News Clips 1-15-13

Today's Clips: MARTA Atlanta Streetcar GRTA Atlanta Sustainable Roundtable Addressing Regional Issues Atlanta Regional Commission

MARTA WSB-TV Channel 2 1-14-13 MARTA Gets Bus Cameras http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/marta-gets-bus-cameras/vnTj3/

Atlanta Streetcar Saporta Report 1-14-13 Ups and downs of Atlanta Streetcar project due to reintroducing transit Posted in Maria's Metro Date: January 14th, 2013, 11:44 am 39 22 3 85 Like 8 people like this. By Maria Saporta Its been more than a half century since streetcars ran on Atlantas roads. But thats about to change despite numerous obstacles that have revealed that were a bit rusty in the streetcar development business. Construction work is progressing on the Atlanta Streetcar and it currently appears that service will begin in the spring or early summer of 2014. That is about six to seven months after the original schedule. But the project has experienced unforeseen delays primarily over the relocation of underground utilities and the surprises of what exists underneath out streets. More than 15 utilities have been impacted. That has delayed the ability to lay down tracks but that should change in the next couple of months. The delays also have led to a budget gap over what money exists to build the project and what the contractor URS expects it will cost to finish up the work. Several months ago, that gap was thought to be more than $10 million, but after ongoing negotiations the various entities have narrowed that gap to less than $5 million. We are still at the table, said Tom Weyandt, senior transportation policy advisor for the City of Atlanta. We have exchanged further proposals as recently as last week, and we have put out a plan for moving forward. We are waiting for a response from them, and I have got every expectation that they will be the contractor for this job. We are within striking distance of reaching a final number

with URS.

Atlanta Streetcar logo The Atlanta Streetcar is a public-private partnership between the City, MARTA and the private Central Atlanta Progress/Atlanta Downtown Improvement District. The $92.7 million project won a $47.7 million federal TIGER II grant, which gave the project life. URS continues to make good progress in finalizing the Atlanta Streetcar contract, said Ed Hrinewski, the firms project manager. While Atlantas streets have a number of historical buildings with underground utility systems that have added some complexities to this project, we have made significant progress in identifying the challenges and developing the solutions necessary to move forward with the construction of the streetcar. To make it as shovel-ready as possible, the joint venture team had to enter into a design-build contract, meaning that the project was being designed at the same time that construction work was underway. You have to deal with a lot of unknowns, said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress. Thats what has made it difficult deciding who should take the risk the contractor or the sponsors. The projects $52 million construction budget does include a financial buffer for contingencies to help cover cost overruns, and the current gap is within that buffer. But the project team does not want to use up all of its contingency budget in case other issues come up. Another dynamic that has been at play is that when the project was first put out for bid, the region had not yet held the transportation sales tax referendum, which included a number of new transit projects primarily light rail and streetcar. Several construction companies entered competitive bids to build the streetcar, perhaps anticipating that if the referendum passed, they would be in a better position to build the other transit projects. But that incentive went away when the referendum failed. Here is a breakdown of the projects total budget: In addition to the TIGER grant, the City of Atlanta has put in $15.6 million into the project; the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District has put in $6 million for an initial net project total of $69.3 million. The remaining budget for the project includes $9 million that the City of Atlanta has allocated to buy the streetcars; $8 million from the Department of Watershed Management to move water and sewer pipes; $5.1 million in a Livable Centers

Initiative grant for transit and pedestrian enhancements; and a $1.25 million LCI grant to make Luckie Street two ways.

Map shows route of the Atlanta Streetcar Another significant shift in the project is over who will operate the streetcar. Initially, MARTA was expected to be the operator. But now thats not a certainty. Now the plan is to go to market in about six months with a request for proposal (RFP) to have various entities bid on operating the streetcar. We are still talking to MARTA about the nature and the form of operations, and we are in the process of drafting a RFP to get the most efficient and cost effective operator to run this system, Weyandt said. It does not necessarily exclude MARTA. They will be the contracting authority. What has become clear throughout this process is that Atlanta entities have had to rebuild their expertise in building new transit especially streetcars that use the existing roadways. And although the referendum did not pass, Weyandt said the city is continuing to pursue other options to build new transit.. We are actively looking at what the next phases will be and what the next corridor will be, Weyandt said. We actually can control our own fate here. We own virtually all the right of way. We also are also looking at alternative funding. through public-private partnerships. Case in point, the City currently is looking to hire a director of streetcars; and it is applying to become a grantee of the Federal Transit Administration that would allow the City to apply directly for federal grants. Robinson also is optimistic about the impact that the Atlanta Streetcar will have on downtown, saying that already several new developments are being planned along the 2.62-mile streetcar route. The building of the Atlanta Streetcar is the dawn of a new era for transit one that can begin to transform the way we get around in our community. The Atlanta Streetcar has exposed the difficulties that come with having to re-enter the transit business after having been out of the game for decades.

But leaders behind the project believe it will be well worth the pain. We have some tough negotiations to conclude, Weyandt said. We are going to have to pay some close attention every step of the way, and we are going to have to be resourceful. But Im confident its going to open and its going to knock every bodys socks off.

GRTA AJC 1-15-13 Riders talk GRTA Xpress by tsabulis Moderated by Tom Sabulis We should know Thursday the states plans for the Georgia Regional Transportation Authoritys Xpress bus service; thats when Gov. Nathan Deal releases his budget. Last year, the state spent $5.4 million to maintain the service, which provides about 9,000 rides a day to long-haul commuters to and from the suburbs and Atlanta. But questions about the states commitment to the service continue. Today, GRTA riders share their experiences, and an environmental leader writes about what transit options and the GRTA service mean for the environment. Commenting is open below, following Tedra Cheathams column. Suburban bus riders on pros and cons I have been riding the Route 412 bus from Discover Mills (now Sugarloaf Mills) to Midtown since the routes inception. Its been great. I have not minded a bit that the fares have more than doubled since the start. The $4.50 I pay each way now is worth it, and I would pay more for the service. The bus is extremely valuable to my commute. I loathe the few days a year I have to drive and park. I use the time on the bus to read and nap, primarily things I cant do in the car. I have to drive seven miles from home to get to the bus. Off -peak service is needed even if routes were combined. Evening and weekend service would be nice in order to be able to use it for ball games and cultural events. Extending some runs to and from the airport would be useful, too. A rough calculation of the ridership on the I-85 NE corridor shows that the buses are worth close to a half a lane of highway capacity during peak times. That is, they are replacing about 1,000 cars an hour. Killing the buses and dumping that much auto traffic onto I-85 would start the jam earlier, make it last longer and make the peak jam times worse for all the I-85 users. The benefits of Xpress go beyond the utility for the bus riders. Don Oltmann, 56, unincorporated Gwinnett County I have been a rider of the Xpress buses for about four years now. I ride the 470/477 in the morning and the 470 in the afternoon. Between the two routes,

there is a bus departing Hiram every 15 minutes. In the afternoon, I only ride the 470. Iit departs the Civic Center MARTA station every 30 minutes beginning at 3:45. The good part is obvious less wear and tear on your vehicle and your sanity. The bad is that it takes longer than driving, especially since they changed the downtown routes and do not allow the buses on Peachtree Street. That added at least 20 minutes to the commute. They seem to be neglecting maintenance on those buses. I cannot recall the number of times that the air conditioning or heat was not working. Then there are the little things like the seat backs broken or the lights not working. Ive had about three experiences where the bus broke down and had to wait on the next route to stop and pick us up. The past year has seen my usage decline significantly. Lee Gurley, 54, Rockmart I live about 45 miles south of downtown Atlanta and catch the bus at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton. Our buses appear to average 80 percent capacity. We have seven departure times in the morning and eight return times in the evening. While I dont believe we need more runs, I would argue it would not be productive to have fewer runs, either. Over the years, Route 440 ridership has steadily increased in numbers and diversity (professionals, GSU students, bluecollar workers, even some folks just taking a day trip into Atlanta), noting temporary spikes when gas prices rise and a permanent increase when Clayton County stopped its bus service. Maybe area counties versus the state should be providing more funding for GRTA buses. I personally cant understand why more people do not take advantage of the bus. It has saved me a significant amount of money and stress. Yes, there are aggravating issues, but they are usually infrequent and have declined as GRTA management has gotten more experience operating in and around Atlanta. I do not believe limited growth in ridership is a function of frequency of runs and available routes, but rather a culture that loves its cars and self control. Terry Stratton, 50, Griffin I was a rider from August 2006 until they changed the routes last year. It was so convenient for me to ride and a much less costly alternative to get to work. It saved me a lot of money at the time. I was driving a Nissan Pathfinder that drank gas, and parking in the cheapest lot I can find is still $7 per day. I work at 2 Peachtree Street, so the drop-off and pick-up locations used to be quite convenient, and it was so nice to be able to get on the bus and take a nap on the way to work and on the way home. It was a life saver or it used to be. Things changed, though. My son started a different day care that opened later, and the bus was more difficult to catch. Then the routes changed, and the drop-off and pick-up locations were farther away. Its not so bad when its nice out, but in the cold, or rain, or any kind inclement weather, its a nightmare. Melodie Henderson, 39, Douglasville

AJC 1-15-13 Transit is individual choice, too By Tedra Chetham Its hard to get metro Atlantas 2.2 million commuters to agree on something, but everyone grinding their teeth in rush hour agrees we have a serious traffic problem. Its a problem that negatively impacts our time, money and well-being. The average commuter loses 43 hours in traffic each year, and all those lost hours cost metro area employers a total of $2.5 billion in productivity annually. In a region where four out of five commuters drive alone to and from work, the need has never been greater to adopt new travel habits and look closer at a network of other options. Today, there are more opportunities than ever before to use commute alternatives that reduce the number of cars on the road. Carpools, telework, transit options, vanpools, bicycling, compressed work weeks and walking are all viable options that can immediately reduce traffic congestion, and more than 400,000 metro Atlanta commuters use these options each workday. The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) commuter bus service stands out as an important part of the regions transportation network. The Xpress bus system, for example, takes more than 9,000 solo-drive trips off the roads each workday, bringing commuters directly to the major business centers during rush hour. This type of transit doesnt require new infrastructure, but it gives commuters from Forsyth to Coweta the opportunity to get to town quickly and affordably. One fully loaded Xpress bus can take up to 57 cars off the road while allowing those on board to reclaim valuable time they might otherwise have spent behind the wheel. The Xpress fleet creates efficiency on the roads and at the pump. Recently, Xpress was recognized with a PACE Award for implementing strategies to improve fuel economy in its fleet, including policies prohibiting unnecessary engine idling. Vanpools offer a similar, smart solution for long-distance commuters who may not live near transit routes. There are more than 300 vans on the road across Georgia through a program directed by GRTA, each carrying up to 15 commuters into job centers, reducing traffic and saving the riders money on gas and car

expenses. The responsibility to do something about traffic falls on all of us. Its not just about the driver next to you making a change. Its not just about lawmakers coming up with a new plan, either. Its up to individuals and businesses as well. While new infrastructure takes new funding and years to complete, choosing to join a carpool or structuring a program for employees to start teleworking can be done today. When you are ready to change the way you get to work or how your employees get to work, check out Georgia Commute Options, a new joint effort involving the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Clean Air Campaign and the regions transportation management associations. This program helps metro Atlanta commuters and employers take advantage of commute alternatives through free services like financial incentives, ridematching, pre-tax deductions, workplace consulting and more. Each workday, the commuters and workplaces participating in these programs eliminate 1.1 million miles of vehicle travel from our roads and keep 550 tons of pollution out of the air we all breathe. Theres still a lot of potential to grow those numbers, and it begins with individual commuters and employers choosing a better way to work. Tedra Cheatham is director of the Clean Air Campaign.

Atlanta Sustainable Roundtable Addressing Regional Issues Saporta Report 1-14-13 Atlanta region faces a number of tough issues over the next decade Posted in Latest Reports Date: January 14th, 2013, 6:34 pm 4 24 0 47 Like 3 people like this. By Maria Saporta Metro Atlanta in 2023 will be older, more diverse and more compact. Those were some of the conclusions that several local leaders shared at the Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable on Friday, Jan. 11. Their task was to describe how Atlanta might evolve in the next decade. Moderator Dan Reuter, chief of the land use planning division for the Atlanta Regional Commission, set the stage. Between 2000 an 2010, the Atlanta region added more than 1 million people, but the greatest growth in population was among Hispanics, African Americans and Asian Americans. We are living much longer, Reuter said, adding that the regions population also is getting older. And peoples choices also are changing. Many of us want the same thing _ we desire to be in an urban lifestyle. But that urban lifestyle is not exclusive to inside the perimeter, Reuter said. Town centers throughout the 10-county region are offering opportunities for a more pedestrian-oriented communities where people can live, work and play. Reuter asked the panel what it will take for Georgia to be competitive. Nathaniel Smith, founder of the Partnership for Southern Equity and director of partnerships at Emory University, said metro Atlanta will need to become more inclusive inviting Hispanics, African-Americans and Asian Americans to be a more important part of the community. We have to create opportunities for these young people, Smith said.

Kate Kirkpatrick, a senior vice president for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, said the region must make itself alluring to the young and restless generation people needed to keep our economy vibrant. They are looking for not just a salary and benefits but the social benefits green space, great bars and restaurants, wide sidewalks, said Kirkpatrick, adding that the region will need to provide those amenities if metro Atlanta is going to continue to retain this talent. Beth Schapiro, founder of the Schapiro Group research consulting firm, said Atlanta already has a terrific civic infrastructure in place. The community has ways of getting people plugged in. Smith, however, said that while that is true for established organizations, theres a large part of society that is being left out of the civic conversation. We have a great civic infrastructure bringing the usual suspects together, he said. But that becomes less true as we move further away from established organizations in the region. We have to acknowledge the fact that every ones opinion matters, not matter how uncomfortable that might be. In fact, Smith said that communities that are able to bring every one to the table with a sense of equity will find that to be a superior growth model. One member of the audience questioned why no one was talking about climate change and the impact that could have on the region in the next 10 years. The panel did say the region still needs to address its transportation issues despite the failure of the regional transportation sales tax last July. Reuter predicted that we will find new transportation revenue. There also seemed to be consensus that perhaps the transportation issue is too complex to be addressed in the whole 10-county area at the same time. Perhaps the five core counties or a different segment of the region might be able to come up a plan that can gain support. Schapiro said that she has surveyed people in the northern suburbs with a majority saying they want increased options for public transportation in their communities. Smith, however, said the elephant in metro Atlanta room continues to be race. The history of transportation and race hurt us in our ability to grow, Smith said, adding that the issue will only keep getting worse with a majority of senior citizens living in the region not having access to transit. No matter what, Smith said the region needs to do a deep dive and a deeper analysis on why the regional transportation sales tax failed. We have got to go back to basics on why regionalism is important, Smith said. Until we take an opportunity to reflect on our failures, we will continue to be in

this holding pattern. Kirkpatrick also said that it was inaccurate to equate the failure of the referendum with the sentiment that regionalism is dead in metro Atlanta. The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District is an example of how the region is working together. But Smith said metro Atlanta reportedly has the greatest inequity in the nation in terms of income, an issue that needs to be addressed. Nobody likes to call the ugly baby and ugly baby, Smith said. Its time for us to say the baby is ugly, but we have an opportunity.

Atlanta Regional Commission Saporta Report 1-14-13 ARCs first reorg in a generation aims to meet regions emerging needs Posted in David Pendered Date: January 14th, 2013, 6:19 pm 40 25 0 74 Like 5 people like this. By David Pendered The Atlanta Regional Commission is embarking on its first reorganization in a generation, in order to meet the demands of the post-recession paradigm thats emerging from the public and private sectors.

Doug Hooker, ARCs executive director, explains his agencys reorganization as GRTA Executive Director Jannine Miller observes. Credit: Donita Pendered Silos of expertise are to be replaced by collaborative teams. An example of the new approach would be for ARC planners to examine mobility rather than transportation a shift that frames the issue in a fashion that begs for broader solutions.

Because we are changing in so many ways as a region, ARC realizes we have to be more adaptable to help local governments solve more problems, said Doug Hooker, ARCs executive director. On paper, the reorg chart shows four ARC departments being collapsed into three centers. The document doesnt quite capture the breadth of change that comes out when Hooker describes it. For example: Its not just land use planners or public administrators who are involved with community development, Hooker said. Community development involves issues around mobility, aging, arts and culture, natural resources. By calling it community development and looking at how we help communities from that perspective, we will begin to bring in different types of expertise to help communities. It could be staff people with expertise, Hooker continued. But it could also be with alliances. Because its not just about creating a land use plan for the region. Were also thinking about how we can help local governments with community development within the parameters of their operation.

ARC is promoting development around Atlantas airport that would create the type of community described by John Kasarda, who heads UNCs Center for Air Commerce. Credit: aerotropolis.com A tangible example of this approach is ARCs role in forming the Airport Area Task Force. Late last summer, ARC convened what it described as, local governments, chambers of commerce, businesses, and other interested parties such as Georgia Power. The task force has conducted several meetings and participants expect to produce a vision statement this spring. The goal is to develop the region around Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is the worlds busiest passenger airport.

These changes in outlook and organization are significant because ARC has a defined set of duties and responsibilities under state and federal law. The Georgia governor has designated ARC as the metropolitan planning organization for the Atlanta area. This designation gives ARC clear responsibilities, especially pertaining to the Federal Highway Act and Federal Transit Act, both of which provide funding to promote mobility in the region. As the federal government is shifting a growing proportion of the costs of some public affairs to state, counties and cities, ARC and its counterparts across the country are having to find ways to help stretch local resources to meet their communitys needs and demands. Urban scholar Bruce Katz, with Brookings Institute, described this emerging paradigm in October, when he spoke at ARCs State of the Region meeting: The bottom line is the U.S. federal government is going to scale back in major ways. This metropolis, with its sisters needs to understand this is coming and needs to adjust. Hooker said ARCs board has been contemplating its reorganization since 2011, when the board adopted a strategic plan. The reorganization had been put on hold until late 2012 because so many ARC leaders and key employees were involved in preparing for the July 2012 transportation sales tax referendum. ARC fulfilled its state-mandated role of providing planning and other support to the elected officials who crafted the project list and explained it to constituents. ARCs board approved the current reorganization in December, and Hooker took it public for the first time Jan. 9 at the board meeting of GRTA, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. GRTA board Chairman Walter Sonny Deriso, Jr. and a few other board members raised concerns about how ARC will interact with its partners in light of its redefinition of itself. One such area of concern involves the regions Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP. GRTA acts on behalf of the governor in approving and amending the TIP, as it did in December. We applaud your efforts and thank you for your innovative approach, Deriso said to Hooker after Hooker had presented his report to GRTAs board. It would be helpful, as an example, as you perceive how youll interact with your various partners, that you try to plan out with TIP approvals how this approach will change the way that we go about doing things as we interact, Deriso said. Whereas we have viewed you as a planner who has certain things to do, because that is how youve seen yourself, but now youre viewing it differently. Hooker immediately responded: Youre quite right. Hooker went on to say ARC staffers will take all the time needed in 2013 to work with partner agencies to

implement the changes smoothly. Gwinnett commission Chairman Charlotte Nash, who serves on the boards of GRTA and ARC, said she and fellow ARC board members are excited about the result of ARCs reorganization. Deriso concluded the interchange by observing on the nature of change in organizations, and supporting it. Deriso chairs the board of Atlantic Capitol Bank, a commercial bank thats not taking new investors, and whose client sheet includes emerging companies and real estate developers. You may, in fact, create some change in the rest of us, Deriso said to H ooker. Change is opportunity and change is great. We applaud what youre doing.