The Piedmont Atlantic MegaRegion

[Andrea]

Interesting:

The Emerging Southeast MegaRegion

[monsoon]

It is a pretty good report. My only issue with it is that it only uses Amtrak ridership in regards to rail transportation. There are other options.

[Newnan_Eric]

I had also seen this report. I think it is interesting, but I also saw something else that I commented on in the Georgia forum.

If you look below the "P-A-M" at the smaller cities to the South, a cluster of activity aligns quite well with the proposed I-14.

See my comments in this thread: New Interstates for Georgia?

[ryanmckibben]

NO MORE INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS!!!!!!!

Did I make my opinion clear?

[Andrea]

Ryan, I take it you think there's a problem with giant slabs of concrete with 1000' right of ways being pushed through the middle of town so that people can supposedly drive through in Ford Expeditions at 85 mph but actually get locked down in traffic and have to go 10 mph?

[ryanmckibben]

What ever gave you that idea?

Interstates have done more good then any other transportation option, and by good I mean the decimation of our inner cities, the wholesale destruction on millions of acres of productive farmland and natural habitat, unbelievable air pollution, time wasted sitting in traffic, the alienation of our citizens into their little residential pods, the disconnect between peoples daily lives and the community around them, turning countless mothers (and fathers) into glorified taxi drivers, and the unbelievable waste of financial resources spent on a mode of transportation that is ecologically and financially unsustainable...oh wait the hydrogen economy will save us from all of that

[Andrea]

[Newnan_Eric]

What ever gave you that idea?

Interstates have done more good then any other transportation option, and by good I mean the decimation of our inner cities, the wholesale destruction on millions of acres of productive farmland and natural habitat, unbelievable air pollution, time wasted sitting in traffic, the alienation of our citizens into their little residential pods, the disconnect between peoples daily lives and the community around them, turning countless mothers (and fathers) into glorified taxi drivers, and the unbelievable waste of financial resources spent on a mode of transportation that is ecologically and financially unsustainable...oh wait the hydrogen economy will save us from all of that

With a lot of the damage already done and the trends you've outlined already in place, I don't know if I-14 would really do any additional harm. I would likely bring additional growth along its corridor and if you look at some of the demographic information on the maps in that report, some of those areas could use it. (Look west of Montgomery.)

Additionally, it could relieve some of Atlanta's traffic congestion by having some interstate travel further bypass the metro area.

I'm not a big road proponent, but as someone who travels the state heavily for work, I can acknowledge that the East-West connectivity along the "Fall-line" could use some improvement.

I would also like the state to support MARTA, the Beltline, and get commuter rail off it's ass. Unfortunately, until we get more companies to locate in-town, we're going to have trouble making it all work well. I'd love to take public transit to work. However, ever since I graduated from Georgia Tech, ALL of my employers have been located Outside The Perimeter. I suspect that many others could say the same. That makes it hard for transit to work for a lot of people.

[ryanmckibben]

absolutely eric...one of the things i find humerous is Bernie Marcus all of a sudden turning into a booster for the city. If he really cared, he/they should have moved the HQ for Home Depot into the city insted of building a monstrosity in south Cobb where transit is nowhere around.

As for I-14, I'm not too sure the communities along the proposed route would see it as such a logical project. ANY new highways will do nothing but perpetuate a transportation system that has been an unmitigated didaster. Granted, when it was proposed, it seemed like a great idea...damm those unintended consequences.

I also question the financial benefit of building ever more expensive roads precisely at the time when world oil prices are shooting up and people are finally starting to ask themselves if suburbia is really all that it was supposed to be. We are FINALLY seeing a return to urban living, all over the country not just in the ATL, and IMO government should be doing all it can to promote that. If for no other reason then it will dramatically help my property value...er... air pollution.

[teshadoh]

Whenever I hear how interstate highways will provide economic choices for rural people, I always think of I-16. Though I'm not being fair - even though the economic impact on towns along I-16 are minimal to nonexistant, as evidenced by Macon's growing metro area - it obviously is providing rural residents an option to work somewhere else.

[Martinman]

Well to be fair interstate access alone is clearly not a magic wand but without adequate road access, rural communities have little chance of developing beyond agriculture.

[upstate29650]

Whenever I hear how interstate highways will provide economic choices for rural people, I always think of I-16. Though I'm not being fair - even though the economic impact on towns along I-16 are minimal to nonexistant, as evidenced by Macon's growing metro area - it obviously is providing rural residents an option to work somewhere else.

Yup, but the big reason for I-16 is to move goods from the port in Savannah to distribution points in Atl. That, and to allow the military to move personnel & equipment to the port.

[teshadoh]

^ Which makes 16 one of the truest intended interstate highways. Nonetheless, even with that transport movement, none of those communities have gained many major warehouses.