High Quality Trails Just Work...

I loved this StreetFilms video of the Cultural Trail that recently opened in Indianapolis.  It's a completely separate bicycle and pedestrian trail that connects Indianapolis' downtown amenities.  I immediately thought of how successful the Beltline Eastside Trail has been when I saw the traffic on this trail.  

We can and should build the Roswell Loop as soon as possible and also look to create as many path connections through the center of our city as possible.

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: The Next-Gen in U.S. Protected Bike Lanes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Ponce City Market is Going to Look Nice

I can't wait to see the renovation of the old Sears building in the Old Fourth Ward!  Ponce City Market posted a nice fly through of what it will look like.  Enjoy...

TIA2012 and the Beltline

The Beltline is perhaps the most transformational project our region has ever seen. Granted, the direct beneficiaries will be in the city of Atlanta. However, our region as a whole will benefit greatly from this development. Check out this video on TIA2012's impact on the Beltline.

Roswell Roads, Density Battle 2, Buckhead and the Beltline

Roswell News

Norcross-Grimes Roundabout Update - The roundabout is finally functional.  I’ve used it about 10 times in the past few weeks and so far I love it.  I have seen a couple of confused drivers and I’ve heard one honk at someone who wasn’t paying attention.  I’d love to see some stats on how many accidents there have been since it opened.  If there have been any, they surely can’t have been too bad as the speed within the roundabout has been low as predicted.  

Midtown Streetscape Project - The finishing touches are being put on the landscaped islands on Alpharetta Hwy.  The first one is just north of the Norcross St intersection and the last on is at the Hog Creek Bridge.  This one will be the largest.  I’m still concerned about the lighting and overhead wires.  To spend all of this money on streetscape improvements and overlook the most unsightly piece of the streetscape (aside from the crappy buildings along the corridor) is a disappointment.  

Historic Gateway Project - This project was included on the final list of projects submitted to the regional transportation roundtable.  It will be reviewed for potential inclusion in the list of projects that will be included in the regional sales tax initiative that is going to be on the ballot next year.  

Comp Plan Undergoes Changes After Residents Sound Off - Roswell Neighbor

There was a vocal contingent that voiced its concern over the types of uses the Roswell Comp Plan (Roswell 2030) was proposing for the Holcomb Bridge and GA400 interchange.  There are still thoughts of Charlie Brown in everyone’s minds.  I’m in favor of a massive revitalization of that area for many reasons, not the least of which is that it is a dysfunctional area in our city that has the potential to be a major jobs, residential and transportation center that Roswell and North Fulton can use.  Here’s a quote from the Roswell Neighbor article that outlines the types of changes that were made after the ‘sound off:’

Among the changes sought, according to Tolleson, is shifting density from the southeast quadrant of Ga. 400/Holcomb Bridge to the northwest quadrant. And instead of designating Holcomb Bridge Road as a commercial corridor, it would be the lower impact designation of neighborhood commercial, which would allow businesses “that support people who already live here, not the people passing through,” he said.

You can take that for what it’s worth but I think it’s a classic case of ‘we don’t want that type of people getting any closer to our space here in East Roswell.’  Also, what in the world is ‘lower impact’ ‘neighborhood commercial?’  If that is another way to say, ‘exactly what we already have,’ then I’m 100% against it because it’s not going to work in the years ahead.  

Regional News

Regional Light Rail All About Jobs North Fulton Chamber CEO Says - Alpharetta-Milton Patch

image: Metro Atlanta Northern Crescent Transit

Brandon Beach has been lobbying pretty actively to get transit into the northern burbs of late.  Most recently a public/private consortium of regional leaders met at the Cobb Galleria Centre to discuss the prospects of transit in the burbs.  It seems to have been an optimistic meeting with a caveat that most of the people there stand to benefit financially from transit development especially if it is primarily publicly funded.  Here’s a quote that I found interesting:

A survey conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2008 found that by investing $26 billion to $46 billion in transportation infrastructure, including light rail, Georgia could increase its gross domestic product by $114 billion and create 230,000 jobs over the next 20 years.

35% of Atlanta Homes Underwater - Atlanta Business Chronicle

YIKES!  This is well above the national average of 22.7% according to CoreLogic.

Stalled Alpharetta Project to Get New Life - AJC

Prospect Park is about to have a new owner.  North American Properties plans to purchase the land and build a more realistic and less grandiose mixed-use center on the 106 acre property.  They will begin community outreach in the coming months.  You may recognize North American Properties as the company that purchased the retail and some of the office space in Atlantic Station last year.  I believe they have done a good job engaging that community thus far to find out what they want to see at Atlantic Station.

MARTA Takes A $14M Step Toward Linking its Buckhead Station With Adjacent Developments - Saporta Report

image: Atlanta Business ChronicleBidding will open at the end of this month to improve linking the Buckhead station with developments on the north side of the station.  This is a great step to making MARTA more functional within neighborhoods (albeit wealthy a wealthy neighborhood) and job centers.

City Hall East Deal Could be Derailed by Feds - Creative Loafing

image: Creative LoafingThis is complicated and I find that generally when things get complicated, we’re doing something wrong.  My understanding is that the deal is being held up because the US Parks Department of the Dept of the Interior is not comfortable with what potential owner/devolper Jamestown Properties wants to do with the long vacant building.  Jamestown is applying for some $15M in tax credits???  Do they really need $15M in tax credits to make this thing work?  It’s a gem in an area that is revitalizing.  I think both sides need to give a little here.  I’d love to see this building get put to good use.  It’s a great pice of historic architecture in our region.

Go East, Young Beltline Fanatic - Creative Loafing

image: Historic 4th Ward Park ConservancyThe loaf has a good quick update on what is going on with the parks and trails along the Beltline.  The park in Old Fourth Ward was recently ‘officially’ opened and it has been getting rave reviews.  Just from the images I’ve seen, it looks incredible.  One of these days, I’ll make my way down to check it out.

Streets of Buckhead now Buckhead Atlanta - Atlanta Business Chronicle

image: Oliver McMillanSay what you will about the name of the project but I am certainly glad to see new ownership and the potential for progress.  The eyesore in Buckhead has been a horrible scar on our region’s most prosperous area.  You personally may never buy something from the shops that will be at ‘Buckhead Atlanta’ but the county’s tax base will reap benefits.  The new developer said this about the project:

One of the highest profile developments in the country halted by the economic downturn and financing drought. The new name signifies a departure from the concept of a single destination development and a move toward a mixed-use community that will fit seamlessly within the existing Buckhead Village

Atlanta Grants Siemens Contract for 4 Atlanta Streetcars - Green Building Chronicle

image: SiemensThis is a $17M+ contract with Siemens.  The city is expecting delivery of the first car in September 2012 with revenue service starting up in early 2013.  The Siemens facility in Alpharetta will be doing much of the work on the propulsion systems for the new cars.  

Bike Trails Proposed along GA 400 - Reporter Newspapers

image: Reporter NewspapersThis is a win in the Buckhead area.  Buckhead is great but it does have Atlanta’s lowest acreage of parks per capita.  The trail system is a partnership between several organizations including the PATH foundation, Buckhead CIT, Atlanta City Council and others.  The trail will begin at Loridans Drive just south of the toll booth and will continue 4.5 miles into Midtown also connecting with the Beltline trail system.  

GA400/I-85 Interchange Work Set to Start - Atlanta Business Chronicle

image: GDOTWill we finally be able to go northbound on I-85 from GA400 South?  Will those traveling south on I-85 be able to get on to GA400?  Looks like it’s happening.  You can thank the GA400 toll for this one.  

Plans for Upscale Apartment Tower at 12th & Midtown

image: Midtown PatchThis looks like a nice project.  It’s interesting to see another tower going up in Midtown in this environment.  The economics of apartments are definitely different than those of condos/lofts right now.  I’ll be interested to see how this one pans out.  Midtown is obviously doing well but I’m not sure it needs another tower right now.  However, it’s definitely better than a surface parking lot.  

Regulator Calls for 20-30MW Solar Projects - Atlanta Business Chronicle

The Georgia Public Service Commission would like to see plans in place to significantly increase the state’s renewable capacity given the increasing volatility in traditional energy markets.

Parking on Canton St, Beltline Progress and Regional Transit?

I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last NUR Review.  I’ve been sidetracked with another project I’ve been working on.  We’re catching up on news since early February so some of the news might be a little dated.

Roswell

Canton Street restaurants eye parking spaces | Roswell-Neighbor

If they are going to do this, it needs to be all or none.  Also, do not cut out the automobile traffic and make it into a pedestrian mall.  There is not enough density to support a pedestrian mall in our area.

City Council Agrees on Proposed Road Projects | Roswell, GA Patch

The city voted on a list of six projects to submit to the Regional Transit Roundtable.  The six projects are the Highway 9 Historic Gateway, Big Creek River Bridge Phase 1, Big Creek to the River Multi-Use Trail Connection, North Fulton Cross County Trail Connection, Houze Road Operational Improvements and Holcomb Bridge/GA 400 Interchange Improvements.  I think that all of these are necessary and the list is appropriate for our municipality.  now, we won’t be getting all of them but I’m sure we’ll see one or two make their way into the regional list of projects.

Cruzeiro Esporte considering Atlanta? | Atlanta Business Chronicle

So, this isn’t our usual type of news review.  However, this could be very interesting for Roswell and N.Fulton.  Cruzeiro has a huge youth program and could bring major attention to N. Fulton.  The facility would need about 100 acres, could have 18 fields and investment could be $20 to $40 million.  This might be something nice to put in or around the Holcomb Bridge/400 interchange.

Alpharetta Wants to Make Plans for Vacant Auto Dealerships, Big Box Retail Stores | Alpharetta-Milton Patch

We need to seriously start looking into ideas like this here in Roswell.  The state of empty big-box retail and car dealerships in our city is dismal.  

Region

High-speed rail funding would build new $39 million Amtrak station near Atlantic Station | Creative Loafing

This could be neat.. but it’s still AMTRAK.  

Leaders Push Transit Plan That Ends MARTA | WSB Atlanta

Please... make this happen!!

ARC pushes for transit governance | NorthFulton.com

Again.. please... make this happen!!

PolitiFact Georgia | Atlanta Streetcar projected to be jobs boon

This is some very interesting info on what makes a job a job.  When you hear about how many jobs a project is expected to create, economists, politicians and developers have a pretty nifty way of making things sound better than they actually are.  

Alpharetta Council OKs Mixed-Use Rezoning on Haynes Bridge Near GA 400 - Alpharetta-Milton, GA Patch

This is old news but if you haven’t seen it, there is some interesting commentary on the Alpharetta Met life project

BeltLine Construction Could Begin in March - Virginia Highland-Druid Hills, GA Patch

It's becoming an reality.  I can't wait to go for a walk on the trail.

Historic Fourth Ward Park, the newest Beltline greenspace, opens | Creative Loafing Atlanta

If you haven’t seen this park, it’s a true gem thus far.  Great addition to Atlanta’s park system and it’s also another piece of the BeltLine that’s starting to take shape.

City wants downtown streetcar to use new Beltline friendly vehicles — for an additional $9 million | Creative Loafing Atlanta

This makes total sense and the city should work to make this happen for the long term success of both projects.

City Hall East details trickle out: Adios parking deck, hello 'food hall?' | Creative Loafing Atlanta

Another neat project that’s near the BeltLine.

Atlanta Wins Two ‘Opportunity’ Zones | Atlanta Business Chronicle

More good news for City Hall East.

Doraville presents final plan for GM plant, town center  | ajc.com

Please just do something here.  

Alpharetta Buying Downtown Property for City Center | Alpharetta-Milton, GA Patch

Alpharetta may be looking to revive its City Center project sometime soon.  I'm looking forward to seeing their idea.

Atlantic Station, prepare for your spellbinding transformation into the 'anti-mall!' | Creative Loafing Atlanta

Thankfully, the new owners are planning to do something with the retail in Atlantic Station. I’d love to see a more local and regional focus.

Streets of Buckhead may come to life | Atlanta Business Chronicle

New ownership and new life have people much more optimistic about the SoB these days.  Let’s hope they get the cranes moving again.  

Development, in high times or low, can’t crush Smyrna’s blooms  | ajc.com

Smyrna is starting to feel a little optimism about development.  

What's Another Billion Amongst Friends? - The NUR Transportation Wish List

With the HB277 regional transportation referendum coming up in 2012 and the wish list of regional transportation projects starting to take form, I thought it would be fun to put a regional wishlist of my own together.  Below are the eight projects that I would like to see prioritized: 

1. Beltline - Prioritization of the BeltLine transit component should be a top consideration.  This project will do more to reign in the traffic inducing sprawl than any other in the metro area by bringing development closer to the regional core.  If done right, new residents who would normally consider the outlying suburbs as well as some of the existing residents of the burbs will consider moving closer into town.

2. Cover the Connector - There is an incredible amount of downtown real estate that is not being used.  Where is it?  Aside from all the surface parking lots.... I'm talking about the space above the connector from 17th street south to the Capitol.  Although I too use the term connector, it's actually not correct.  The road is a major divider of the downtown core.  I would envision a system of parks and boulevards on top of the connector that would bring the east and the west sides of the city together.  

Here's a picture of the interstate under construction at Ga Tech and the Varsity.  Yes, where we have divided the city, there used to actually be neighborhoods.  Covering the connector will do nothing for traffic but it will to an incredible amount for the city and region.

3. Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal - The rail and transit infrastructure in Atlanta has suffered for some time.  The multi-modal passenger terminal that has been proposed by the city will do a lot to change that.  It would accommodate subway, commuter rail, buses and future high speed rail (if that ever happens).  The city recently selected the proposal by Cousins Properties.  Their vision outlined in the proposal is as follows:

"Below the street" is a central transit hub, a connecting point. "Above" is a vibrant, mixed-use urban environment, driven by the market, linking downtown Atlanta neighborhoods and activity centers with reconnected street grids and green spaces.  The transportation connectivity below drives the Region and the State, while the development above creates new linkages that reconnect the City.

Man, that was a lot of buzzword planning jargon du-jour.  I'm not opposed to any of it and I'd love to see it realized.  Unfortunately, they did not provide any renderings but one of the competing bids from Perkins+Will did.  Here's a rough image of their proposal which probably isn't too different from the Cousins vision.

4. Put Rail in the Center Lanes - So, you want to figure out how to run transit through our cities without having to pay insane amounts for right of way?  Take the center lanes away and turn them into rail.  It would look something like the center lane down 400 just north of the Buckhead business district.

5. Create a Truly Regional Transit System & Rebranding MARTA - If we are going to create a regional transportation system, we need a regional governing body to manage that system.  MARTA sucks.. let's face it.  There is a stigma that isn't going away... ever.  We need to bring Fulton, Dekalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton, et al. together and act like a region.  I believe Atlanta's image will suffer until we can coalesce into a coherent region.  

I've floated the name ARTSY in a previous post.  Since then, I heard that some folks are pushing the name "The ATL" for a new regional system.  I'm okay with that as it is a reference that many people use and identify with the region and it would constantly remind people of the fact that they are part of a larger region 'The ATL.'

The planning efforts should follow the Concept 3 plan and work to spread rail and light rail to the suburban city centers.  The map below is a great place to start.  Unfortunately, the work detailed in the map would cost upwards of $100B and our region isn't going to have that type of cash.. ever.  So, we should take the best pieces and make them work.

 

  
6. Tell Art Blank NO NEW STADIUM - This isn't really transportation related but do we really need a new stadium? Right next to the existing stadium? When that stadium isn't going to be torn down?  I don't think so.  Plus, I think the several hundred million of taxpayer dollars that will undoubtedly go into a new stadium could be better allocated to some of the projects that will be on the HB277 list.  Plus, the Georgia Dome just makes more sense.  It's located right in between two MARTA stations and it's only 20 years old!

7. 200 miles of dedicated bike/pedestrian paths connecting the region - I know this seems a bit ridiculous but I personally think we could make huge strides in health, community and energy consumption if more people felt like they could safely bike around their town.  I'm not talking bike lanes.  I'm talking dedicated trails such as the Alpharetta Greenway, Silver Comet Trail and the Beltline trail system.

8. Road Work - Take the rest and dedicate to road repair, maintenance and bottleneck reduction on our roads.  It's going to cost a lot to maintain this monstrosity which was one of GDOT's 'highlights' of 2009.

That's it. There isn't much directly for Roswell itself on my list but many of the items incorporate expansion of transit alternatives into the suburbs and I would prioritize the extension of the North Springs line to Windward Parkway.  If you want to drive jobs and development to our city and region in this day and age, the best way to do it is to invest in our city centers and regional center and provide high quality mobility choices.  The days of the American love affair with the car are numbered.  We need to get used to the idea that mobility won't be as cheap or easy and start thinking about ways to mitigate that.  

Images: The BeltLine Partnership | Atlanta Time Machine | Perkins+Will | marklarson Flickr | Citizens for Progressive Transit | Populous | Path Foundation | GDOT

The Atlanta Streetcar Vision+

For those of you who are interested in the Downtown Streetcar concept, you may want to check out this link from the Revision Cloud blog.  It is a fantastic piece showing how the proposed streetcar could be expanded to better connect neighborhoods, the Beltline and MARTA.  

A Streetcar Named Opportunity - Revision|Cloud

Streetcars, Secession and Elections

Today's post will be a little long winded but there's a lot of exciting news out there right now.  We're starting to hear a lot more about transit in our region.  Unfortunately, Roswell has been on the periphery up until now.  One of this installment's headlines is about the upcoming vote on the North Fulton Transit Plan.  I find it amazing how much mis information and divisiveness is out there on transit.  My biggest complaint is that people don't realize or admit that our road system is significantly more subsidized and expensive than transit.  The other idea that transit should somehow have to turn a profit is misguided at best.  Do our roads turn a profit?  The only way that can happen is by installing a toll and we all love those don't we??

Roswell

Roswell to Vote on Transit Plan - AJC

The vote will occur during Monday's City Council meeting and will determine whether to adopt the North Fulton transportation plan that was put together by the Atlanta Regional Commission and Kimley Horn & Associates after workshops were held in the area asking citizens what their transportation needs are.  Last week, Milton became the first city in North Fulton to sign off on the plan.

Roswell City Council Calls Meeting for Land Purchase - AJC

I'm not sure what they are going to do with it exactly but it's looking like the old dilapidated apartment building near the intersection of Oxbo and Hwy 9 will be razed to help re-route Oxbo.  Not sure what will happen to the hardware store.

Roswell Wired for Free at City Hall and Three Area Parks - AJC

This is great.  Does the library do this as well?  If not, they should.  The even better thing is that the city has found a way to minimize the cost on this project. 

Region

Streetcar Project Gets Green Light from the Feds - Saporta Report

The feds are planning to kick in $47 million and the city and state are going to pick up the rest of the $70 million price tag.  Notable Excerpt:

Located in the heart of Downtown Atlanta, the Georgia Transit Connector Project which will run a span of approximately 2.6 miles will connect Peachtree Street with Sweet Auburn Avenue shuttling more than 4.7 million tourists each year and a large mass of local residents through the area.cerpt:

Streetcar Money Breaks Atlanta Transit Losing Streak - Jay Bookman AJC 

Jay's posts always seem to draw the ire of the commenter.  There is a good map of the route as well.  Notable Excerpt:

In terms of transportation and economic development, though, the line in question makes a lot of sense, linking some of the city’s major tourist attractions and its major downtown hotel district. As the city’s application noted, it will also “reconnect the eastern and western sections of Downtown Atlanta, which were effectively separated by the construction of Interstate 75/85 in the mid 1950s.”

I do love this project from a new urbanist point of view as it is reconnecting neighborhoods and areas that were separated by bad planning decisions of prior generations.

Neal Boortz: Trolley Nothing but Fanplex on Wheels - AJC

I can't say that I completely disagree with Neal here.  Notable Excerpt:

The real issue with this streetcar is the routing. Is it going to run up Peachtree Street to the Arts Center or maybe even to Buckhead? Nope. I guess tourists really don’t want to travel between Midtown and Centennial Olympic Park.

No, this street car is going to run between Centennial Olympic Park and the King Center. Are there throngs of tourists hovering around Centennial Olympic Park on any given day trying to figure out how to get to the King Center?

Report: Metro Atlanta's Traffic is 15th Worst in Nation - AJC

This study, Driven Apart: How Sprawl is Lengthening Our Commutes and why Misleading Mobility Measures are Making Things Worse, takes a slightly different view on traffic.  It actually looks at traffic from two perspectives, time spent on clogged roads as well as distance of commute.

Dekalb Mayors to Consider Joining Circle of One-Cent Transportation Tax Critics - Creative Loafing

More cracks are starting to show in the logic of HB277.  We need to fix this before 2012 or Fulton and Dekalb will not successfully carry the region and our transit deadlock will continue well into the next decade.

The Atlanta Beltline Provides a Prescription for a Healthy City - Saporta Report

Valarie Wilson, Executive Director of the Atlanta Beltline Partnership, makes the case that the parks and transit components of the Beltline will help the city increase physical activity thus reduce overall health care costs.

Notable Quote:

Among physically able adults, average annual medical expenditures are 32 percent lower for those who achieve physical activity targets than for those who are sedentary.

City Hall East to get $180M Facelift - 11Alive.com

Great news for development along the Beltline.  Just another one of those liberal transit boondoggles :)  The plan is currently for about 20% retail and the rest split between office and residential.

Wheels Turning on Transit Hub at Downtown 'Gulch' - AJC

I'm really excited to see the plans.  To bad they won't be out until May '11.  Currently 5 developers are expected to submit projects for the planned transit hub that will link MARTA rail and bus, Regional Express bus systems and future passenger rail as well as streetcars.  

Toll Lane Proposal for I-75, I-575 to get Public Input - AJC

Maybe we're on our way to fixing this boondoggle of a 'free'way system that we have now.  Something tells me that this isn't going to fly.  At least we're not looking to widen this stretch of 'free'way to 23 lanes anymore (for now).  Reversible lanes might be in the future though.

Live Work Play Coming to Buckhead - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Moving in the right direction... Notable Excerpt:

The new standards encourage more street-level retail and improved streetscaping in an area centered in the Buckhead Village near the planned $1.5 billion Streets of Buckhead but also including major intersections along Peachtree, Piedmont and Roswell roads.

Sidewalks, Not Streetcars - Sunday Paper

Lots of people are making the argument these days that the city could more wisely invest the money that is being thrown into the Atlanta Streetcar project.  This piece recants a story that the writer covered in the mid '90s about a young girl who was killed by a hit and run driver along a road that did not have sidewalks.  It's worth a read and will remind us that there are simple things that can save lives that should get more attention.  Notable Excerpt:

Sidewalks are only one of many basic public needs that are ignored by Atlanta’s city government as its politicians pursue more glamorous monuments to themselves.

Broke and Broken: Fixing Sidewalks Should be City's Responsibility - Saporta Report

Here's another piece on sidewalks from Sally Flocks of PEDS.  The unbelievable piece of this that I had no idea of until I read it was that the city is actually not responsible for the maintenance of sidewalks.  Notable Excerpt:

The 2008 State of the City’s Infrastructure report estimates that 18 percent of the City’s sidewalks need to be repaired or replaced, at a cost of $79.4 million.

Now, sidewalks are part of the public right of way.  The maintenance thereof will never be covered by a private entity on a consistent basis.  We need to look at Charlotte, DC, Boston and Chicago for an example of how to work on this one.  Just another example of how the city puts pedestrians at the bottom of the totem pole.  No wonder we're so obese.

Perimeter Residents Feel "They Have it All" - AJC

I admit that its nice in Perimeter.  The location is great for access to Atlanta's amenities.  There is access to Transit.  But really, the traffic is choking and there really isn't much of a 'town' atmosphere.  Sandy Springs is doing good things but you still can't really walk to much of anything if you live there.  I think in 10 years, they will have come a long way just as they have in the 10 years since I lived there.

Transportation Referendum Prompts Calls for Secession - AJC

Peachtree City Mayor Don Haddix is calling for secession from the 10 county Atlanta region due to his perception that Fayette county will not receive a fair shake out of the penny sales tax if approved.  This has since been voted down by a 3-2 vote.

Georgia Tech: Atlanta 'Testbed' for Reusing Urban Spaces

It probably helps that Ellen Dunham-Jones, an influential new urbanist and co-author of Retrofitting Suburbia, was the dean of the GT College of Architecture.  The college has worked on projects such as Atlantic Station and the Beltline and is now working on the old Ford plant in Hapeville that is slated to become Aerotropolis.  

New Urban Roswell Update

We found more than a few news items of note over the past couple of weeks from Roswell, around town and even outside the country.

Roswell

Roswell to Begin State Road 9 Improvements - AJC

The project has begun. We noticed the big orange barrels on our commute to work yesterday and we are excited to see the work begin. The work will progress in quarter mile increments and will begin at Norcross Street. This will really help change the face of the Roswell midtown area.

Legislature Passes Transportation Bill - ABC

This wasn't my favorite solution but it is a step in the right direction. MARTA will probably still have to make cuts this summer and we won't see any actual projects completed using the potential penny sales tax until 2014.

Sales of Foreclosures in North Fulton Increase: So What? - Live in Alpharetta

I'm not sure that I wholly agree with this post but I do agree that home prices in North Fulton are unlikely to see a wholesale decrease in values. The data is still deeply concerning and does not give any indication to me at least that the credit crisis is letting up. As the stimulus money begins to run out this quarter, I expect to see a dip back into recession territory. Also, the fact that Georgia was the sixth worst state came as no surprise but is disconcerting nonetheless.

Harry's Finds More Fresh Produce - NorthFulton.com

Harry's is now the drop off point for the Dunwoody Green Market CSA. We now have two CSA dropoffs here in Roswell with the other being the Local Food Stop dropoff at Market Street Antiques and Unitarian Universalist Church on Wed and Thurs respectively.

Roswell, Alpharetta Going Green - NorthFulton.com

This is a great article on Roswell and Alpharetta's green efforts. With Roswell being the only city in the state (to date) to achieve a Silver rating for the ARC's Green Communities initiative, it is obvious that the city is doing many things right. From parks, trails, water management, community outreach, tree protection and recycling, the city has really done a lot of good.

Metro

Big Creek Greenway Gets $1.5M Extension

This is great news for the big creek greenway. It will be incredible when it connects to the Forsyth portion. Now, let's see what the plan is for Roswell to extend the greenway further south.

Atlanta Receives Earth Day Brownfields Award from EPA to Support Beltline in Atlanta - EPA

This was a great announcement. Especially given the lack of funds that Atlanta or the state received from the stimulus package. There are 950 brownfield properties within Atlanta and 136 of those are along the Beltline.

Transit Cuts are Protested in Atlanta - NY Times

I thought it would be nice to get a little outside perspective on this. A third of the MARTA of buses and trains have had big red X's painted over them to signify that those are buses or trains that will be cut soon. We can only hope that cuts can be avoided. Unfortunately, it doesn't look that way. This article is rather pointed and doesn't mince words.

Reporter Asks "What Crosswalk?" - PEDS

I couldn't agree more with PEDS on this one. They wanted to point out that all too often, pedestrians are found at fault in traffic incidents while the bigger question of why did the pedestrian feel that they needed to act in an unsafe manner goes unanswered. Kudos to this reporter and to PEDS for posting this.

City Hall East Property Has New Suitor - ABC

Now that the beltline park in the fourth ward is underway, this purchase was bound to happen. The building should make an awesome mixed use office/residential complex if done right. There is a lot of potential here and I'm excited to see what it will become.

Compost Bins, Rain Barrels to be Distributed in Alpharetta - AJC

Unfortunately, I don't need these right now. The city will be selling Earth Machine backyard compost bins. Bins and rain barrels will be sold for $45 and $55 on a first-come-first-served basis.

Beyond

Would Streetcars in DC Spoil the City's Vistas - Washington Post

I completely agree that overhead wires look bad. I hate utility wires of all kinds. The technology does exist to make streetcars run without those ugly overhead wires. I just hope they aren't making perfect the enemy of good here. Streetcars definitely have a place and serve a great purpose.

New CDC Report Tells How to Design Communities to Support Good Health - PR-USA.net

The report in discussion works to illustrate the need to consider physical activity, respiratory and mental health, water quality, social equity and healthy aging when designing communities and the built environment. The CDC is looking to bring different diciplines together to work together to design the built environment in a more effective manner.

Upcoming Events

Congress for the New Urbanism - 5.19 - 5.22 - The most influential minds in the new urbanist movement will be here in Atlanta for the 18th congress. The theme this year is Rx for Healthy Places and is a joint effort with the CDC.

Go Wild in Roswell - 5.20 - 6.6 - This is a citywide celebration of nature that will feature different events on different days. Check out the link for details.

Atlanta Streets Alive - 5.23 - This one is still a little while away but it is a really interesting concept.

New Urban Roswell Update

We've got a few news items of note this week from Roswell, around town and even outside the country.

Roswell

One large item to report here in Roswell from earlier this month is the groundbreaking of the midtown streetscape improvement project.  We haven't seen anything of note just yet but we can't wait to see the finished product in a year or so.

Milton County: Not This Year - NorthFulton.com - Personally, I'm not in favor of seceding from Fulton county.  I just don't personally feel that it's necessary.  I actually feel that if anything, there should be more county consolidation in the metro area.  The paying more tax for fewer benefits just doesn't resonate with me.  How many states should cut ties with the federal government under that argument. 

Metro

We were happy to see some progress on the Beltline this week.  

Second Portion of Beltline Complete - wsbradio.com - Another segment of the Beltline trail opened this weekend. From what we can tell, it looks very professional and it should be a symbol to people that the Beltline will actually happen.

Dunwoody Envisions Significant Mixed Use Development - Champion Newspaper - This is more of a 20 year vision but it is promising nonetheless.  

MARTA Faces Drastic Cuts - Creative Loafing - Can someone please do something about this?  It's not looking good for a transportation bill under the gold dome for the third consecutive year.  I think we can all agree that cutting MARTA train and bus service on Fridays would be bad for the local economy and bad for everyone's car commutes.  

Beyond

Mindspring Founder Takes New Urbanist Movement to Costa Rica - InsideCostaRica.com - Charles Brewer is nothing short of bold.  His development in south Atlanta, Glenwood Park, has won national acclaim and is truly a great accomplishment.  If you haven't seen it, you should take an opportunity to drive down and grab a bite to eat and walk through the neighborhood.  

Upcoming Events

Alive After Five- 4.15 - This year's Alive After Five season kicks off on tax day.  

Good Urbanism 101 - 4.15 - 5.4 - This is an educational event sponsored by the Georgia Conservancy.  There are six classes on quality urban design.  The course costs $200.

Dogwood Festival - 4.16 - 4.18 - The annual Dogwood Festival will be held in Piedmont Park.  This one is always a safe bet for a good time and you can appreciate Atlanta's largest park.

Inman Park Festival - 4.24 - 4.25 - The Inman Park Festival is Atlanta's largest festival.  We love this festival for many reasons but the fact that it is in the beautiful walkable neighborhood of Inman Park is probably the number one reason.  Inman Park is one of the few neighborhoods in Atlanta that exhibits many of New Urbanist characteristics.  Be sure to take MARTA if you go.

Congress for the New Urbanism - 5.19 - 5.22 - The most influential minds in the new urbanist movement will be here in Atlanta for the 18th congress.  The theme this year is Rx for Healthy Places and is a joint effort with the CDC.

Go Wild in Roswell - 5.20 - 6.6 - This is a citywide celebration of nature that will feature different events on different days.  Check out the link for details.

Atlanta Streets Alive - 5.23 - This one is still a little while away but it is a really interesting concept.