta Beltline, Atlanta Streetcar, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and Atlanta Regional Commission, the conversation ranged from the cultural to project updates on a couple of anticipated transportation options coming downtown.
Here are some excerpts from the panel discussion:
Atlanta Streetcar: Tom Weyandt, senior policy adviser for transportation in Mayor Kasim Reed's office, talked about the move to the operations phase once construction wraps up in late January-February.
“At that point, we shift into a period of certification and testing of the system. We’ll do driver training and all of the things that lead up to opening day. We’re also keenly aware that we have a whole series of educational steps that we have to take. We have to realize that (today’s) drivers have never seen streetcars on the streets of Atlanta before. The streetcars themselves are very, very quiet. We are going right through Georgia State University. I don’t know how many times I see students with earbuds wandering across the street. There are whole series of steps we’re going to have to take.
“We gave you a sneak peak of what the car is going to look like; we think it’s actually a pretty cool-looking car. The mayor suggested that for the car design … he wanted to have a car designed that would look like something James Bond would step out of.
“We tried to put a lot of thought into the details of the pedestrian environment and what the stops are going to look like. We tried to be sensitive to the problem that bicyclists face in riding parallel to streetcars, particularly on the eastern side of the route, which is very heavily traveled. We’re actually building a bike lane on the opposite side of the street so bicyclists will be able to go in a counter flow to the streetcar and minimize the opportunity for conflict.
“Those are the kinds of physical things that we’ve tried to take into account so far. We are also thinking about how we create a lively environment around it. I hate to use this term but … we’d sort of like (the streetcar) to be a Disney experience, whether you are a tourist going to the Martin Luther King Center or to the Ferris wheel. We’re kicking around ideas about how to enliven that experience, and we’re open to ideas at this point.”
Atlanta Bicycle Coalition: Executive Director Rebecca Serna updated the upcoming Bike Share program (www.atlantabike.org/bikesharestudy) and talked about safety issues around cycling and the streetcar.
“Bike Share is coming soon to the city of Atlanta, and we’re very excited about that. Our feasibility study recommended 500 bikes and 50 stations. The city is considering proposals right now, and it looks very promising. This is the kind if thing that really transforms a city because it puts so many more people out in our public spaces. (It will) create a lot of opportunities for connections with business, with culture, with each other.
“I’m very concerned about the streetcar crossings by bicyclists, just because most people don’t know that that is really a dangerous thing. You need to cross them at a 90-degree angle, and we’ve been working with the city to try and get more signs up and make sure we reinforce that type of thing.
“I’m not too worried about the safety impact of all the Bike Share bikes because when people get on a bike for the fist time in 10 to 15 years, they are extremely cautious. They’re paying a lot of attention. Cities like Boston that have done Bike Share were noted for being very unfriendly to bikes. It didn’t have any infrastructure (for bikes) when the (programs) started. But it created so much demand for infrastructure that they were able to make really big investments and make the city safer.
“On the whole, Bike Share has been an unmitigated success (in other cities). Washington D.C. hit 1 million trips on their one-year anniversary. It just blew away expectations.”
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