When you talk to government officials, please remind them that installing cheaper, simpler, faster solutions at more locations is far better than an expensive project in just one place. For people who walk, small changes can have a very big impact.
Northside Drive, a wide, high-speed road with few crosswalks separates Vine City and English Avenue residents from the rest of downtown.
In hopes of alleviating that,
Atlanta officials recently budgeted $8 million to a proposed overhead bridge connecting the Vine City MARTA station and the new Falcons stadium that's under construction.
In some locations, bridges are essential. Without them, people have no way to walk across a river or the interstate.
But elsewhere, bridges have many negatives. First and foremost, few people will use them. People won't walk far to cross the street, so installing safety improvements at multiple crossings would increase safety and connectivity far more than a single bridge.
Bridges are expensive. The $8 million allocated to the proposed Vine City bridge could instead be used to pay for traffic signals or high-tech beacons at some 80 locations.
Simpler is usually better. The crosswalk near the Midtown MARTA station is a good example. About a decade ago, a multi-million dollar tunnel was built beneath 10th Street. Numerous problems arose - so Midtown Alliance later spent less than $100,000 to install a median refuge island and flashing beacons that make it safe, quick and easy for people to cross the street.
Please ask elected officials to spread the solutions. In most locations, bridges and tunnels are not the right choice.
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