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.
Read the full story: We made up one of these six strange suggestions to relieve Atlanta’s traffic. The rest are real.
Urine Trouble: MARTA Station Elevators to Get Pee Alarms
To discourage users from peeing on elevators at Atlanta MARTA stations, new urine detection technology is being installed as part of rehab plans.
Atlanta's Nascent Streetcar Systems Begins Charging, Critics Pounce
After a stumbling start getting off the ground, proponents of Atlanta's new streetcar see hope in its future while others question further investment.
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion
Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority