The debate about the effectiveness of streetcars as an alternative form of transportation (rather than just a driver of property values) isn't going anywhere. The latest test case for the ongoing experiment: Atlanta.
Rebecca Burns asks one of urbanism's burning questions: "Is the streetcar a practical option for people who live and work within walking distance of its 12 stops?" The streetcar in question is Atlanta's—opened earlier this year to much fanfare and debate regarding the merits of streetcars as a transit system.
Burns begins by acknowledging the benefits of the system to out-of-town tourists and "local tourists" alike, before embarking on a daily journal of a commute between home and office in the early days of the streetcar's operation. For the record, Burns says the commute can be done at a brisk walk in 35 minutes or anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes in a car.
The diary recounts such vital statistics as how many other commuters are on the streetcar, how many tweets she posted while onboard, and how many minutes the trip took. The diary totals a week of trips, a number of frustrating episodes as well as some pleasant moments, and an ambivalent conclusion about the possibility that the streetcar is a suitable alternative for commuters.
FULL STORY: The Atlanta Streetcar is good for tourists. What about regular commuters?

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.

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

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

US Senate Reverses California EV Mandate
The state planned to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, a goal some carmakers deemed impossible to meet.

Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency
The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.

Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law
Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.
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