Fresh Loaf

@GriftDrift says there’s a jumper on the Downtown Connector’s Peachtree Street overpass.

UPDATE: AJC.com says Downtown Connector northbound is closed at Ralph McGill.

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In his weekly installment of “This Whole World’s Gone to Pot,” the AJC’s resident conservative columnist Jim Wooten — who plans to ease into retirement soon — proposes a ridiculous way to solve congestion on the Downtown Connector.

Crowds headed to a Braves game and a soccer match between Mexico and Venezuela at the Georgia Dome clogged the always-trouble Downtown Connector for miles up I-75, I-85 and Ga. 400. Fix it. Find a private-sector company to double-deck the Downtown Connector. Make both toll roads.

Just be prepared for that private-sector company to stipulate in its contract that the city or state can’t compete — or in other words, improve transportation — near the double-decker road “product.” That means MARTA, intown roads, and even intercity rail. (One concept for a proposed high-speed rail line from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to Chattanooga, Tenn., had a train running along the I-75/85 median.)

Privatization — especially road privatization — could make sense in some cases. But it has its pitfalls.

(UPDATE: Griftdrift has his own analysis of Wooten’s Friday column.)

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City Hall had three separate, unrelated civil cases before the Georgia Supreme Court that received rulings yesterday. The result was a mixed bag with no unexpected blows to city coffers – but no big victories either.

First, the least interesting case: The city was a co-defendant with the state in a wrongful death suit involving a passenger in a taxi that veered off the highway and hit a tree. The state DOT was sued for allowing a tree to remain too close to the Downtown Connector; the city was sued for a botched taxi safety inspection. The High Court ruled there was no compelling evidence to suggest the city was aware of inspection shortcomings. That’s one win for the city.

Next up, a biggie: Atlanta has brought suit against a number of online hotel booking services – Expedia, Travelocity, etc. – because they don’t collect the city-imposed hotel tax when accepting bookings. This is an industry-wide battle being waged by cities across the country over whether online companies are required to collect local taxes on the sales they facilitate.

(more…)

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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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