Opinion: Atlanta Needs To Follow The Examples Of Its Neighbors

Posted by: Nate Berg

25 December 2006 - 9:00am

The successes of mass transit and light rail in similarly car-oriented cities should be enough of an excuse for Atlanta to give it a try, according to this opinion piece from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"While metro Atlanta dawdles, other regions are aggressively remaking themselves, adapting to changing times, trends and needs. It hasn't been easy, but they're overcoming obstacles and betting heavily that the future will differ from the past."

"Nationwide, light-rail ridership rose 11.2 percent in the first six months of 2006, according to the American Public Transportation Association. That's an astounding jump considering how hard it can be to alter commuting patterns. In San Jose, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and San Diego, light-rail ridership rose by at least 17 percent."

Success in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Orlando, and Denver are examples many feel Atlanta should follow.

Full Story: Get on transit bandwagon, metro Atlanta

Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 21, 2006