Fresh Loaf

1. Atlanta THUNDERSNOW!!!! (Yes, that was last week. Snow. Inches of it. Followed by 80-degree bliss. Georgia is rad.)

2. Man found dead in Capitol office building (State employee apparently took his own life.)

3. Gena Evans: ‘Best day’ at GDOT was day I was fired (What the former Department of Transportation commissioner meant to say was, “Take this job and shove it!”)

4. Speakeasy with Outkast’s Andre Benjamin (Rapper’s “Class of 3000″ cartoon transitions from TV to the stage.)

5. Animated superheroes burst from shadows of live-action films (In other animation news, comic-book protagonists transition from ink to celluloid.)

(Image from Regator’s “thundersnow” t-shirt page on Zazzle)

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Hear ye, hear ye! The re-arranging of the deck chairs continues!

The state Senate today narrowly passed Gov. Sonny Perdue’s controversial overhaul of the state’s transportation power structure. The final vote was 30-25.

Under the governor’s plan, a “State Transportation Authority” would be created. The new agency would be led by a transportation secretary and an 11-member board. The governor would appoint the secretary and five board members. The lieutenant governor and speaker would each appoint three. Two other people-moving agencies — the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and the State Road and Tollway Authority — would merge.

But it’s what the bill would do to the Georgia Department of Transportation that has some lawmakers in conniptions. Perdue’s plan would strip GDOT of most of its powers, essentially turning it into a glorified road-paving service. That asphalt-spitting power would shift to the new agency, appointed by the state’s leadership.

And that’d be a major loss of influence for state lawmakers who currently elect GDOT’s 13-member board.

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1. East Atlanta neighbors stand up against crime (Ken Womack’s eavBuzz.net helps folks monitor their ‘hood — in real time.)

2. GDOT Commissioner Gena Evans fired (Chief of beleaguered transit agency later tells CL her sob story.)

3. Piedmont Park residents not cool with tunnels under Atlanta (But the rest of the city thinks they’re pretty awesome.)

4. Smart-growth guru smacks Atlanta (Andres Duany is to Atlanta what Toby Young is to overcooked fish.)

5. Strip-club arson case gets seamy (How could it not?)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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For someone who was recently given a pink slip, Gena Evans is chipper.

“If you can’t notice the smile on my face, the best day I’ve had at GDOT was Thursday,” the former Georgia Department of Transportation commissioner says, referring to her ousting last week from the state agency. “I’m very happy to be gone.”

And now that Evans no longer heads one of the state’s most powerful agencies — one that’s facing a drastic restructuring under a controversial plan pushed by Gov. Sonny Perdue — she says she can be frank in her criticism of the department. She speaks lovingly of the employees but paints a grim portrait of a $2 billion agency that’s mired in politics.

Evans, who now earns a paycheck as executive director of the State Road and Tollway Authority, sat down with CL at that agency’s downtown offices looking over the city skyline this afternoon. She talked about Perdue’s grand reorganization plan, the “systemic” problems at GDOT, her occasional thoughts about resigning, and Georgia’s overall transportation landscape. It ain’t pretty and it’s all after the jump.

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Correction appended

The Georgia Department of Transportation fired Commissioner Gena Evans today.

Boardmembers offered Evans, the beleaguered state agency’s first female commissioner, the option of resigning or being fired. The source said she did not want to resign. Boardmember Brandon Beach of Johns Creek made the motion and was seconded by David Doss of Rome. The final vote was 9-1-1 8-2-1. Board Chairman Bill Kuhlke and Vice Chairman Larry Walker voted against firing Evans. Boardmember Robert Brown of Decatur abstained.

Chief Engineer Gerald Ross will serve as interim commissioner while a nationwide search for a replacement is conducted.

Gov. Sonny Perdue has proposed a massive reorganization of the state’s transportation agencies. Under his proposal, the department would be gutted.

More details to come.

(Photo courtesy of MARTA)

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Ain’t no better time to replace the general than in the middle of battle, right? Uh, right?

Dick Pettys of Insider Advantage reports:

A palace revolt is brewing among members of the state Board of Transportation, and sources say it is poised to try to dump Commissioner Gena Evans on Thursday.

The board has a called meeting that day to take up budget matters. If it goes into closed session, a vote to remove Evans will likely be conducted.

…

If she is voted out, look for the governor and likely the lieutenant governor to argue that is exactly the reason why DOT should be relegated to a maintenance agency status and a new State Transportation Authority given power over policy and funding.

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Now that the Georgia Department of Transportation, Amtrak and Beltline officials have all taken a vow of silence and decided to keep quiet about the ongoing negotiations surrounding a rail segment in Northeast Atlanta, we have ample time to pore over the plans ourselves.

To bring everyone back up to speed: GDOT and Amtrak say they have plans for a future commuter rail line that would run on unused tracks along the eastern edge of Piedmont Park. Officials for the Beltline, the 22-mile of parks, trails and transit proposed to circle the urban core, recently purchased the tracks and surrounding property for $66 million, not including interest payments and payouts to private partners in the deal. Beltline officials oppose GDOT and Amtrak’s plans and say they would not only alter the vision of the Beltline in the area, but potentially jeopardize the entire $2.8 billion project. Beltline planners are scheduled to unveil their plans for the area in dispute — plans that could change if GDOT and Amtrak don’t budge on their position — on Thursday. Here are details of that night’s event.

After the jump, I’ve posted some handy maps that were included in a memo written by GDOT Commissioner Gena Evans and sent to boardmembers after the shit hit the fan. Also included is a handy map that shows who owns rail segments in Atlanta. If there are errors with any of these, send me a line or leave notes in the comments.

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RAIL RALLY Beltline supporters say Amtrak, GDOT's plans jeopardize Beltline

When it comes to the future of public transit in Atlanta, there’s good news and there’s bad news.

The good news: After decades of bowing at the throne of roadbuilders, the Georgia Department of Transportation says it’s finally taking off the kneepads and getting serious about train service that would connect Atlanta to other cities in the Southeast.

The bad news: Thanks to an unexpected tiff between GDOT and city of Atlanta officials, the Beltline — the transformative 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit that would one day circle the city — might be in jeopardy. That’s because the train service that GDOT is suddenly embracing would have to run on or near the proposed Beltline tracks. What’s more, Piedmont Park, the city’s most iconic greenspace, might have to be severed by a heavy-rail route in order to accommodate GDOT’s vision.

Last week, CL first reported that GDOT — working in tandem with Amtrak — threw a wrench in Beltline officials’ plans for light-rail, trails and additional green space near Piedmont Park. Just as Norfolk Southern, the current owner of the tracks in question, was about to surrender them to the city, GDOT and Amtrak stepped in and halted the proceedings. Those two agencies now say the tracks in dispute are vital to their own vision for commuter rail.

“Simply put, because of GDOT’s boorish behavior and AMTRAK’s willingness to play along, the future of the city of Atlanta is at stake,” Mayor Shirley Franklin wrote in an urgent letter to U.S. Congressman John Lewis to seek his assistance.

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U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, has requested AMTRAK President Joseph Boardman work with city and regional planners, officials and residents to resolve the “Decatur Belt” dispute between the federal agency, the Georgia Department of Transportation and Beltline officials.

Lewis says AMTRAK’s actions “have the potential to unnecessarily disrupt one of the most important public benefit projects that the City of Atlanta has undertaken in recent memory.” He adds that “these combined actions are not the model of a productive and healthy local, State and federal partnership with the shared goal of revitalizing transportation services in Metro Atlanta.”

Download a PDF of the letter here.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Transit Implementation Board Chairman Eldrin Bell was not about to let that agency’s inaugural meeting today turn into a boxing match between the City of Atlanta and the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Much to the disappointment — or relief? — of those involved, Bell didn’t allow the two sides to argue whether light-rail or heavy-rail should run along several miles of unused railroad tracks near Piedmont Park. GDOT and AMTRAK argue that the tracks are the only viable options if transit advocates want to see commuter rail and a long-planned downtown terminal. Officials for the Beltline, the planned 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit, say there are alternatives and that commuter rail drastically alters the design that planners, neighborhoods and developers have crafted for the area.

Bell said he’s hesitant to discuss the Beltline’s future unless all the stakeholders were in the room.

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Man, the Beltline can be pretty confusing, huh? So can writing about transit agency disputes.

To put it plainly: The vision of a 22-mile loop of transit, parks and trails is now in jeopardy after the state Department of Transportation and AMTRAK unexpectedly announced they had their own heavy-rail plans for the project’s northeast section along Piedmont Park.

On Wednesday, members of the Beltline Network, a citizen group that supports the project, will meet for a special-called meeting to discuss how to keep the $2.8 billion “Emerald Necklace” — the largest public-works project of its kind in the country — on track.

Liz Coyle, chair of the Beltline Network, writes in an “urgent” e-mail sent yesterday to members (emphasis added for the more civic-minded Fresh Loaf readers who want to get involved):

I am calling a special meeting of the BeltLine Network on this Wednesday, January 28, at 4:30pm at Trees Atlanta, 225 Chester Avenue. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and strategize a community response to a threat to BeltLine transit. I will provide more details as available at the meeting, but to summarize the situation and get right to the point, AMTRAK has begun condemnation proceedings on the NE Corridor of the BeltLine. This is in response to Norfolk Southern Railroad (NSR), Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) and Atlanta Development Authority (ADA) pursuing rail abandonment on the Northeast Corridor (aka the “Decatur Belt”) with the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB), a necessary step to advancing light rail transit in the BeltLine corridor. Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and AMTRAK have filed Motions to Stay the abandonment proceedings.

More on Coyle’s e-mail and the issues — and questions — surrounding this dispute after the jump.

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HIT THE BRAKES Beltline faces another obstacle — from GDOT and AMTRAK

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the Beltline, the 22-mile loop of parks, trails and transit proposed to circle Atlanta, it’s that surprises are to be expected. And some interesting developments are afoot with the $2.8-billion project.

If you recall, Atlanta Beltline Inc. — the nonprofit agency in charge of planning and implementing the project — finalized its purchase of a 66-acre piece of property in October owned by Gwinnett County developer Wayne Mason and his son Keith, an Atlanta attorney. The Mason property included  land and transit right-of-way. The $66 million purchase riled city watchdogs not only for the ultimate payout to the Masons — more than double what father and son originally paid for the land in 2004 — but also the deal ABI cut with a private partner group it needed to buy out if it wanted to use tax-exempt bonds to finalize the purchase before a Halloween deadline. That’s background, and for all intents and purposes, irrelevant for the moment.

Beltline leaders hoped to complete planning the area, implement transit, and sell off excess land to developers. They would then re-invest the windfall from those sales back into the overall project. But before it could do anything with the property, it first had to abandon the transit right-of-way. That humdrum process is conducted by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board and largely involves just some time for public comment and a shuffling of papers. It was supposed to be a walk in the park.

Looks like that’s not turning out to be the case. An eleventh-hour move by the state Department of Transportation and AMTRAK has potentially thrown a wrench in the Beltline. And why those two odd entities decided to hold hands and insert themselves into the conversation — this late in the party — is making folks scratch their heads.

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Jeez, guys, didn’t you read that he was taking a train to Washington, D.C.?

The Georgia Public Interest Research Group has just released its analysis of the state Department of Transportation’s wishlist for President-elect Barack Obama’s proposed stimulus funds. And the group says the state agency’s list favors asphalt over rails.

The Georgia Department of Transportation’s wish list requests:

• Georgia would spend only 34.3 percent of funds on public transit/intercity rail projects.

• The state DOT has allocated 69 percent of the two billion dollar highway project funds to the maintenance needs of the state’s infrastructure. This is a higher portion than most other states but would still leave many bridges and roads in a state of disrepair while building new highways.

• GDOT also lists three bike/pedestrian projects in Fulton County: West End Rail Multi-use Trail ($2.2 million), Fourteenth Street ($7.6 million), and Downtown Atlanta Pedestrian ($6.7 million).

There are some worrisome aspects to these high-dollar and ambitious wishlists, too.

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Tired of swallowing Xanax every time you jump on a plane to visit the folks? You might get an alternative, my weary friend.

A new multi-state study says high-speed rail is feasible along I-85 from Charlotte, N.C. to Macon. Greenville, S.C. and Atlanta would be stops along the route.

From a press release about the study:

The Charlotte-Macon Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor study assesses the capacity and speed capabilities of the corridor and estimates possible ridership, revenue, operating and capital costs associated with extending high-speed passenger rail from Charlotte, N.C. to Macon, Ga., along the I-85 corridor. The report also addresses the feasibility of train speeds up to 150 miles per hour, including new track construction in locations that would increase speeds and avoid congested areas. The study was conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass.

“This effort supports our shared belief that we must seriously consider — and plan for — transportation alternatives in these rapidly developing areas,” said Georgia Transportation Commissioner Gena Evans. “Given the growth our states continue to experience, we must explore every tool in our tool box in order to move the needle on transportation reform.”

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High speed rail service, where appropriate, will provide business and leisure travelers with a competitive alternative to air and auto for trips between 100 and 500 miles.

Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia are working together with the business communities in each state to plan, develop and implement high speed rail in the Southeast. If implemented, the system would be developed incrementally, upgrading existing rail rights of way where possible.

What’s next? More studies, of course, including environmental assessments and modeling to gauge how viabile it would be to connect high-speed rail to other cities such as Washington, D.C. and Boston. Nowhere in the release does it mention how much the project would cost, which, in the end, is what determines whether it gets off the drawing board and into reality.

The complete study is also available online for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Full press release is after the jump.
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Gary Reese, one of the pixel-stained wretches at InsiderAdvantage, pulls back the curtain on a piece he’s researching about the state Department of Transportation’s vote to kill a Ga. 400 project. He says it’s a “blockbuster” and one to watch.

Reese offers a lengthy 1,551-word teaser. Essentially: There’s a bigger story behind the DOT board’s decision late last year to kill a deal proposed for the “Hospitality Highway.”

He says there are a bunch of e-mails and potentially ghostwritten press releases, too. CL readers might recall a story I wrote last year about Gov. Sonny Perdue’s trip to Spain, and rumors that the jaunt would include a sit-down with executives from Cintra, everyone’s favorite private toll road company. (Perdue did indeed sit down with the firm.) Reese says Cintra — along with some other big names in finance and transportation — will play a role in his story, as well.

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While I was up in Washington, D.C. and New York City on a fact-finding mission, it looks like y’all had a helluva time. Mayor Shirley Franklin asked the feds for a life preserver, the Georgia Department of Transportation decided years-old e-mails of a lascivious nature weren’t grounds for dismissal (use Gchat, Gena!), Buckhead was — gasp — called overdeveloped, and the DeKalb County Courthouse was visited by Peter, Ray and Egon. Oh yeah, and some guy who lost a presidential election visited. And there was also this news.

Sure, all I have to show for my hedonistic jaunt are a lot of blisters and FedEx receipts because I shipped all my books, DVDs and tiger-taming gear from my old NYC apartment to Decatur. But it’s good to be back. I’m eager to get back into covering the U.S. Senate and Public Service Commission races and all the other sordid beats. And finally getting the pedicure that I, being the “prominent journalist” that I am, promised a lucky lady. Viva Atlanta! Viva Creative Loafing! Viva chaos!

How was your week, Atlanta?

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Dale Russell of Fox5 Atlanta has an investigative report airing tonight at 6 and 10 p.m. that looks into DOT Commissioner Gena Evans (nee Abraham) and explicit e-mails she sent to former boyfriends when she worked at different state agencies. If they’re the same ones reported late last week by WSB’s Richard Belcher, then they’re sexual in nature.

Evans has denied she did anything wrong and has understandably questioned who’s behind the examination of her past. The commissioner’s widely considered a reformer at the uber-powerful and long-beleaguered state agency. It’s been rumored, however, that her appointment angered many proponents of the status quo. Whatever the case, word is that some high-level folks are keeping an eye on this item. UPDATE: Galloway says the DOT Board will discuss the e-mails in a closed-door session on Nov. 13.

Says Russell:

It began with a computer disk with hundreds of e-mails written by DOT Commissioner Gena Evans. Written, before she was at the DOT, while working at other state agencies. Written on state computers, often during office hours. Many are personal. Some, very personal, even sexually explicit. They took us on a trail to personal relationships that some say conflicted with her professional responsibilities.

Click here to check out Russell’s preview of the report. (I was going to say “tease,” but that just seems too easy in this case.) Click here to view what aired on WSB.

The look into the e-mails — which were unearthed by Open Records enthusiast George Anderson  — has generated an interesting discussion on Peach Pundit and Live Apartment Fire. (Dale at LAF examines the newsroom decisions that led to the airing of the e-mails; Erick at PP says he thinks reporters are being led on a witch hunt by enemies of Evans.)

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Not Mike Evans. But it kind of looks like him.

Gov. Sonny Perdue has appointed Mike Evans, the former State Transportation Board chief who resigned after he and Commissioner Gena Abraham revealed the two were in a relationship, to the Department of Community Affairs Board.

After resigning from the DOT board, Evans was rumored to run for the Public Service Commission’s Northern District or try to return to the General Assembly. (Evans served eight years in the state House of Representatives.) He and Abraham recently married and she took his last name.

The Department of Community Affairs serves as an advocate for local governments, operates a large number of state and federal grants, and helps communities with planning, housing and building. (They’re also to thank for all those nifty Georgia History markers you see around the state.) Evans will serve as an “at large” representative.

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