Letters to the Editor - September 06 2006

Guest column: ‘Governed by gridlock’

Online responses to “Governed by gridlock” by David Goldberg, published Aug. 31, 2006.

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Exactly right. We need leadership

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You can already see the beltline trying to be taken over by developers who just want special treatment. The important thing this article mentions is that it’s not about one single transit project. The beltline or more lanes on 400 aren’t going to impact traffic much at all by themselves. For the city of Atlanta we need bus rapid transit in the worst way. The roads already go where people want to be, bus systems cost a fraction of rail, and other communities have shown that if you have dedicated lanes and actual bus stop platforms that people will use them as much as rail. The thing to remember is that if you have to drive to get on the transit then what’s the point.

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-- RW

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Gridlock in Atlanta

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Having lived in 3 major U.S. cities before moving to Atlanta, I’m convinced that the only way to get rid of gridlock is to put in more rail. No one is going to get out of their car to ride a bus that gets stuck in traffic. Rail is the only way to go and people need to get on the bandwagon soon or Atlanta will miss out on many opportunities to host events, unless they seriously consider rail.

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-- Beatriz Golden-Hayes

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You want to pay for this how?

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Great article that hits the nail on the head regarding how our political leaders have stumbled when it comes to transportation. We definitely need more money for transit, but not sure the sales tax is the way to go. We already pay 8% sales tax in Atlanta. I was fine with the last increase to fix the sewers. But the sales tax is regressive and hits lower income residents hardest. I’m not sure we should continue to add to their financial burden.

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-- Jane Transit

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