MARTA's Brave New Bus System

If you've walked extensively around Atlanta, you'll know that toilets can be hard to find for anyone, but they're especially inaccessible to people who can't afford to buy something at a store just to use their private facilities. Hannah Palmer has a lot to say about the great need for public toilets in the city, which is a subject she covered in a great essay for the How I'd Fix Atlanta series.  Palmer is a an Atlanta-based writer and artist who authored the book The Pool is Closed: Segregation, Summertime, and the Search for a Place to Swim (2024).  Note: this interview was recorded in 2024. Related reading: More Than Half of Atlanta's Restrooms Inaccessible to the Public, GSU Study Finds More Than Half of Atlanta's Restrooms Inaccessible to the Public, GSU Study Finds https://news.gsu.edu/2026/07/07/more-than-half-of-atlantas-restrooms-inaccessible-to-the-public-gsu-study-finds/

On April 18th, MARTA will roll out a redesigned bus system focused on more frequent service on key corridors, making it easier for riders to show up and go without checking a schedule. The redesign also introduces MARTA Reach — a shuttle service that riders can request on demand in certain zones where traditional bus routes have been cut. Today we're talking with Andrew Pofahl, a MARTA Project Manager, and Andy McBurney, a MARTA Service Manager, about what this redesign means for transit riders in Atlanta. MARTA's NextGen Bus Network: https://itsmarta.com/nextgen2.aspx MARTA Trip Planner: https://tracker.itsmarta.com/plan

Today's topic is sustainable transportation and we're chatting with Patrick King, the Georgia Policy Advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the nation's leading environmental advocacy organizations. Patrick's work with state policy involves climate, transportation, and environmental justice—issues that are very important for a growing place like Atlanta. One question we cover is -- how do public transit and land-use decisions in Atlanta affect the environment and equity?  Links: Natural Resources Defense Council https://www.nrdc.org/ Follow Patrick on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-king-ii/    

Today's topic is parking reform and we talk with Tony Jordan, founder of the Parking Reform Network which aims to use policies and activism to discourage the building of too much parking supply in U.S. cities -- a problem that raises the costs of construction, contributes to car dominance, and hinders alternatives like transit from thriving. Links: Parking Reform Network site https://parkingreform.org/ Free Parking Is Killing Cities https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-08-31/why-free-parking-is-bad-according-to-one-ucla-professor Parking Dominates Our Cities. But Do We Really *See* It? https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/11/27/parking-dominates-our-cities-but-do-we-really-see-it Note: thanks much to Blue Tannery for assistance with editing this episode.

Today's topic is affordable housing and joining us is Sean Keenan. Sean is one of our favorite local journalists. He's been writing about Atlanta for several years. Currently he's with Atlanta Civic Circle where he's written many articles about Atlanta's struggle to build and maintain affordable housing for lower income residents.  LINKS Could Atlanta make affordable housing mandatory in hot markets? https://atlantaciviccircle.org/2024/12/04/problems-with-atlantas-inclusionary-zoning-policies/ In Gulch deal, city shortchanged itself with low opt-out fees for affordable housing https://atlantaciviccircle.org/2024/11/18/gulch-deal-shortchanged-atlanta-affordable-housing/ How Atlanta's warming centers work when temps plummet https://atlantaciviccircle.org/2025/01/10/how-atlanta-warming-centers-work/  

You may have read about the shipping containers converted to housing for unsheltered people in Downtown Atlanta. It's called The Melody and it's the product of a City of Atlanta initiative for finding land the city owns and potentially using it for housing. The effort is supported by an analysis of city properties done by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). We talk with Kyle Wedberg, Ph.D. Senior Manager, Research and Consulting at GFOA about that analysis, and with Joshua Humphries, Senior Housing Advisor to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. The great value of making better use of the city's land is clear. But can we also make sure the results are putting lower-income residnets in homes that are part of walkable, transit-served neighborhoods? Links: Can Atlanta's foray into cargo container housing deliver 500 units for unhoused people? https://atlantaciviccircle.org/2024/01/31/atlanta-to-make-500-affordable-housing-units-for-homeless/ New Uses of Public Assets Are Helping Atlanta Fill Its Affordable Housing Gap  https://www.governing.com/housing/new-uses-of-public-assets-are-helping-atlanta-fill-its-affordable-housing-gap

Sometimes folks will be 'on board' with having great new transportation routes in their neighborhood like bike lanes or wider sidewalks, but they don't want new apartments or duplexes nearby, or they may be fine with new population density but will oppose bike lanes becuase they fear a 'traffic nightmare' if car capacity is reduced. These extremes prevent the city from doing what cities do best: achieving a population density and an urban design that truly support alternatives to driving, while reducing car trips. We talk with transportation engineer Phil Veasley about the importance of improving this intersection between transportation and land-use in Atlanta.  Links: The Urban Connector https://philveasley.com/the-urban-connector/ Atlanta's population density: are 'we full'? https://www.threadatl.org/2018/05/16/atlantas-population-density-are-we-full/ What's a STROAD and Why Does It Matter? https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/1/whats-a-stroad-and-why-does-it-matter (Photo courtesy of Steve Eberhardt)  

We talk with Aiya from Atlanta Bike Grid about the state of bike lanes and safer streets in Atlanta, and we mourn the loss of the Peachtree Shared Space project. What will it take to see the bold advances we need for Vision Zero road deaths and a connected bike grid here? It may require new leadership, says Aiya. Links: Atlanta Bike Grid https://www.instagram.com/atlantabikegrid/ Peachtree Shared Space gets removed https://atlanta.urbanize.city/post/city-plans-remove-people-friendly-project-peachtree-street New protected bike lanes in Downtown Atlanta https://www.letspropelatl.org/celebrating-downtown-bikelanes  

We talk with national transit expert Jerome A. Horne about what Atlantans can expect to see in the future with our public transit services, from MARTA's upcoming Bus Rapid Transit lines to its new rail cars with open gangways. Horne also addresses the tricky subject of freight rail companies and whether they'll ever allow passenger trains to operate on their right of way. Links: Atlanta's Incredible Shrinking Transit Plan https://www.governing.com/community/atlantas-incredible-shrinking-transit-plan MARTA lends sneak peek of new railcars in action https://atlanta.urbanize.city/post/marta-new-trains-railcars-images-in-action 2020 40 Under 40: Jerome A. Horne https://www.masstransitmag.com/40-under-40/article/21147601/2020-40-under-40-jerome-horne  

We talk with Steve Davis from Smart Growth America about their Divided By Design report, which focuses in part on the damage that freeways like I-20 did to Atlanta neighborhoods, why it happened, and what a better future could look like.  Links: https://smartgrowthamerica.org/program/divided-by-design/atlanta-ga/ https://www.ajc.com/news/highways-divided-black-communities-infrastructure-money-could-bridge-gaps/4WE4HEEYMZB4DNECJXWWZKSFU4/