Fresh Loaf

Gov. Sonny Perdue has rehashed some tips as to how Georgians can conserve fuel in these gas-strapped times. It’s just that something’s missing from the list:

· Drive sensibly: Speeding, rapid acceleration (jackrabbit starts), and rapid braking lowers gas mileage.

· Choose the right vehicle: If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets better gas mileage whenever possible.

· Decrease speed: Gas mileage decreases rapidly when driving more than 60 miles-per-hour.

· Avoid idling: Idling gets zero miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas while idling than cars with smaller engines.

· Commute alternatives are also a useful way to conserve fuel, including telework, carpool and transit options, and flexible work schedules. More information is available about commute alternatives at www.CleanAirCampaign.com.

After straying from the talking points and getting called out for it by bloggers and the AJC’s Jim Galloway, it seems like the governor got the memo this go-round. It’d sure be bad to repeat Barack Obama’s advice to the country hours before a much-anticipated presidential debate. Especially when that advice makes sense.

Politics aside, here’s the rundown on fuel: The gas shortage is expected to ease in the middle of next week, according to U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who when not soliciting endorsements from barbers and funeral directors, talks to the folks in the know. State officials are asking residents to conserve so stations can get a chance to replenish their supplies. (Topping off and filling up prior to running low keeps supply at a minimum.) If possible, hit up public transit, ride a bicycle or carpool. If you’re looking for stations that have gas, SpaceyG points you to the TwitterNetz.

Bookmark It

THIS is the reason why Atlanta needs a robust transit system. Subway Crush, a sort of CraigsList “missed connections,” just for the subway.

I can only imagine the postings would consist of “you were wearing a red fanny pack and going to the Braves game.” Or “you were singing popular rap songs and looking for your doo rag. E-mail me!”

Bookmark It

According to the American Public Transportation Association, Atlanta boasted the second highest ridership increase in the nation on its heavy-rail system during the second quarter of 2008. (But we’re first when it comes to singlehood, y’all!) Nationwide, the number of trips on heavy rail increased 4.3 percent. Light-rail saw the biggest increase of all transportation modes in the second quarter of this year, with 12.3 percent more trips than average.

For the full rundown of stats and cities, click here.

Bookmark It

Polish your Glocks, licensed firearm carriers. On July 1, your lifelong dream to legally carry a pistol on the city’s public-transit system will be realized. In uneasy anticipation of the event, MARTA’s trying to get the word out.

So sayeth the people-moving machine:

Georgia law prohibits the carrying of a pistol, revolver or other firearm on public transit unless a person has a valid firearms license to carry a gun. This license must be carried at any time that an individual is carrying a firearm on MARTA. MARTA police will strictly enforce all provisions of this law. Any individual found to be carrying a firearm without a permit will have it confiscated and will be issued a citation pursuant to Georgia law.

Ya hear that? You gotta have a license.

MARTA’s work rules strictly prohibit all employees, whether licensed or not, from the possession of any type of firearm while on MARTA property. This prohibition applies to employees’ vehicles while vehicles are parked on any Authority property designated as a secured employee parking area.

If you work for MARTA, no dice.

When taking MARTA to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, customers need to be aware that firearms laws governing the Airport are different from those governing MARTA. Please see the Airport’s website to review their firearms regulations.

If you see something creepy, MARTA advises you to discreetly contact a staff member, press the emergency call button, or dial (404) 848-4911 or by pressing #MPD on any AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint/Nextel cellular phone. Blackberry users can press #673.

Bookmark It

MARTA’s current budget deficit: $43 million

Number of positions MARTA plans to eliminate because of deficit: 180

Number of these 180 positions that are currently vacant: 130

Number of future MARTA newly created station-agent positions being offered to newly laid-off MARTA employees: 50

Amount by which MARTA’s revenue from local sales taxes was below expectations during first-quarter of 2008: $6.9 million

Amount MARTA spent on fuel last year: $13.4 million

Amount MARTA expects to spend on fuel this year: $17.6 million

Number of trips MARTA passengers took in April 2007: 11,999,867

Number of trips MARTA passengers took in April 2008: 12,800,276

Amount MARTA contributes to Atlanta’s gross regional product: $476 million

Amount state contributed this year to MARTA needs: 0

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, MARTA, GeorgiaGasPrices.com, Mass Transit Magazine, Creative Loafing

Bookmark It

Gov. Sonny Perdue said today that he plans to find the $13 million needed to purchase more buses to accommodate the increasing number of people who are flocking to public transit because of high gas prices.

“I was disappointed this year when our Legislature overlooked the $13 million I placed in there for more GRTA buses,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll rectify that. We’re going to try to find that money to get those buses.”

He reiterated the fact in a conversation with reporters after his comments.

State lawmakers sliced the governor’s $13 million request from the budget during the most recent legislative session. The same lawmakers also failed to pass a sorely-needed funding mechanism that would’ve allowed voters to decide if they wanted regions in the state to be able to levy a sales tax for transportation projects.

When asked by a reporter if the rising prices of gasoline had caused him to consider possible state assistance to expand transit systems, Perdue said to wait and see. He added that he expects all transportation agencies to work together to create a solution — and that transit has to be a component.

But Perdue also put on his transit planner cap and hinted that the metro region’s sprawling landscape is more suited to rolling-tire buses rather than rail-hugging trains.

“When you look at statistics, there’s a certain density that’s required to make [transit] sufficient,” he said.

(Photo by Thomas Wheatley)

Bookmark It

Google Transit, the online Goliath’s maps-merged-with-mobility program, now includes MARTA routes. Now if they’d step on it and start videotaping every inch of our sprawling region and integrating it into maps, we’d truly show people what’s real about city life. Like observing drug deals. And flashers. Or people falling off bicycles. Step on it, oi!

Citizens for Progressive Transit has its own homegrown online transit tool, too, and it’s a little easier on the eyes than Google’s. The A-TRAIN Trip Planner tells you how to get to the nearest bus stop or rail station, how long it’ll take you, what route to take, and even let you enter in how fast you want to walk or bike to get there.

(Thanks to the folks at the CfPT message board for catching this.)

Bookmark It

In regards to the infamous YouTube video, MARTA has finally released a statement on the arrest of a female who allegedly verbally assaulted a fellow rail passenger.

Statement from MARTA Chief of Police Wanda Dunham:

MARTA police have arrested the individual who was allegedly involved in a verbal assault on a rail customer. A video of the incident, which MARTA police have determined occurred on March 10, 2008, was recently posted on the Internet. Nafiza Ziyad, 25, is being held in DeKalb County jail and has been charged with Simple Assault, two counts of Certain Acts in Transit and Disorderly Conduct. The arrest late Thursday, May 8, 2008 came after MARTA officials were able to interview the actual victim of the train harassment.

When this incident was brought to our attention, we immediately began tracking down any and all leads to ensure that this person was brought to justice. This arrest was the result of hard work and relentless follow-up by the Criminal Investigations Division of the MARTA police as well as invaluable tips and assistance from the public. MARTA is working closely with DeKalb County Solicitor-General Robert James to prosecute this individual to the fullest extent of the law.

I want to reiterate that this is an extremely isolated incident and that customer safety and security are our highest priorities. We regret that the many citizens who witnessed this incident did not utilize the emergency call button that is available in all rail cars to directly contact the rail operator or contact MARTA police so that we could have responded to this situation immediately. MARTA police officers regularly patrol the trains and are available at rail stations to provide assistance. Customers can also reach MARTA Police communications directly by dialing (404) 848-4911 or by pressing #MPD on any AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint/Nextel cellular phone. Blackberry users press #673.

Bookmark It

Atlanta entertainment blogger Sandra Rose says Soulja Girl (a.k.a. the young woman depicted in a recent web video yelling and rapping abusively at an elderly woman on a MARTA train), was arrested and released on bail Friday. Rose does not reveal the alleged Soulja Girl’s full name, but does post what appears to be a mug shot.

In a previous post, Rose says a woman claiming to be Soulja Girl’s sister told V-103’s Ryan Cameron Show Friday that her sister suffers from bipolar disorder.

From SandraRose.com:

Soulja Girl’s sister and baby daddy called into the Ryan Cameron Show on V-103 today. Soulja Girl’s sister told Ryan that her sister was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 5 years ago and the incident on the train was the result of her sister not taking her meds.

She said Soulja Girl was turned into police by their mother yesterday and she is being held on $300 bail.

On a more meta-note, people love them some public-transit drama. According to the ViralVideoChart, this thing “spread like wildfire.”

(Thanks to Grayson for passing along the Sandra Rose link.)

Bookmark It

According to MARTA, the passionate young lady who displayed a variety of talents in a video we posted yesterday has a warrant issued for her arrest.

“MARTA police were notified about this video last Friday and launched an immediate and aggressive investigation into the incident. After canvassing the East Lake Station where the suspect reportedly exited the train, we received an anonymous tip that this incident possibly occurred on March 31, 2008 between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The tipster also indicated the suspect has been known to ride Bus Route 22. MARTA police were able to positively identify the individual allegedly involved in this incident and have secured a warrant for her arrest.”

“We want to assure the public that this is an extremely isolated incident and that customer safety and security are our highest priorities,” stated MARTA Chief of Police Wanda Dunham. “We regret that any customer had to endure such harassment while using our system. I also wish the many citizens who witnessed this incident would have contacted the MARTA police so that we could have responded to this situation immediately. We are asking that anyone who witnessed this incident please come forward to provide additional first hand information, which may lead to additional charges against the suspect. If you have any information about this incident, please contact MARTA Police Detectives at (404) 848-4911.”

“MARTA police officers regularly patrol the trains and are available at rail stations to provide assistance. Emergency call buttons are also located in all rail cars, which go directly to the rail operator in case customers need to request immediate assistance. Customers can also reach MARTA Police communications directly by dialing (404) 848-4911 or by pressing #MPD on any AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint/Nextel cellular phone. Blackberry users press #673.”

Bookmark It

Radiohead plays Thursday at Lakewood Amphitheater and, being the eco-conscious angst-ridden gents they are, have suggested fans use public transit if possible.

MARTA will be operating a shuttle service between the Lakewood/Fort McPherson station (s4) and the venue tomorrow night. Gates to the venue will open to MARTA customers at 5:30 p.m.The shuttle stops running one hour after the amphitheater closes. Fare’s $1.75 and covers both the shuttle and rail services. Parking at MARTA stations is free as long as you’re not there for more than 24 hours.

So jump on the North-South line and make Thom Yorke smile, maybe even cry. If you’d like to see how you can get from home to the MARTA station without having to drive at all, click here and tell the navigation droids what they want to know.

Bookmark It

You might want to wear headphones or at least turn down the volume for this one. (For those afraid to blindly click: Freestyling, senior citizen badgering, wild accusations, MARTA, video.)

UPDATE: Erick over at Peach Pundit, citing a confidential source at one of the 29 La Quinta Hotel locations in the state, says the governor will sign the guns-in-Girl-Scouts-meetings bill, or whatever the Hades those liberals are calling that thing these days.

UPDATE, THE SEQUEL: Youtube’s now got it.

UPDATE, YET AGAIN: MARTA released a statement about the incident, announcing that a warrant has been issued for the female’s arrest.

(Thanks to Brooke Hatfield)

Bookmark It

Two nights ago, I spoke with a friend in France who said that while she feels sorry for us Americans and our shock about high gas prices, the collective opinion of Europeans is “welcome to the club.” We’re finally paying the true cost of energy as they always have and — shock! — it’s a lot.

And in metro Atlanta, where decades of inaction on public transit has been almost a badge of honor for shortsighted legislators, people are realizing how woefully underfunded one of the best alternatives is now that they need it the most.

(more…)

Bookmark It

FUND TRANSIT State Rep. Dubose Porter, D-Dublin, stands alongside mass-transit supporters Monday and voiced the need for more cash for more options.

It’s become a mantra of passionate rail and bus supporters during the current legislative session: Do something, anything, to kick start the state’s static transit situation.

On Monday afternoon, the message was echoed. Members of Citizens for Progressive Transit, Georgia Public Interest Research Group, the Sierra Club, Mothers and Others for Clean Air and Georgia Brain Train Group, among others, rallied for legislators to pass a proposal that would generate cash to expand bus and rail services.

Advocates say their movement has momentum this year in the form of a state Senate resolution that was nipped and tucked last week by the House. State Rep. Dubose Porter appeared alongside the groups yesterday and said it’s time to start thinking about moving people by rail.

“We cannot pave our way out of gridlock,” Porter said. “This is someone from rural Georgia talking… The bill that is moving through [the General Assembly] is about allowing regions to determine their future.”

Neill Herring, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club, supports the need for more transit funding, but told InsiderAdvantage’s Dick Pettys that the current form of the Senate’s proposal reads like an “Atlanta bill.” That could be a problem. Porter said that can be changed if the House dedicates the remaining penny of the motor-fuel tax that’s traditionally gone to the state’s general fund to instead fall under the care of the state DOT. For rural regions which lack the density upon which transit thrives, the generated revenues could go toward road projects.

Also on Monday’s agenda: Release findings of a study they say shows using public transit saves money and gas and lessens our impact on the environment. Rob Thompson of Georgia PIRG presented a study that concluded metro Atlanta transit agencies reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 662,036 metric tons per year and save consumers $228 million in gasoline expenses. (Ariel Hart of That Other Paper has a report questioning some of the study’s findings.) View the agency-by-agency data after the jump.

(Photo by Thomas Wheatley)

(more…)

Bookmark It

According to the American Public Transit Association, or APTA, our fellow countrymen and women took 10.3 billion trips on public transportation in 2007, the highest level in 50 years. That’s a 2.1% increase over the previous year. The organization chalks the increase up to high gas prices, woeful gridlock and expanded service. Light-rail service saw the highest ridership increase with 6.1 percent. In areas with a population of less than 100,000 people, bus ridership increased 6.4 percent. That’s worth taking into account for the metro region’s outlying areas that may be looking into improving mobility for its residents and making better use of the roads that are already available.

The association also says:

• Communities who choose to invest in public transportation reduce the nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually — equivalent to the electricity used by 4.9 million households. To achieve a similar reduction in carbon emissions, every household in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Denver and Los Angeles combined would have to completely stop using electricity.

• This “leverage effect” of public transportation, supporting efficient land use patterns saves 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline — more than three times the amount of gasoline refined from the oil we import from Kuwait.

This news arrived in my inbox literally minutes after reading this on The Arc of Time, an excellent local blog that showcases, among other things, one Atlantan’s experiences riding MARTA on a daily basis.

From today’s post:

i continue to be bemused by how long it took me to discover the beauty of commuting this way and wonder aloud why others haven’t either. every morning i look out of the windows of the bus/train and watch the cars plying their way along the highway. i know the frustration and boredom that all of those drivers are bound for. and i know they are now paying north of $3.50 per gallon, which is now something like 17.5 cents per mile, just for gas. the irrationality of entrenched habits sometimes knows no bounds — at least that was true in my case.

speaking of savings, i also won another $25 from the clean air campaign’s commuter rewards program last month. two months in a row.

That’s poetry and progress.

Bookmark It

Southwest DeKalb High’s drum majors have recorded a song and video about public transit in Atlanta.

Titled “Bitch you ride the MARTA bus,” it’s a heartwarming ode to bitches who ride MARTA instead of getting rides in cars.

WARNING: Not appropriate for most offices.

(A jaunty tilt of my Breeze Card to missdarrow at the always fantastic Pecanne Log for spotting the video a few days ago.)

Bookmark It

Taking MARTA not only saves money, it helps keep the air clean. A study released by the American Public Transportation Association shows that taking public transportation has a 10 times greater impact on reducing carbon dioxide in the air. For example, if a member of a household opts to hop on the train rather than sit in gridlock, he or she can reduce that household’s “carbon footprint” by 10 percent. Switch to public transit altogether and you can reduce your daily carbon emissions by more than 4,800 pounds a year. (Calculate your carbon footprint here.)

Atlanta’s largest transit provider in metro Atlanta removes approximately 185,000 vehicles off the city’s roads every day. Last year, MARTA recorded 147 million passenger boardings — a 6.6 percent increase from the previous year. So it doesn’t just take people to Braves games.

One question: What is MARTA’s carbon footprint?

Bookmark It