Every which way but loose? |
As the results of the July 31 T-SPLOST vote percolate, many wonder about Atlanta's transportation future.
Emory University asks "What's next for the Clifton Corridor?" According to Betty Willis (Sr. Associate VP for Governmental and Community Affairs), the Clifton Corridor light rail project "is further along than other transit projects in the region" and "remains a top priority in the ARC and MARTA regional transportation plans for the future." With Governor Deal in charge of prioritizing regional transit projects, and his stated interest in the Clifton Corridor as an employment and research center, VP Willis conveys hope that Clifton Corridor projects are delayed rather than throttled. VP Willis was also interviewed by the student newspaper.
The "What's next..." article encourages alternative transportation whenever possible, and highlights Zimride, a "private ride-sharing network" that serves specific work hubs. Emory, GA Tech and Kennesaw State are part of this project; all validate user identity via their respective .edu emails.
In Advice for Passing a Massive Infrastructure Referendum, The Atlantic Cities notes that Atlanta's transportation shortcomings are shared by other cities, and extends comparisons to how other cities (e.g. Denver) adopted different strategies to advance transportation overhauls that initially faced T-SPLOST-level defeats.
The Atlanta Regional Commission website does not volunteer a post-mortem, but their Plan 2040 (pdf) is available online.