Q: We recently moved to Atlanta from the suburbs and live right on the Atlanta Beltline (between Virginia Avenue and Ponce de Leon Avenue). We thought that, by living on the beltline, we would be able to walk to shops, but there are no exits on the beltline in that area. Why aren’t there more exits?
—Sally Densmore, Atlanta
A: There's a lack of exits along the Atlanta Beltline because it was built for "prioritizing access from existing public right-of-way," according to its website, but paths to businesses are a possibility. Atlanta Beltline Inc., which manages the project, anticipates the "adjacent private developments forming connections in the future, but that is the developer's responsibility," director of communications Ethan Davidson told Q&A on the News in an email. Funding is in place to "create a new connection to Ponce de Leon, which will get under way in the next couple of years as part of a collection of projects to improve streetscapes and roads along Ponce and North Avenue," he wrote. That project includes a bridge connecting the Beltline to Ponce City Market, which is under construction. The beltline is a projected 22-mile loop of trails around Atlanta that is being built on an abandoned railway corridor.
Q: What is the cost when a helicopter transports an injured person to the hospital?
—Andy Sims, Douglasville
A: Costs vary depending on the location of the injured person and the distance to travel. In 2010, the average cost was $6,500 for 44,700 transports to level-1 and level-2 trauma centers in the U.S. The total annual cost was about $290 million, according to a study by the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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