In Decatur, More Density And Road Diets Means Less Traffic (Atlanta: 2015, middle school)

[jsvh]

Decatur traffic: perception much worse than actual numbers | www.ajc.com

Recent statistics provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation indicate that Decatur’s traffic isn’t as congested as commonly perceived. Since 1996 the city’s population has jumped from roughly 18,000 to the current 22,000, an 18 percent increase. But over that same span, traffic counts have diminished practically throughout the city.

The numbers were presented recently during a city commission work session on Decatur’s comprehensive plan update.
Traffic in 2015 was down 9 percent from 1996 on College Avenue in the Renfroe Middle School vicinity. During that same duration it’s down 15 percent at College/Sams Crossing, down 8 percent on Ponce de Leon Avenue/Sycamore Drive (near the MARTA parking lot), down 13 percent on Ponce near the St. Thomas More Church and down 23 percent on East Trinity Place where the Arlo development is finishing up.

Decatur provides model of how Atlanta can reorient its growth to people - SaportaReport

As a visitor, she experienced an Atlanta that few auto-bound residents perceive. Atlantans, however, seem trapped in a belief that roadway improvements are the only way forward and that huge inputs of public funding are required to make the city more inviting. Perhaps an alternate vision is called for rather than a bigger road network.

Fortunately, we do not have go very far to find a great example the results that can be achieved through a change of direction.

Decatur is the place, and it is right next door. Decatur made a radical choice to reorient itself to the realm of the pedestrian. They went on a road diet. They narrowed Ponce De Leon Ave. to two lanes. They replaced auto capacity with shady sidewalks, on-street parking, and bike lanes. They focused a vibrant living environment right on top of their fine downtown train station.

Rather than separating residents from transit with vast expanses of asphalt, Decatur actually mandates a mix of uses – residential, working, and recreation all together within the compact area of downtown. They placed emphasis on livability over throughput, and the yield has been one of the most desirable urban environments in the US.

Atlanta, to date, lacks a focused commitment to an urbane lifestyle. Look at the areas surrounding most of the intown train stations. While originally envisioned as community centers, policies were never put in place to make transit development desirable.

Stations are separated from users by blasted looking parking lots, high fences, atrocious urban design, dangerous roadways and sprawling commercial districts. The stations are not friendly to pedestrians or bicyclists. Is there any wonder that few people use them?

A great example right here in our back yard of how to reduce traffic while increasing the number of people. No new giant highways (or even new transit lines), just encourage great density and replace automotive RoW with space for pedestrains and bikes.

[fourthwarden]

We're working on it, but we've got a way to go.

[cqholt]

Let us not forget that while Decatur has grown, it has at the expense of it's lower income residents. Decatur has effectively removed all SES diversity in the city and become a homogeneous upper middle class town. It has pushed out long time residents who relied on it's transit connections and have had to relocate further outside the core, to areas where transit may not be as reliable or even exist.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Let us not forget that while Decatur has grown, it has at the expense of it's lower income residents. Decatur has effectively removed all SES diversity in the city and become a homogeneous upper middle class town. It has pushed out long time residents who relied on it's transit connections and have had to relocate further outside the core, to areas where transit may not be as reliable or even exist.

Is it the city's fault or the market's fault?

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Gulch

Is it the city's fault or the market's fault?

Neither, it's the forces of the market. But Decatur could have enacted some measure to protect those long time residents from rapidly rising property taxes.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Neither, it's the forces of the market. But Decatur could have enacted some measure to protect those long time residents from rapidly rising property taxes.

They have for older residents. They have a very generous senior exemption.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Let us not forget that while Decatur has grown, it has at the expense of it's lower income residents. Decatur has effectively removed all SES diversity in the city and become a homogeneous upper middle class town. It has pushed out long time residents who relied on it's transit connections and have had to relocate further outside the core, to areas where transit may not be as reliable or even exist.

Well they do have public housing in downtown Decatur and have been supportive of that.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by bu2

Well they do have public housing in downtown Decatur and have been supportive of that.

And DHA has been replacing the older buildings with newer ones, but at the same density and units?

[Mutiny77]

Why is this article making a direct comparison between Atlanta's regional road network and Decatur's local in-town road network???? That's just sloppy.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Why is this article making a direct comparison between Atlanta's regional road network and Decatur's local in-town road network???? That's just sloppy.

The Saporta article is more city-centric.