Today’s Headlines

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  • SC and GA May Join VA and NC in Passenger Rail Planning (Washington Post)
  • Cyclists Concerned About Conflicts Along New Downtown Atlanta Bikeways (Curbed)
  • Porsche Donates Half-Million to Atlanta BeltLine (Atl Biz Chronicle)
  • Wake County Transit Plans Include New Rail and Bus Service (News & Observer)
  • Raleigh Celebrates Groundbreaking at Union Station (News & Observer)
  • SunRail Passenger Count Less Than Estimated in First Year (Orlando Sentinel)
  • Trail Network Proposed for Land Under Miami Metrorail Tracks (National Law Review)
  • City of Natchez, MS, Applies for TIGER Grant for Freight Rail Line (Natchez Democrat)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

Today’s Headlines

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  • Despite Federal Funding, Charlotte Council Considers Canceling Streetcar to Meet Budget Gap (WCNC)
  • MARTA Looks to Feds to Fund $2.2 Billion Rail Expansion (WXIA)
  • Atlanta First Southeastern City to Adopt Policy to Reduce Energy Consumption (Bloomberg)
  • Atlanta Is Denser Than Other Southern Cities, But Still Not Dense (Curbed)
  • Owner and Driver of Van Illegally Parked by Tracks Blame Streetcar Driver for Collision (WSB)
  • BeltLine Proposes 63 Miles in Streetcar System Plan (Atlanta Intown)
  • Lack of Reliable and Efficient Transportation Hinders Social Mobility (New York Times)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

Today’s Headlines

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  • Map Porn: How Atlanta’s Transit Plans Fell Short Over the Last Century (Georgia Tech)
  • Forty-Eight Percent of Gwinnett Republicans Support MARTA Expansion (Saporta)
  • Falcons General Manager Will Celebrate Bike-to-Work Day With 17 Mile Ride (Atlanta Falcons)
  • Columbus, Georgia, Develops Bike App to Track Ridership (WTVM)
  • Pinellas and Pasco Bike Trails to Be Linked for 275 Coast-to-Coast Connector (St. Petersburg Tribune)
  • Baylink Task Force Doesn’t Want to Conduct EIS for Miami-Miami Beach Line Because Time (Curbed)
  • Utility Work in New Orleans to Shut Down St. Charles Streetcar Line Over Summer (Times-Picayune)
  • Ohio Man Convicted of Killing Pedestrian in Police Custody in Florida 56 Years Later (Seattle Times)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

via ATL Urbanist

How a Look at the Past Can Inform Atlanta’s Conversation About Transit

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Joe Hurley at the Georgia State University library recently pointed me to a cool project that some of his students put together. It’s an online tool called “Tracing a History of Atlanta’s Public Transit” – it uses archived data and documents to map the various transit routes planned throughout the history of Atlanta.Joe writes this in a GSU blog post:Since MARTA’s 1960s inception it was planned to be a far-reaching, regional transit system. In each decade since MARTA’s beginnings, the agency proposed routes that would have made MARTA a truly expansive system. A number of these proposed MARTA routes can now be visualized in Tracing a History of Atlanta’s Public TransitThe finished piece is fascinating – the image above, of 1928 streetcar routes, is a glimpse into a time when transportation planners were focused on moving Atlantans by way of a comprehensive street-rail system. I wondered about the process behind this project and what it revealed to the creators of it. Much like the experience of walking on the Atlanta BeltLine for the first time and seeing historic city neighborhoods from a different perspective, I assumed (correctly, it turns out) that the journey these researchers took to assemble this data had been a revealing one.Let’s take a deep dive into that process and some of the thoughts gleaned from it; here are comments from three of the students who created this tool and also a final word from Joe.Nicole Ryerson, student:Nicole notes that the transit plans from Atlanta’s history tended to focus too heavily on bringing outsiders into the city, and doing so at the expense of serving the transit needs of intowners better.“I was just surprised at the lack of concern or planning for transit within the city limits. Although I acknowledge that our metro area was expanding, these planners wanted people to come into the city. Yet, I did not find one document that referenced a want or need to try and create a vibrant transit system for city residents.” On the importance of these plans to today’s conversation about transit, Nicole writes this: “If people could see how connected the city was by the original streetcar, they would want to strive for that again (I know I was angry and frustrated when I saw how efficient our city could have been if we kept those lines). If people could see what the city could be, I think they would be more apt to endorse future projects.”Rumman Shakib Ahmed, student:Shakib came away wondering about the missed opportunities to expand Atlanta’s heavy rail further into the outer reaches of the region.“I think the first tab, 1960s, is the most interesting to me. These were the first public plans released and you can compare it to what we have now. These maps, along with the other ones, make you think. Why were some expansions never put into place? There were so many routes going through northwest Atlanta towards Marietta, even from 1960, but as we all know nothing exists there now or even for the near future.”Alexandra Orrego, student:It seems Alexandro had the same reaction that I did when I first saw Atlanta’s old streetcar maps – what an amazing reach those systems had! And what a contrast thwy are to the relatively limited reach of MARTA rail lines."I think what was most shocking when putting this project together was how extensive the old Atlanta Streetcar system was. It was both far reaching to greater Atlanta areas and considerably intricate in downtown Atlanta. When comparing the 1928 map with today’s existing MARTA rail line, It’s hard to believe how after about 50 years the MARTA rail system has not even been able to reach its original goals.”Joe Hurley, GSU:According to Joe, it’s particularly important for people in the Atlanta region to understand the transit-planning challenges of the past and to bring them into a modern day conversation about the region’s needs:“Opinions on public transit seem to be changing as more people across the region look favorably to transit.  We wanted to bring this data to the public so that the region’s citizens and leaders could clearly see that MARTA has always been planned to serve the metro Atlanta area.  We hope that this project contributes to a better understanding of MARTA’s long and continuing struggle to serve the region.  And as more people begin to support the idea of a true regional transportation system, being able to view these old transit proposals might bring them back on the planning table.”

Today’s Headlines

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  • Chattanooga City Council to Vote Next Week on Light Rail Feasibility Study (Times Free Press)
  • Jefferson County Reallocates School Tax to General Fund, Transit (Alabama Live)
  • Streetcar Ride Through New Orleans Reveals City’s Post-Katrina Resilience (Bloomberg)
  • Atlanta Developers Want Projects Close to MARTA, Reduced Parking (Globest)
  • Clayton County Starting to Feel Connected as MARTA Considers Additional Routes (AJC)
  • Florida DOT District Secretary Calls for Road Diets, Bike/Ped Safety (Bradenton Herald)
  • Pedestrian Death Leads to Push for Crosswalk Along Mile-Long Stretch on Tampa Road (FL Newstime)
  • Bike-Share Seeing Rapid Growth Across Southern Florida (Sun Sentinel)
  • Fort Myers Resident Advocates for Bike/Ped Pathways for 25 Years (News-Press)
  • Miami Law Group Leads Vision Zero Online Campaign (Kaire Law)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

Today’s Headlines

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  • Georgia Road-Funding Bill Signed Into Law (Augusta Chronicle)
  • Gov. Deal Tells Locals to Reduce Own Taxes to Pay for Road Package (Florida Times-Union)
  • Atlanta Mayor Reed Hands Over Fort McPherson to Tyler Perry for Little Return (Saporta)
  • Tri-Rail Officials Vow to Fix Delays, Communication Problems With More Staff (Sun-Sentinel)
  • Tri-Rail Expansion Spurs Mixed-Used Development (South Florida Business Journal)
  • Delray Beach Asks AAF to Fund Infrastructure Upgrades (WPEC)
  • SunRail Wins $93 Million Federal Grant for Expansion (Orlando Sentinel)
  • Durham County Commissioners Pledge Complete Streets Out of Safety Concerns (The Herald Sun)
  • Amtrak and CSX File Lawsuit Over March Train Derailment in North Carolina (Insurance Journal)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

Today’s Headlines

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  • MARTA Looks to Revamp, Add New Cars to Rail Fleet (AJC)
  • Despite MARTA Successes and Public Interest, Cobb County Leadership Still Not Interested (MDJ)
  • Atlanta Streetcar Executive Director Resigns (Creative Loafing)
  • What You Need To Know About Georgia’s Transpo Funding Bill, Besides Transit Exclusion (AJC)
  • Despite Weather, New Orleans Streetcar Project on Schedule (WDSU)
  • Tampa Bay Times Asks Why Downtown Clearwater Can’t be a Pedestrian Mall
  • Nashville Must Have a Bold Vision to Meet Future Transportation Needs (Tennessean)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

Cape Coral’s Bimini Basin Visioning Process

By Darla | | No Comments
Exciting conversations are going on in our local communities about how to revitalize and redevelop our civic cores. BWL's Ann Pierce reports on one of these--Cape Coral's visioning process for the Bimini Basin.By Ann Pierce 5/1/15Ann PierceLook out Fort Myers; Cape Coral is coming after you! Such was the good-natured introduction last Thursday by Mayor Sawicki to the final community presentation of the Bimini Basin Redevelopment Visioning Process.  Fort Myers’ beautifully redeveloped downtown has become a local model of revitalization, but if these plans in the works for Cape Coral are realized, it will be the model to beat. Over 300 interested and enthusiastic Cape Coral citizens crowded into the standing-room-only presentation given by fifteen advanced design students from USF’s School of Architecture and Community Design. In three teams of five, the students presented a beautiful series of development variations informed by researching the City’s previously commissioned plans and soliciting citizen input during a well-attended Charrette and midpoint-review meeting in January and March. Mayor Sawicki discusses plans with Cape residentEven with distinct creative differences there were common themes that ran strongly through the individual plans.  The future city depicted by these millennials was decidedly different from that of the previous generation - this was definitely not your father’s city.  Yet the vision of pervasive open public spaces; greenscaping; active transportation; minimization of the presence of automobiles; human-scale, mid-rise structures; and vibrant, diverse city life seem to get a positive reception from the audience of aging Baby Boomers.  With a strong emphasis on “The Outdoor City” and maximization of water and view and access as a public asset to be preserved, each team proposed accommodations for business, entertainment and residential districts. From Class A office space to mid-rise, mixed-use, multifamily residential, to a basin-encircling boardwalk, each plan emphasized strong connections to active outdoor living with community-wide networks of shaded greenways for walking and cycling, connecting every district to the other and to the water's edge.     Local architect Joyce Owens discusses plan with USF presenterBanished were the massive seas of asphalt parking lots, storm water retention ponds and forlorn transit stops.  With an emphasis on walkability and active transportation, each plan featured rich cityscapes of multi-story buildings with retail and open air restaurants on first levels and office, studios or residential space above.  A continuous flow of shaded walks and linear parks knit the community together. With this emphasis on connective walkability, was an equal de-emphasis of automobile primacy. Streets were to be narrowed or ‘right-sized’ and traffic slowed, sidewalks and bike lanes installed or widened and parking directed to on-street or multistory garages. A truly multimodal transit hub with bus access, bike share stations and kayak rentals was envisioned as a central city feature, fulfilling aesthetic, transportation and social gathering space needs.  Sustainability was cleverly integrated in detail through each of the plans where every roof surface served multiple purposes of hosting solar arrays or gardens designed to detain and process storm water, cool the surrounding air and provide fresh foods for the restaurants below. Dense tree planting and innovative ground-level, low impact storm water management, both visually and functionally appealing, were the standards. Parks large and small were shown as accessible from every part of the redevelopment area. Some to serve as community farms or public flower gardens, but all acting to unify the whole of the redevelopment area. USF student Ashley Barkley explains model to residentIn a reverse of many of today's cities, parks and connected treed greenways totaled 20% or more of the total acreage, with active transportation avenues replacing much of the land typically given over to roadways and parking.Bimini Basin itself was to be enhanced with the extension of the Rubicon Canal creating a larger and more dramatic waterfront, a waterfront designed to remain publicly accessible, with the tallest buildings kept the greatest distance from the water's edge. Mayor Sawicki announced that she had already received a positive response from the Florida based director of the Army Corps of Engineers regarding possible enlargement of this canal.  With the emphasis on visual and physical public access to the waterfront and to the mixed use business, entertainment and residential districts beyond; high rises were not part of this millennial vision and no structure reached more than 7 to 10 stories tall.  The need to create and retain local jobs and increase access to higher education were issues also addressed in imaginative ways.  Certainly, practical realities will temper some of these visionary flights.  But, the message presented by these very talented students was clear; they did not see a future of auto centric single-family homes, garages or private backyard entertainment or even the glitz of high rise living. Instead, they were creating highly dynamic and beautifully organic shared public spaces, rich with opportunity ranging from quiet contemplation to robust activity.  The indivisibility of environmental and economic sustainability was a matter of course, with deeply integrated planning and design drawing together the business, entertainment and residential districts into a socially nurturing place to thrive. All three plans and their component parts will be posted on a City website with citizen engagement and feedback encouraged. After which, the preferred elements can be further developed, vetted for practical application and consolidated into a final implementable plan.

Today’s Headlines

By Ashley Robbins | | No Comments
  • Florida Senate Kills Paltry Road Safety Bill; Lawmakers Blame Cyclists (News-Press)
  • Tampa Community Leaders Call for Bike Policy Change … (WTSP)
  • … While New Police Chief Denies Unfair Treatment (Florida Politics)
  • Jacksonville Extends Contract of Transit Chief Nat Ford (FL Times Union)
  • SunRail Celebrates First Anniversary With One Million Rides … (Orlando Sentinel)
  • … Reporters Celebrate by Testing SunRail Speeds Versus Driving (Daytona News-Journal)
  • SunRail Ridership Falls Short of Weekend Benchmark Goals (WFTV)
  • Cornelius Planners Hope New Bike Plan Will Win Honor (Huntersville Herald)
  • Fulton County Chairman Wants Another Shot at TSPLOST (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
  • Atlanta’s BeltLine Leads to Development Pattern Shift (Architects Newspaper)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

BWL Column: Good News Abounds for Lee County Cyclists, Pedestrians

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BWL's column this week focuses on all the good things that are happening in the cycling and walking world in SWFL.  Time to get out there and enjoy these new facilities, with more coming soon.BikeWalkLee's "Go Coastal" News-Press Column, April 30, 2015What’s right about cycling and walking in Southwest Florida? Plenty, and if you need some reminders:•A lot of new facilities countywide, more on the drawing board and so many communities looking to enhance bike/ped in their neighborhoods that the backlog in requests is growing dauntingly large.•Cape Coral’s new 90 miles of interconnected bike routes with distinctive signage, informational maps and kiosks highlighting the landmarks and activities you can discover on your ride — a sign of what dedicated citizens and a willing government can accomplish together.•Sanibel… with its new Pond Apple Park/Shipley Trail path adding to more than 25 miles of shared-use paths and 8 miles of natural-surface paths, further burnishing its Bike Friendly Community status. Two new path extensions are in the works thanks to recently received grants — one to Bowman’s Beach and another to connect the exit of “Ding” Darling to the existing path system.•The federal TIGER grant that’s going to fill in some major gaps in existing bike/ped facilities. Construction of these new biking and walking facilities will begin this summer and continue through 2016 along sections of Colonial Boulevard., Daniels Parkway, Six Mile Cypress, San Carlos Park and Florida Gulf Coast University, so stay tuned.•Bonita Springs is likewise embracing bike/ped friendliness, with its Complete Streets policy, joining the nationwide Mayors’ Challenge to help make roads more pedestrian and bike friendly (with Cape Coral and Fort Myers), and designing the downtown Bonita improvements project to be bicycle and pedestrian friendly.•Bike/ped improvements are a focus of the major Estero Boulevard. improvement project getting underway on Fort Myers Beach, a long-term project that will mean a lot for a very popular, family-friendly tourist destination.•Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT) and the city of Fort Myers are coordinating efforts to maximize the long-term benefits of an FDOT Pedestrian Safety grant by packaging it with the redesign and enhancement of the entire U.S. 41 corridor from Winkler Ave to Victoria.•The continued strong leadership of the countywide regional transportation planning body, called the Metropolitan Planning Organization, by inclusion of bike/ped friendly policies and projects in its transportation plans and funding priorities, among its many efforts.•More people biking and walking every year. This season saw more people on the paths and lanes — a trend we hope will continue as a transportation alternative, to support healthy lifestyles and with the continued growth of bike tourism (a concept our local tourist pros have solidly embraced, to their credit).•A network of local groups to support biking, running and walking at almost any level you’d need… Caloosa Riders, Sanibel Bicycle Club, SWFL Critical Mass, Fort Myers Track Club, the Speedsters, the Striders, 3D Running Club, Southwest Florida Walking Meetup Group, Southwest Florida Biking Meetup Group and more — and that’s just (sort of) looking at Lee County.•The state’s growing commitment to Complete Streets, with forceful advocates on the regional and state level and a new policy to guide it in the future, thanks to FDOT leadership.Even the “bad” news is good news… more attention to bike injuries and fatalities and more coverage of bike/ped issues translates to more awareness and more action, both by the public and elected officials.Turtle TrotHead to the beach on May 9 for the 10th annual Turtle Trot 5K at Lovers Key State Park, to support The Friends of Lovers Key Inc. A unique trail course takes runners through a shady maritime hammock ecosystem on a hard-packed shell path; no part of the course requires running through beach sand. The course ends at a pavilion overlooking the beach where refreshments will be served and awards will be presented. Check out www.ftmyerstrackclub.com for details.BikeWalkLee is a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County—streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at www.BikeWalkLee.org.Upcoming eventsRunning/walking:•May 9: 10th annual Turtle Trot 5K at Lovers Key, to support The Friends of Lovers Key Inc. Trail course on shell paths (no sand). Registration 7 a.m. (www.fortmyerstrackclub.com)•May 16: Cape Cops 5K, Cape Coral Yacht Club. Run, walk and kids’ fun run, starts at 7:30 a.m. (www.fortmyerstrackclub.com)•May 23: Mosquito 10K / Run-4-Others 5K, Edgewater United Methodist Church, 19190 Cochran Blvd Port Charlotte. Proceeds benefit “Imagine No Malaria.” (www.active.com)•June 20: Sugden Stride 5K, the first event in the Elite Events Summer 5K Series. Sugden Regional Park, Naples. (www.eliteevents.com)Cycling and other events:•May 1: SWFL Critical Mass ride. Join our May Day family fun slow ride through Fort Myers. Front and rear bike lights required. Grab your helmet, bring all your friends and meet in the open field next to Publix at First Street Village, 2160 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers. (www.SWFLCM.com)•May 20: Ride of Silence, to honor cyclists killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Leaves at 7 p.m. from Centennial Park, 2000 West First Street, Fort Myers. Riders are requested to wear black arm bands, or red if they have personally been injured in a cycling vs. motor vehicle accident. Free, no registration necessary. Also the Sanibel Bicycle Club, in collaboration with Billy’s Bikes and Matzaluna Restaurant, has organized a ride from Sanibel, leaving from the Matzaluna Restaurant (1200 Periwinkle Way) over the Causeway bridges and back. Arrive at 6:15 for a pre-event, with ride starting at 7 p.m. Both are free, no registration necessary.•June 5: SWFL Critical Mass ride. Join a family fun slow ride through Fort Myers. Front and rear bike lights required. Grab your helmet, bring all your friends and meet in the open field next to Publix at First Street Village, 2160 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers. (www.SWFLCM.com)•July 12: Wheels and Wings VI, Beef O’Bradys, 1105 Taylor Road Punta Gorda. Five different rides: 15 mile (Mystery Ride) 32-/50-/62-miles and a 40-mile Gravel Grinder. Food, fun and more. (www.active.com)Triathlons:•May 1: Online registration opens for the 2015 Galloway Captiva Tri, a unique sprint-length event held Sept. 12-13 (kid-friendly tris Saturday, adults Sunday) on Captiva Island. Go to www.captivatri.org or www.active.com to register, with proceeds to benefit Community Cooperative.•May 3: Lake Avalon reverse triathlon & duathlon, Sugden Regional Park, Naples. Details at trifind.com•May 9: Cape Coral sprint triathlon, Cape Coral Yacht Club. Details at trifind.com.•June 7: Naples Fitness Challenge Triathlon, Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club. (www.thefitnesschallengetriathlon.com)•July 12: American Sprint Triathlon & Duathlon (run/bike/run), Sugden Regional Park, 4284 Avalon Drive, Naples. (www.active.com)•July 18: Englewood YMCA Sprint Triathlon
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