An idea so beautiful it could stop traffic - One Small Step - using old rail lines

Sierra, Nov-Dec, 2003 by Marilyn Berlin Snell

"I grew up in the Atlanta area, where I sprawl and traffic problems are terrible. As an undergraduate at Georgia Tech, I spent my year abroad in Paris. I lived in that great city studying how it was built and then returned to Atlanta and all its problems. For my master's thesis in architecture and city planning, I designed a system for Atlanta called the Belt Line.

"I like maps and trains a lot so I was looking at these abandoned railroad lines within the city that make a loop around downtown and midtown. The first component of my plan was a light-rail transportation system, using those existing rail lines. Because the rail area is wide, I also included a greenway trail for bikes and pedestrians. Finally, there was an industrial zone associated with the railroad, so the last component was a redevelopment scenario for mixed-income housing and retail.

"I finished graduate school in 1999 and put my thesis on the shelf, But then coworkers encouraged me to put together an information packet about my idea. I sent it to everybody--from the governor to the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).

"The one very strong reaction was from city councilor Cathy Woolard, She represented some of the neighborhoods through which the Belt Line would run. For the next year and a half, we went around to neighborhood groups, the city council transportation committee, and others. I got pretty good at public speaking, something not in my nature at all. The response has been phenomenal. I think people understand intuitively what a positive impact it would have on their communities.

"We're now at the beginning of an 18month MARTA feasibility study. I'm very optimistic that the Belt Line will get built."

SPRAWL BUSTRES: In the 1970s, Portland, Oregon, instituted "smart growth" policies while Atlanta opted for sprawl. Today, vehicle miles traveled have jumped 17 percent in Atlanta but barely 2 percent in Portland.

* ON THE WEB For updates on the Belt Line check out www.cathyatlanta.com; for smart growth information visit www.sierraclub.org/sprawl.>

COPYRIGHT 2003 Sierra Magazine

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