JOURNALISM
Every GRTA Xpress bus route to be affected by first holistic overhaul of routes in a decade
- Starting in spring 2016, every GRTA Xpress bus route will be affected by an overhaul of bus routes that’s intended to increase bus ridership. As part of its realignment of routes in downtown Atlanta, GRTA intends to ensure that drivers follow the law and are courteous toward vehicles and pedestrians. Credit: David Pendered GRTA intends to revise bus routes in Downtown Atlanta and add service to the Perimeter business district from Cobb and Gwinnett counties, and Cumming. The purpose of the first ...more
Atlanta to move on Peachtree Pine shelter as Obama administration intervenes on behalf of homeless in Idaho
- Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has said Atlanta will condemn a homeless shelter located at the corner of Peachtree and Pine streets because controversy has lingered, “too long.” Meanwhile, the Obama administration has filed a brief in a federal lawsuit in favor of the rights of homeless persons. A missionary serving with the group, Saved Life, snapped this photo in 2010 of a man sleeping across a street from the Peachtree and Pine homeless shelter. Credit: savedliferide.wordpress.com On Aug. 6, the federal ...more
Three Georgia campuses among greenest in nation: Emory, Spelman, West Georgia
- Three higher ed campuses in Georgia were ranked among the greenest schools in the nation, according to ninth annual rankings of colleges and universities released Tuesday by Sierra magazine. A 30 percent reduction in water consumption at Candler Library helped Emory University earn a 28th ranking on a green campus program sponsored by “Sierra” magazine. Credit: musiclibraryassoc.org The Georgia schools and their rankings on a scale of 1 to 1,000 are: Emory University – rank, 28; score, 712.1 ; Spelman College – rank, ...more
Common Cause forces resignation of Georgia leader as part of national realignment of interests
- The forced resignation of William Perry, former executive director of Common Cause of Georgia, speaks to the breadth of redirection of the national organization under the leadership of former Clinton cabinet member Robert Reich. William Perry The national Common Cause organization installed in 2014 a president, Miles Rapoport, who has said he intends to work on economic opportunity issues, sustainability and environmental protection. Reich, President Clinton’s labor secretary, recused himself from the selection process because of his previous relation with Rapoport, according ...more
MARTA hopes to raise employee morale by offering interest-free payments on goods, services
- After years of squeezing employees to help balance its budget, MARTA hopes to boost morale by offering a benefits program with interest-free payments, via a payroll deduction plan, on purchases ranging from legal services to computers. MARTA intends to offer a voluntary benefits program in order to boost employee moral. Qualified employees are to have access to free-interest payments on certain goods and services, and pay via payroll deductions. Credit: wikipedia.org The program is being ramped up as MARTA’s leadership has ...more
The Castle, home of Atlanta’s “most interesting & creative humans,” could gain historic status
- By David Pendered The Castle mansion in Midtown has been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places, according to an agenda item slated for consideration Wednesday by the Atlanta Urban Design Commission. The last event hosted at the Castle was, “sunday fun day,” on July 26. The space is to reopen in September, according to its Facebook page. Credit: facebook.com/castleatlanta The applicant is David Crass, the state historic preservation officer and director of the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department ...more
Fox Theatre releases economic impact report showing $25 million impact in 2014
- By David Pendered The Fox Theatre released today an economic impact study that shows the financial returns of the effort begun 40 years ago to save the theater from demolition. The Fox Theatre was saved from demolition and created $25 million in economic impact in 2014, a new study shows. Credit: iranwatsonphoto.com The study shows the theater’s 500,000-plus visitors a year created in 2014: $25 million in total economic impact, excluding ticket sales; 757 jobs; $2.8 million in sales tax, in 2014. The jobs category includes ...more
Atlanta Streetcar ridership exceeds estimates made when a trip was to cost $1
- Ridership on the Atlanta Streetcar is exceeding forecasts, although the forecasts were made with the presumption riders would pay for a trip. Passengers will ride the Atlanta Streetcar for free in 2015 because there’s no feasible method to collect a fare at this time, according to Atlanta’s commissioner of public works. File/Credit: walkableapp.com Richard Mendoza, Atlanta’s public works commissioner, said ridership in July set the record, at 102,619 passengers. Monthly ridership has ranged from 47,037 passengers to 92,107 passengers, he said. The ...more
Update of Atlanta’s 1952 truck route plan seeks to balance needs of freight industry, residents
- Atlanta is completing the first update since 1952 of the city’s designated truck routes, and one road that is to be removed from the freight map leads to the Goat Farm Arts Center. The road leading to the Goat Farm Arts Center is to be taken off the list of truck routes in Atlanta. Goats wandered behind a fence in this photo taken in May 2011. Credit: David Pendered The roadway situation around the Goat Farm speaks to the complexity of ...more
Whether product of tactical urbanism or community effort, East Atlanta has a park
- Residents of East Atlanta who helped build a community gathering place found that they built something in addition to a park – a real sense of community. Children play on Boulder Beast, a dragon made from clean scrap tires at East Atlanta Corner Project. Credit: Sylvia McAfee To hear Joe Peery describe it, the community park came together in a fashion similar to the soup in the folktale about stone soup. This the fable in which a traveler stops in a ...more