Atlanta Magazine has gathered together five of the often discussed, but never implemented, plans to move people effortlessly around Atlanta. And they've thrown in one canard to see if you've been paying attention.
Sky gondolas, monorails, and personal rapid transit have all been bandied about at some point as possible solutions to worsening traffic in different cities across the country. Max Blau of Atlanta Magazine provides a short list of the plans for better modes of transit that have popped up in Atlanta but for whatever reason have failed to gain any traction. He also includes one faux-suggestion just to make things interesting. Our favorite unrealized plan:
Downtown Connector ad absurdum
In 2009 GOP gubernatorial candidate John Oxendine called for a “parallel” downtown Connector east of the current interstate that would create a shortcut from Gwinnett County to the Atlanta airport. What about all of the neighborhoods in the way? Not a problem, he said, as a private company could build it underground. The idea, never seriously studied, is now deader than Oxendine’s political career.
FULL STORY: We made up one of these six strange suggestions to relieve Atlanta’s traffic. The rest are real.
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Atlanta's Nascent Streetcar Systems Begins Charging, Critics Pounce
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L.A. Surprising History of Transit Innovation
In recent years, Los Angeles has embraced mass transit as a solution to the city's legendary traffic woes. This embrace has historical precedent, however, says Sam Lubell, who examines six of L.A.'s unbuilt proposals for transit systems.
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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.
Chicago Has Quietly Built Hundreds of Neighborhood Traffic Circles
Thanks largely to one alderperson’s efforts, the city has made mini-roundabouts a key piece of its road safety strategy.
Atlanta, Dallas Area to Launch Robotaxi Rideshare Fleets
Lyft and Uber will begin including autonomous vehicles in their networks in Atlanta and Arlington, Texas starting later this year.
The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.
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