As suburbanites who moved to the City of Atlanta to avoid crushing traffic congestion are ironically realizing, over-stressed in-town roads are buckling under the pressure of exponentially increasing usage. But help may not be on the way.
"Atlanta's road capacity isn't keeping up with the influx of people and the cars they love. After Atlanta emptied many of its residents into the suburbs in the 1970s and 1980s, an urban renaissance - or a horror of long commutes - is bringing them back."
"No one pretends the mid-20th-century roads can handle the demands of the 21st century. 'There is not enough money,' said City Council member Clair Muller."
The state agency charged with tying road improvements to large-scale development projects - the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority - can dictate that transportation infrastructure be built, but has little ability to effectively follow up that the work has actually been done.
"City officials say they're as financially strapped as the state, but they're starting to plan better." For the first time ever, the city of Atlanta will develop a comprehensive transportation plan.
Sadly, enhancement of transit capacity is rarely mentioned in any viable debate on how to improve mobility in the city of Atlanta. Most local leaders acknowledge that building new transit is nearly impossible given the recalcitrance of state officials to fund local transit, and the inability of regional counties to band together and self-tax for new rail or rapid bus lines. A bill to allow such regional alliances was quickly killed in Georgia's recently completed legislative session.
FULL STORY: Roads lag as Atlanta revitalizes

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie