Uncool John @uncooljohn - Tumblr Blog

Puddle on West Peachtree Street, Atlanta

This was from an email I sent after GDOT presented its new plan for Peachtree Rd Thursday night. The plan has bike lanes for less than half of the project, instead of the entire project as originally drawn. There were a lot of questions, that due to time or perhaps political concerns, weren’t answered completely, so this is my attempt to answer them.

1. Speeding on Peachtree. Even with a heightened enforcement effort, this will continue. This is because of the design speed of the road. This means that no matter what limit is posted, people drive at the speed which they feel safe. Peachtree is 60 feet wide, with open vistas by design. 8 foot sidewalks go right to the curb, flanking both sides, giving additional sightlines. For years traffic engineers believed doing this created safer roads, but instead, it created higher speeds and a false sense of security. Crashes, injuries and deaths increased.

2. What happens to people on bikes when the bike lane ends? I test rode the proposed route for GDOT and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Riding from Peachtree Hills Avenue to Shadowlawn, as per GDOT’s directions, increased the ride from 2 miles to 3 miles. Not terrible, but the hill climbing came out to 265 feet of elevation gain, vs 210 feet when staying on Peachtree. That’s a 27 story building’s worth of climbing, not surprising in neighborhoods called Peachtree Hills, Peachtree Heights, and Garden Hills. This is why you don’t see people riding bikes on those streets, and believe me, they would to avoid the traffic on Peachtree, if it made sense.

3. No connectivity to Path400. The Pharr Rd bike lanes were created to connect to Path400 at Piedmont Rd. But how do you get to Pharr Rd on a bike?

4. The asymmetric lane balance north of Peachtree Battle Ave means that someone on a bike will take one of the two travel lanes when traveling northbound. No improvement compared to today.

5. There will be no buffer from traffic when walking north of Peachtree Battle Ave, which is curiously where most of us live. No improvement compared to today.

6. The B/C (Benefit/Cost) Ratio needs another look. The benefit side only factors the benefits of reduced car crashes and related injuries and deaths, not including people walking or cycling. Now let’s look at the numbers. The cost of the project is estimated at $1,146,600. The benefit of the Peachtree Battle Hybrid is 63.45, which comes out to $72,751,770 (!). That’s the value in reduced car crashes. The benefit of full bike lanes it 79.95, or $91,670,670 (!!) - so even fewer crashes with bike lanes installed. In fact, $18,918,900 worth of fewer car crashes/injuries/deaths.

Put another way, do we really want ~$19M more in car crashes with the hybrid plan?

I asked councilman Howard Shook about that. He wrote: “I continue to believe that moving traffic should be the number one priority of this project.”

So traffic throughput trumps our safety in our councilman’s eyes.

I will leave you with this shot from last night, before the meeting. It’s a guy on a bike, riding legally, with a car trapped behind him. The other cars were able to merge into the center lane. Note also the uninviting sidewalk, only used heavily during the July 4th Peachtree Rd Race, when the street is closed to auto traffic for a few hours. We can do much better. This is the road in front of many of our homes, and it deserves to look like the signature street we claim it to be.

atlurbanist

Sacrificing walkability for traffic flow on Atlanta’s Courtland Street

There’s a great post this week on the Atlanta Studies website from Joseph Hurley who works as a Data Services and GIS Librarian at Georgia State University Library. Read it here: Atlanta’s Parking Problem Revisited.

Here’s a quote from it:

…most of downtown has become dominated by substantial parking desk structures and surface level parking lots, which are placed immediately alongside one-way streets that are often four to five lanes wide. Cars regularly treat these exceedingly wide streets as urban highways, traveling at speeds that are unsafe for an area that should cater to pedestrians. Courtland Street is a prime example of how providing “convenient parking” and the removal of on-street parking to allow for “greater street traffic flows,” exactly what both reports recommended, has created undesirable urban environments.

As Hurley points out, is Courtland Street in Downtown Atlanta (in the middle of the GSU campus) is truly an undesirable place for anyone outside of a car:

In these two images he’s contrasting Courtland’s state in 1954, when it had two traffic lanes and street-side parking, with its current state of four traffic lanes. Also notice the narrow sidewalks. This is a supremely unpleasant place to walk, in my experience (and I’m a fairly hardy urban traveler). The wide lanes promote high car speeds, and having those fast cars fly by while you balance on a skinny sidewalk is sometimes terrifying, particularly if you have a child in tow. The street-side parking provided an important buffer for pedestrians in 1954 – one that disappeared when ‘maximum car flow at all costs’ became the priority.

I’ve taken a photo of Courtland before myself, when I was walking alongside it and noticed how scary it was to watch pedestrians cross – even with the right-of-way – in front of a line of stopped cars that were all ready to storm through a light as if they were on an interstate entrance ramp.

By coincidence, Tim Keane, the new Commissioner of Planning and Community Development for the City of Atlanta, tweeted a photo of Courtland recently. He seems appalled to find a street this dead and uninviting. Just look at how the buildings don’t ‘address’ the street even through they are next to it:

Courtland is one of many one-way, multi-lane streets in the city center that should undergo a two-way conversion and streetcaping – maybe with bike lanes as well. If we can’t manage to put anything inviting for pedestrians and cyclists along the street in the form of ground-level retail, at least we could make their experience of maneuvering it outside a car safer and less frightening.

A 2008 Atlanta Business Chronicle piece reported that city planners were keen to convert Courtland (and some other one-way, large streets nearby) to two-way traffic as a way of encouraging more pedestrian and cycling traffic, but some owners of large downtown facilities and hotels fear that doing so would prevent the flow of customers in cars that they’ve gotten used to.

But if Atlanta is serious about becoming a city that is friendlier to cyclists and pedestrians, and thus to transit riders who are all pedestrians at some point in their trip, these one way monstrosities have to go – if for the sake of safety alone. According to a piece in Planetizen, the stats are clear: two-way streets are safer for everyone:

The risk of collision or injury doubles when driving through a neighborhood of one-way streets. In total, the 22 Census tracts with a high concentration of one-ways had 2,992 additional collisions and 792 more injuries requiring medical treatment—some causing loss of life. Moreover, if you are riding a bike or walking, you are also more likely to be injured on a one-way street.

Also, a fascinating article on the origins of Build a Better Block programs. Includes this great passage:

““When the streetcar went away in 1956 two of the major streets became one-way, so you lost 50 percent of the [retail] visibility and made it an unsafe, high-speed corridor. These blocks were built for people, but the environment around them became inhospitable.”

It’s time for these blocks to be for people again, and not so dominated by concerns about car flow.

It was a good weekend.

#boat #bill #sorrylakejackson #passionatekisses #lakejackson

atlurbanist

When few people are calling a street home, it’s easy to rename it

A large section of Spring Street that runs through Downtown Atlanta was renamed this week for Ted Turner – a local pioneer in business and broadcasting who is certainly deserving of honors. But this? Despite the fact that Turner’s condo sits above a Ted’s Montana Grill located at the corner of Luckie and Spring, It hardly seems appropriate – this stretch of road is largely dead.

The news article linked above says this about the renaming ceremony:

“Hundreds of people came – many sitting in the shade of a huge tent provided by the city on the parking lot across from the center of “Turner-verse””

Funny you should mention parking lots. Ted Turner Drive is a great place to see tons of them! And abandoned buildings too. Does it really feel like an honor to have your name on a street that contains so much blighted, underused property?

Xernona Clayton, who also has had a (pretty bleak looking) Downtown Atlanta street re-named to honor her in recent years, gave this praise to Turner: “Ted has transformed this whole city.”

Turner has done great things to be sure, but it’s strange to say that someone has transformed the city while you’re standing in the middle of an area in dire need of transformation. Ted Turner Drive looks pretty crappy for the most part. Xernona Clayton Way does too.

I’m guessing that the reason these fairly dead streets Downtown are easy to rename is because of the lack of businesses and residents on them who could complain. Here’s me hoping that some of these streets that are weighed down with blank walls and parking facilities can get some life on them, particularly since the costly streetcar is now running through them. The day when City Council can’t find a street they can easily rename – that’s when we know we’ve succeeded in making better places.

CSX Hulsey Yard from MARTA. One of the BeltLine's biggest obstacles. (at CSX Hulsey Yard)

andyoucallmeupagain

Katie Holmes is at the show tonight! (x)

tayloracleswift-deactivated2015

I don’t know who Katie Holmes is but that’s fucking Ina Garten

Saruman: You have no power here! Gandalf:

#LotR #Rihanna #Saruman #Gandalf

atlurbanist

Two couples walked out of the courthouse just now in Downtown Atlanta, both with marriage licenses. Two officiants were waiting on the steps to perform the marriages. The man in the foreground said “we’ve only been waiting 22 years.” (at Superior Court of Fulton County)

goblinparty

don’t go out and buy a confederate flag to burn on the 4th of july… steal and burn someone else’s

"The Sign of Three" could probably unseat "A Scandal in Belgravia" as my favorite Sherlock episode if it didn't start off with a 5 minute GAG.

#Sherlock #A Scandal in Belgravia #The Sign of Three #BBC

theliberaltony

im a 21 year old (ive never voted before) but i want to vote this time for bernie. can you please explain when voting starts, like what date and what should i do. i graduated high school 3 and a half years ago and i really dont remember that well when it comes to what needs to be done to vote

It takes some dedication to become involved in the political process, mostly because there are so many vested interests trying to keep you from doing so.

Also, I almost guarantee that what I am going to tell you was never covered in High School.

Your First step is to: Register to vote.

In order to vote for Bernie Sanders in the Primaries different states will have different requirements.

You will not have to register for any party in order to vote for Bernie Sanders in the Primaries if you live in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

You will have to be either registered as a Democrat or be Unaffiliated In order to vote for Bernie Sanders in the Primaries if you live in: California, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Washington and West Virginia

You will have to be a registered Democrat in order to Vote for Bernie Sanders in the Primaries if you live in: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wyoming

In many states you have to be registered as a member of that party for 30 days prior to the primaries in order to vote, although that isn’t always the case. So your best bet is to register now.

Next, find the date of your primary or caucus and vote.

Due to the large amounts of money and time that candidates spend in the states with earlier primaries and caucuses, many states will spend this year changing the date of their events. Rules are also subject to change at the same time.

THE INFORMATION BELOW IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CLICK THE LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION AND FOR ANY CHANGES IN DATES OR RULES.

As of June of 2015 here is the tentative schedule for the Democratic Primaries and Caucuses.

February 1, 2016

Iowa Precinct Caucuses

February 9, 2016

New Hampshire Primary

February 20, 2016

Nevada Non-binding Precinct Viability Caucuses

February 27, 2016

South Carolina Presidential Primary

March 1, 2016

Alabama PrimaryArkansas PrimaryColorado Precinct CaucusGeorgia PrimaryMassachusetts PrimaryMinnesota Precinct CaucusesNorth Carolina PrimaryTennessee PrimaryTexas PrimaryVirginia PrimaryVermont PrimaryAmerican Samoa Territorial Caucus (presumably)Oklahoma Primary (presumably)

March 1-8, 2016

Democrats Abroad Global Primary

March 5, 2016

Louisiana PrimaryNebraska Precinct Caucuses

March 6, 2016

Maine Municipal Caucuses

March 8, 2016

Michigan PrimaryOhio PrimaryMississippi Primary (presumably)

March 13, 2016

Puerto Rico Primary (presumably)

March 15, 2016

Florida PrimaryIllinois PrimaryMissouri Primary

March 22, 2016

Arizona PrimaryIdaho County CaucusUtah Neighborhood Caucuses

March 26, 2016

Alaska Precinct / House District CaucusesHawaii Precinct CaucusWashington Precinct Caucuses

April 1-15, 2016

Colorado District Assemblies/Conventions

April 5, 2016

Wisconsin Primary

April 9, 2016

Wyoming County Caucuses

April 26, 2016

Connecticut PrimaryDelaware PrimaryMaryland PrimaryPennsylvania PrimaryRhode Island PrimaryNew York Primary (presumably)

May 3, 2016

Indiana Primary

May 7, 2016

Guam Territorial Caucus (Party run primary) (presumably)

May 10, 2016

West Virginia Primary

May 17, 2016

Oregon PrimaryKentucky Primary (presumably)

May 21, 2016

Washington Congressional District Caucuses

June 7, 2016

California PrimaryMontana PrimaryNorth Dakota Legislative District CaucusesNew Jersey PrimaryNew Mexico PrimarySouth Dakota Primary (presumably)

June 14, 2016

District of Columbia Primary

November 8, 2016

ELECTION DAY

As long as you followed the first step and registered to vote, your state will send out information about your voting location and what you need to bring to that location in order to vote.

I know this is tons of information and that it seems super complicated, it is set up that way on purpose. Those in power want you to react:

The powerful are banking on us acting this way.

They know that the Millennial Generation is now the largest voting generation in History. They know that we have the ability to enact change in a way that has never been seen before and they are scared.

This is our first chance to make the changes we want in government. I know it may be difficult to become involved but if we learn anything from our parents generation it should be that a lack of participation in politics only makes the system favor the wealthy and hurt the rest of us.

Let’s not make the same mistakes.

jinzlers

My state (GA) could have its primary as early as this December, so check and double check, don’t be caught unaware! Plus I’m so happy that link explains how the heck not having to register for a party works, I was really confused by that.

thursday

i can’t believe every father was born today science is truly amazing

photojojo

Whether or not we like to admit it, we’ve all been one of those dreadful tourists at one time or another.

Fascinated with this type of behavior, photographer Julien Mauve created Greetings from Mars, a series that explores how we would look as tourists on the Red Planet.

Photo Series Explores the Potential For Tourism on Mars

via Booooooom