Atlanta's Chance to Rise Again - This Time Multi-Modal

Warning: Not on driverless topic.

For the whole night after the Atlanta interstate implosion - and the giant fire which accompanied it - all a quick walk from my daughter's apartment, I thanked the divine deity (or deities), or the universe, in the event that the atheists are correct, for the miracle that my daughter and no one else in Atlanta was hurt. Absolutely amazing that on this usually congested stretch of highway that no one was killed or severely injured.

But now I am up to the next phase, the transportation solutions phase, of figuring out how metro Atlanta can cope beyond the advice this morning of the desperate Georgia DOT secretary, who advised everyone to telecommute. That is a wonderful partial solution and for the first few days it might even be the entire solution and perfectly possible for many commuters. However, telecommuting is a piece of the pie and certainly not the whole pie as this mess goes moves into its second week or then into a months-long reconstruction project.

From the baseline

This is Atlanta's - and Georgia's - golden opportunity to go multi-modal. Yes, there is a little subway system, but it will be filled to the gills. Yes, there are buses, but their poor frequency, reliability, and crowds will not suit them to be more than a small piece of the solution to the commute clusterfu*&k that we will soon see.

Now is the time for Atlanta to shine.

Sun shines, we all hold hands, sing Kumbaya 

Here is how, in my own totally non-humble, confident opinion, the city of Atlanta and the Georgia DOT should proceed to reach a happy ending. Remember the magic two words: ALL TOGETHER. No one strategy will be the solution.

1.  Impose an impromptu HOT lane, to promote slugging - otherwise know as casual carpooling. If you charge an few dollars, maybe even one dollar, for regular lane use, then people will be happy to catch rides at designated, convenient places. This happens safely every single workday in Virginia, Washington, DC, San Francisco, and suburbs over the Golden Gate Bridge.

2.  Put down paint and to open up lanes for biking on major roads. Putting in cones or poles will help as well. Imagine a biking highway or major regular thoroughfares inviting bikes so that the roadways can fit more people in a smaller space. This is cheap, both for commuters and for local and state governments.

3. Put on the road lots of cheap or – better – free express buses – I’m dreaming of dedicated lanes here, but I will settle for less – on significant commuter routes. One hundred buses can move 6000 people. That is many more people, moving much more efficiently than in SOV cars.

4. While we’re at it, make some improvements, tweaks really, to traffic signals and sidewalks so that transit and other modes are workable for those pedestrian connections that are necessary in a world beyond strolling through office and strip mall parking lots.

5. Telecommuting.

6. Apps, apps, app. Let all the data be open so that enterprising people can develop imaginative solutions, some of which will take off and really help with the challenging situation.

7. Invite taxi and ride hailing (aka TNC) companies to offer more attractive shared-ride services. 

Needed: Middle-of-the-night painters/civil disobedience and/OR wise governance

None of these projects would be expensive. But together, - remember the magic two words, ALL TOGETHER – all cheap and quick fixes – can demonstrate to metro Atlanta what it has hitherto (don't get much chance to use that word) refused to admit – that it can become a magical region with 20-minute neighborhoods and easy, reliable, attractive options for connectivity. Goodbye awful auto-centric congestion. Hello Brooklyn, I mean Portland, I mean the rising of a new Atlanta and the best of a new South. 

Better for this episode to be remembered as the rising of a new Atlanta rather than yet another burning of the Peachy-keen city.