By Will Corbin, Project Associate.   Parking on the streets of downtown America can be very stressful. This is one reason why, in Atlanta, I try to take the MARTA train, part of Atlanta’s public transportation system. However, sometimes most of the time, if I am on a strict schedule and need to make a quick visit to a store located in the city, I am forced to drive, due to MARTA’s lack of capacity and unpredictability (which is another entire blog topic in itself!).   Downtown...

By Matthew Tester, Project Associate.   It seems that buses are going the way of the skinny tie. Except that the return of retro-cool fashion indicates disposable income while the return of the local bus system as a transit priority indicates just the opposite.     As we’ve often reported on this blog recently, local finances are kaput and “Austerity” should be in the running for Word of the Year 2010. Government jobs and services are being cut in almost...

By Will Corbin, Project Associate.    During my semester of graduate study abroad in Newcastle, England, I decided to visit a friend of mine who was also studying abroad. My friend was taking classes at the London School of Economics, which is located, of course, in London. This presented a minor issue, because Newcastle is about 300 miles north of London. At an average driving speed of 70mph, it should take a little over four hours from start to finish. Accounting for traffic...

By Matt Tester, Project Associate.   …is increasingly called a bicycle.   American cities are warming to the idea that bike-sharing systems are a valuable means of generating downtown activity, providing viable alternative transportation, and encouraging healthy living. And this, despite their European roots! Several major cities debuted or announced major downtown systems in 2010, and some recent federal policy changes could continue building bike-sharing momentum. ...

By Alex Pearlstein, Director of Projects.   It’s funny how things work.  About a week ago, I was scheduled to fly from Des Moines to Nashville via Minneapolis when my old nemesis, Delta Airlines, reared its ugly head and delayed my outbound flight due to “flight attendant illness.”  Must admit, that was a new one.  I would miss my MSP connection, which was the last flight to Nashville that day.  Delta could get me to Nashville the following day around...

William Teasley, Project Manager.   Although the news media has focused on the challenges of politics, both locally and nationally, some very good things are coming out of Washington, D.C. these days that will have a dramatic impact on community and economic development. And oddly enough, it seems the reason these things are not making the news is that there is broad and even some bi-partisan consensus that these are very good actions for the nation and the economy. First, the...

By Ranada Robinson, Project Associate.   Everyone who knows me knows that one of my least favorite pastimes is driving in traffic. Any time I have to drive from one area of Atlanta to another, especially if it’s any time between 4:00 pm and 6:30 pm, I’m frustrated and tense by the time I get to my destination. And that’s before I start thinking of what I could have been doing if I had not needed to leave extra early to ensure I get there on time. Luckily, I am able to use public...