Fresh Loaf

The world’s greatest sport and some game that is played between marriage proposals and awkward photos of Chipper Jones will create traffic havoc tonight in Atlanta.

This weekend, the Georgia Department of Transportation will be setting beams for the new (yippie!) 17th Street off-ramp (boo!). That project will require the closure of several lanes on I-75/85 northbound. Here are the details:

Starting at 8 p.m., Friday, July 24, the three regular travel lanes to I-75 North will be closed through the weekend until 5 a.m., Monday, July 27. All northbound traffic on I-75 must use the HOV lane to continue north on I-75. The three lanes to I-85 North will be open, but traffic will be very congested. Northbound drivers just passing through Atlanta are strongly encouraged to use I-285 to avoid the congestion.

Emphasis added. The following weekend, GDOT will once again resurface the interstate near the downtown connector, turning it into a real-life version of “Everybody Hurts.” That process will take 10 weekends to complete. The good news is that all of this activities, which are part of the 14th Street Bridge improvement project, will help GDOT finish the project ahead of schedule.

Do yourself a favor, if possible: Avoid interstate traffic this weekend and quite possibly for the rest of your life. Take local roads or I-285. Better yet, give transit a try. From the comforts of MARTA, you can laugh at the sea of gridlocked motorists. Citizens for Progressive Transit has a helpful online trip planner. You can also access a mobile version.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Amount of federal stimulus dollars allocated for Georgia transportation improvements: $1.1 billion

Of that $1.1 billion, amount Georgia will spend on road construction and maintenance: $932 million

Amount of federal stimulus dollars earmarked for MARTA: $63 million

Amount the state of Georgia contributes to the operating costs of MARTA: $0

Number of other states that don’t allocate funding for their major public transit systems: 0

Atlanta’s rank among the country’s most traffic-congested metropolitan areas: 3

Number of cities whose residents spend more time commuting than those in Atlanta: 0

Percent likelihood that an Atlanta driver will express road rage if cut off: 14.4

Rank of Atlanta when it comes to seven cities surveyed for rude drivers: 1

Sources: AJC.com, Atlanta Business Chronicle

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The AJC says the state is about to receive up to $110 million from the feds to install tolls on HOV lanes.

The main idea is to push enough people off the HOV lane to guarantee at least one lane on the highway where traffic can flow freely.

WTFHOV?

If the state is actually trying to reduce congestion in carpool lanes, how about changing the lanes from HOV-2 to HOV-3 during rush hour?

Much of the time, HOV-2 isn’t really carpooling. It’s “I have my kid in the car,” or “I’m driving my spouse to the airport. I’m a fan of both, but neither is really carpooling.

Going HOV-3, or even HOV-4 during rush hour would create an express lane for commuters who make an effort to find co-workers and neighbors for ride-sharing.

HOV-3 or HOV-4 rewards the best carpoolers by offering them a faster commute.

HOV-2 lanes merely creates a separate lane for people with extra cash.

Making rush hour carpool lanes HOV-3 would be cheaper, too. Decals are cheaper than toll booths.

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Traffic sure is light today.

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 — At Live Apartment Fire, CL gets some props from Doug Richards for the “delightfully evil” cover photo of Bob Barr that was shot by Joeff Davis. And Doug contrasts that with the shadowy photo of John McCain in the Atlantic that made Johnny Mac’s crew go ballistic and forced the magazine’s editor to apologize because the photographer altered the pic to make McCain look sinister.

– Over at Politits, DCup has a little fun with the government’s trillion-dollar bail-out of what seems like every financial company on Wall Street. Since they aren’t paying their debts, then surely they don’t expect her to pay what she owes them. Right?

— A.man.I is concerned by speculation that white folks are having a difficult time voting for a black man. At My Urban Report, he throws in his two cents worth.

— Wednesday is “Car-Free Day” in Decatur. And Decatur Metro isn’t happy because it’s the one day of the week that being carless isn’t practical for him. Don’t worry. Your’s won’t be the only automobile clogging Poncey on the way to downtown Atlanta and then back again on a “car free” day. But at least he’ll feel guilty about it.

—  Dave at Rather Than Working has a new crib. Living up to his blog’s name, he makes a list of all the things he was supposed to do over the weekend … but didn’t. Ah, the fine art of procrastination lives.

— And, finally, at Oh The Joys, there’s a poignant post  where she recalls a visit to the psychiatric ward to see a suicidal friend, and taking with her a tape player cued up to her friend’s favorite U2 song. More proof that music heals.

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SHARP AS ATTACK: Obama will kick off today a more aggressive approach in campaigning and defending himself against recent truthy attacks from the McCain campaign.

HURRICANE IKE: The National Weather Service warns of “certain death” for coastal residents around Galveston who try to ride out the storm. Houston, however, is doing just that. In metro Atlanta, the specter of Ike has raised gas prices slightly.

THE BEST OFFENSE: The upcoming announcement of where the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility will be located has led to renewed discussion of bioterrorism dangers and accidental disease outbreaks. Meanwhile, NBAF proponents were joined by Gov. Sonny Perdue, who chimed in in support of locating the facility in Athens.

TROY DAVIS: Clemency hearing is today.

FALCONS: Ranked 29th in the NFL in terms of team value. But the emergence of a dynamic running game may make that a low estimate.

DOWNTOWN CONNECTOR: All work that requires lane closures is now finished.

ACCESSNORTHGA.COM: Reports that the Ga. 316/I-85 interchange is one step away from completion; crews now just need to remove the oversized road construction signs.

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I admire the craft in the following sentence by AJC political writer Jim Galloway describing Bush’s visit to Atlanta today.

Galloway’s doesn’t literally editorialize, but his choice of words makes it crystal clear that the visit will inconvenience thousands of local working commuters to the benefit of no one except a far-away political candidate and his deep-pocketed benefactors.

Traffic along I-75 will likely suffer late this afternoon, as President Bush arrives in Atlanta for a private, rush-hour fund-raiser in Buckhead to benefit a middle Georgia congressional candidate.

I grew up outside of D.C. and have been caught in a few motorcade traffic jams. I can recall being stuck in my car in Georgetown in 1995 or so, desperate to drive anywhere with a bathroom, but unable to budge because President Clinton was nearby.

I didn’t wet myself, but I haven’t forgotten, Bill.

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NBA FINALS: Doc Rivers’ Celtics beat the Lakers in Game 6 of the Finals, demolishing L.A. by five more points than they demolished Atlanta in that first-round Game 7.

DROPPING OUT LIKE IT’S HOT: In Georgia, where the graduation rate is 12 percentage points below the national average, class of 2008 dropouts will cost the state economy about $15.5 billion during their lifetimes.

GOLDEN RETRIEVEE: A Gainesville family’s golden retriever is returned to them after going missing five years ago, when they lived in Powder Springs.

A ROUNDABOUT SOLUTION: Roundabouts like the one at North Decatur and Lullwater keep traffic moving at busy intersections, resulting in less wasted gas from idling and saving drivers time.

ATLANTA TRAFFIC NO. 10: But we were just told we’re the worst.

TAKING SURCHARGE: Atlanta City Council passes a resolution, similar to one recently passed in Holly Springs, that would allow a $10-$15 gas surcharge to traffic ticket fines and could help offset the budget shortfall.

JIMMY WILLIAMS: Cut by the Falcons.

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Atlanta’s auto-mania gets another thump on the head today from NYT columnist Paul Krugman, who compares our commuting habits unfavorably to those of Berliners:

Greater Atlanta has roughly the same population as Greater Berlin — but Berlin is a city of trains, buses and bikes, while Atlanta is a city of cars, cars and cars.

The famed economist goes on to observe that Americans will never be able to build a master race until we give up some of our costly dependence on gas-guzzlers – or something like that.

It’s interesting that Krugman picks the German capitol because I had the same epiphany when I first visited there in 1999. We were staying in the former East Berlin, where the neighborhoods are mostly composed of five- and six-story blocks of flats surrounding a central courtyard where cars are parked.

Strolling around my first morning in Berlin, after riding the highly efficient subway system and watching the locals ride by on bicycles or in modern buses, I turned to my then-fiancee and said, “We’re in a real city.”

She’s been practicing her Deutsch ever since.

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GOING INTO LABOR: Delta flight attendants to vote on unionization.

ROAD TO HELL: Will be repaved with good intentions every weekend for the next eight months.

HOLDS WATER? Carol Couch stumps for state water plan at Ga. Tech.

DROUGHT: Downgraded from “exceptional” to “extreme,” skipping over “badass.”

DOGFIGHTING: Austell ring broken up.

MICHAEL VICK: State dogfighting trial postponed until June 27.

WIND OUT OF OUR SALES: Legislators are predicting the bill that would allow communities to vote on whether they want to allow Sunday alcohol sales won’t make it to the House floor for a vote.

SINISTER MINISTER: Habersham County reverend busted for allegedly having nine sexually explicit online chats with undercover cop posing as 14-year-old girl. (And I swear I won’t harp on this anymore, but AccessNorthGa.com has yet another insightful news graphic.)

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Expect Monday traffic to be especially lousy in and around Downtown as crews continue working on downed power lines, damaged traffic signals, and debris removal.

If you can, city officials advise you to use MARTA. If not, be patient and prepared. Below are traffic details from the city.

From a release:

Traffic will be severely limited in an area bordered by: Andrew Young International Blvd., Phillips Drive NW, Centennial Olympic Parkway Dr. NW, Marietta Street NW/Decatur Street SE, and Peachtree Center. Consider planning a route that does not travel through downtown and plan extra time to get to work.

Police advise motorists coming to the city from the south, who work north of Harris Street, to continue on 75/85 past downtown and double back in to avoid the worst-hit areas. Those living north of the city, and working south of Marietta Street should plan to travel past the downtown exits and travel back. Exits to avoid off the 75/85 are Edgewood and Andrew Young International.

The following street closures are still in effect as of 5:30 pm:

Jessie Hill from Coca Cola to Armstrong
Auburn Ave from Bell Street to Jesse Hill
Coca Cola Pl. from Jesse Hill to Pratt Street
Boulevard – Gartrell to Memorial
Jackson – Gartrell to Todd Streets
Park Pl – Edgewood to Auburn Streets
Marietta St – Peachtree to Fairlie – westbound only
Luckie St – Peachtree to Forsyth
Peachtree – Marietta to Harris St
Andrew Young International Blvd – Peachtree to Spring Street
Harris St. – Spring to Peachtree
Marietta Street – Centennial Olympic Parkway to Andrew Young International Blvd
Spring Street – ML King to Walton

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This just might suck.

The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management will be working on sewers on Ponce de Leon Avenue near Parkway Drive this Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Two lanes will be closed, so proceed with caution or hit up an alternate route.

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Before they met this afternoon to discuss the city’s budget crisis, Mayor Shirley Franklin and a large number of City Council members lunched with the Buckhead Coalition at its 19th annual meeting.

The main course at 103 West was filet mignon and salmon, and most of the city’s upper-crust business leaders were in attendance. Also working the crowd were Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves. Franklin spoke briefly, saying her administration is tackling the tough issues and she ended with a “Go Buckhead!” cheer.

David Stockert, the chairman of the coalition and president of Post Properties, championed “the demise of the excessive nightlife revelry” in Buckhead and the plans to redevelop the shopping district into something of a Rodeo Drive of the South.

And here’s a fun fact we didn’t know: Buckhead retail shops do $1 billion in annual sales, 40 percent of which comes from people who travel more than 100 miles to come to the area.

Stockert says the group understands that traffic is still an issue. “The Coalition pledges to continue pressing for improvements in this arena as a top priority, including the present campaigns for Piedmont upgrading, development of the Beltline, and ramping Ga. 400 south to I-85 and back.”

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The alleged bank robber who caused Thursday’s car-to-car search on Interstate 75 is now in custody.

According to 11 Alive, Thomas Lagano, 23, turned himself in to Jasper County sheriff’s officials after police identified him as a suspect. Police were able to identify Lagano from bank surveillance photographs and a fingerprint left by Lagano. He is being held on a $25,000 bond at the Cobb County Jail for robbing a Wachovia Bank on Windy Hill Road on Thursday.

According to WSB, Cobb County police first attempted to catch Lagano by conducting a car-to-car search on Interstate 75 that shut down southbound lanes.

The reason for a car-to-car search you might ask? According to WSB:

During the robbery, a bank teller slipped a tracking device into the bag. Using the device’s transmission, police concluded the robber was in a vehicle headed south on Interstate 75.

Officers on foot conducted a car-to-car search but in the end had no suspect, thousands of angry commuters and a police chief who wondered why his commanders had resorted to such a tactic at that time of day.

Also reported by WSB, Cobb County police spokesman Dana Pierce says either the device quit working or Lagano disabled the device during the search. Pierce admits that the tactic was a big mistake.

“Given the same set of circumstances, I don’t think we would do the same thing again,” Pierce said.

Let’s hope not. Atlanta has enough traffic problems without police-mandated car-to-car searches during rush hour traffic.

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Plan your Monday commute accordingly, peeps. From our friends at Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management

Traffic Advisory: Sewer rehab and gas line work
to affect Midtown at Piedmont and Juniper

Effective Date: Beginning Monday, October 22

Where: Juniper and 13th streets; Juniper Street and Piedmont Road; 12th to 14th streets; 14th Street and Piedmont Road

Comments: The City of Atlanta and Atlanta Gas Light have coordinated sewer rehabilitation and gas main replacement in Midtown. Beginning Monday, Oct. 22, Atlanta Gas Light will be working on 13th Street between Piedmont Road and Juniper Street and from 12th Street to just north of 14th Street to install a new gas main and related connections. At the same time, the City will be conducting sewer rehabilitation in the area around 13th Street and Piedmont Road. Permitted work hours are from 7 am to 10 pm; however work in heavily traveled areas will be limited to the hours between 9 am and 4 pm. In approximately two weeks, Atlanta Gas Light and the City will begin work at the intersection of 14th Street and Piedmont Road. Changeable message signs will inform motorists of traffic detours and delays, and Atlanta Police officers will be on hand to direct traffic. Access to all buildings will be maintained by officers. Motorists are urged to use Monroe Drive, West Peachtree Street and Spring Street as north- and south-bound alternates.

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A wise Chinese philosopher once said, “Atlanta traffic is like water — give it another route and it finds its own way.” (Don’t bother looking it up; the sage’s name has been lost to the cruel winds of time.)

That means more roads lead to more cars and more cars to more congestion. More roads cost more money, which equates to less funding for transit alternatives. You mean something like this?

But you want the real solution to Atlanta’s wretched traffic situation? It’s not public transit. What say you, House Speaker Glenn Richardson and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle via a released statement?

“There are far too many government agencies debating transportation plans instead of building roads.”

*Cough, cough* … sorry … wow … I just choked on my soul for a second there. Get to it, you loafers! Build those roads!

Richardson and Cagle sure ain’t alone. Jim Wooten at That Other Paper believes the solution to our transportation woes is to dust off the old statue and have him do exactly what the distinguished gentlemen above suggest: Rattle the lackadaisical bicker-bodies trying to figure out what to do about the problem.

What’s that saying about how to get out of a hole, guys? “First you gotta stop digging,” or something like that?

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Today’s news seems to all be traffic-related.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that state transportation board member Garland Pinholster has floated an idea to raise $22 billion to help address the region’s traffic. Pinholster proposes the Georgia DOT sign a contract with a single, large investment group that could put up all the money necessary to build a Northern Arc and, perhaps, help fund tunnels underneath Atlanta — and maybe a few other projects such as commuter rail and the Beltline intown-transit loop.

Pinholster’s plan comes on the heels of one offered by board member David Doss in February that would raise money through a one-cent statewide sales tax. But here’s the watch-out-Atlanta-you-may-get-screwed-again part of the Doss plan: Although about two-thirds of the money would be raised in metro Atlanta, only one-third of that money would come back here. The rest would go to rural Georgia.

Meanwhile, the Gwinnett Daily Post reports that the feds have declined to fund the proposal to create more than 28 miles of optional toll lanes on I-85 from the Perimeter to north of I-985.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says MARTA has come up with something new: sleek buses that give the appearance of rail cars and will link the Stone Mountain area and MARTA’s Kensington rail station. The buses won’t travel in dedicated lanes, but drivers will have the ultimate power trip: the ability to keep a green light from turning red.

And, finally, the New York Times reports on a story that CL broke several weeks ago: Devon Dartnell’s dream to turn forestry waste into ethanol, a car fuel. Dartnell, the biomass program manager for the Georgia Forestry Commission, says construction will begin next month on a plant in Soperton that will convert the wastes into fuel and help determine whether agricultural byproducts are an economically viable alternative power source. The money behind the plant comes from a former Apple computer executive.

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Everyone in Atlanta has an opinion about our traffic woes. If your laments typically fall on deaf ears, or at least the ears of the ineffectual, here’s your chance to change that.

Two online public meetings set up by the Atlanta Regional Commission will allow metro Atlantans to chat directly with transportation planners and policy makers. ARC officials will consider what the public says during the online meetings in its 25-year, $66.5 billion — yes, that’s billion with a “b” — transportation plan.

If you think the Beltline transit-and-trails project and a seriously beefed-up MARTA are more important than widening highways and pouring more and more asphalt, it’s time to have your say.

The online meetings will take place Thursday, Aug. 16, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 18, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. Click here to register.

Can’t make either of those time slots? You can still add your two cents by visiting the ARC’s website or e-mailing transportation@atlantaregional.com before Aug. 23.

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