The group expressed concerns with changes made to a key segment, which leaves riders with fewer connections to existing transit and does not position the line for future growth.

In an open letter to the city, the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association (ADNA) is calling for a change in approach to Atlanta's first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line to prevent wasteful spending. "The ADNA’s preferred route would more swiftly move passengers around the city, connect to existing MARTA rail, and position the BRT system for future growth, they feel."
The letter, published in Urbanize Atlanta, claims that the "Locally Preferred Alternative" route proposed for a section of the BRT line downtown is not what locals want. "Crucially, this new route has three large sections in downtown where it will have to operate in 'shared' traffic lanes in contradiction of BRT standards, slowing service and reducing ridership during peak times" and makes no accommodations for future expansion.
The Association argues that "[w]hen this change to the route’s downtown section was made in 2019, little outreach was done to key stakeholders, such as the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association (ADNA) and the approximately 14,500 (and rapidly growing) downtown residents most directly impacted." The letter also claims that residents were misled about the new route, which "dumps riders in the middle of South Downtown without direct connection to any current or planned rail."
"This current 'western' BRT route also jeopardizes existing plans to bring cycle tracks, wider sidewalks, and outdoor dining to downtown streets as well as upending partially funded plans to restore two-way traffic flow planned along these corridors." With 60 percent of the design completed to date, the letter urges the city "to get this done right and avoid wasting money later in the process."
FULL STORY: Downtown Atlanta neighbors plead to city: 'Save MARTA bus rapid transit'

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

LA Falling Behind on Housing Goals
Last year, the city permitted just 30 percent of the number of housing units needed to meet a growing need.

Connecting Communities to Nature Close to Home
Los Angeles County’s Nature in Your Neighborhood program brings free, family-friendly wellness and nature activities to local parks, making it easier for residents to enjoy and connect with the outdoors.

Palmdale’s Beloved Water Park Gets $2 Million Upgrade
To mark its 20th anniversary, DryTown Water Park has undergone major renovations, ensuring that families across the Antelope Valley continue to enjoy safe, affordable, and much-needed water-based recreation in the high desert.
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