WSB Presents: Traffic Solutions for Atlanta's Future

[Hybrid0NE]

WSB's Webpage for the special

Channel 2 aired a half-hour special on solutions to get Metro Atlantans out of congestion. The website has most of the original broadcast broken down into 7 clips.

[teshadoh]

I saw it at noon today - have to say, that 30 minutes was a big waste of time. It didn't address anything, but minor concepts that are a component of reducing congestion - but are largely inconsequintal compared to the 'big picture'.

[SAV]

I saw it at noon today - have to say, that 30 minutes was a big waste of time. It didn't address anything, but minor concepts that are a component of reducing congestion - but are largely inconsequintal compared to the 'big picture'.

Co-sign!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tell us somethin we dont know

[JerseyBoy]

I noticed how the program hardly even showed MARTA or even enticed people to ride MARTA. It was basically," Alright Atlantans, this is the traffic and this is the road, look how clogged it is? It almost persuaded people to drive their cars because they kept mentioning the new timed traffic lights and the lights being placed at the intersections to the Connector and how they would cut your drive time by like a minute or something. The show wasn't very efffective at all, it focused too much on just showing us what the problem was instead of showing us what we can do to better our's and other people's lives. If they really wanted to prove something to suburbians, then they could have done a test on whether subway or car was faster. They could have started at a person's house, with one person walking to the Sandy Springs subway station and the other driving a car. The person driving would leave the house in Sandy Springs on his way to Downtown. The person walking/subway would walk from the house to the Sandy Springs MARTA station and get on a train and continue to downtown. To make the results more balanced, they could've started at rush hour when 400 is clogged. it would have been kind of funny to see the driver just stuck in traffic on 400 and 85 and see the MARTA rider just zip over them where MARTA crosses over 400. Kind of confusing but it would have showed many North Georgia citizens how much money they waste in gas by just sitting in their car and how much time they waste.

[teshadoh]

The approach was a very cautious one - which is ironic considering local tv news channels most often thrive in telling cautostrophic news. But the attitude was this - they understand most people are concerned about growing traffic congestion, but they were afraid in 'scaring' Atlantans. Fundamental commuting changes are neccessary, but more importantly - drastic changes about the regional land use has to be discussed. No one wants to argue against the metro areas biggest economic generator - sprawl.

Also - though I am still generally in support of 'bulb outs', which the city of Atlanta has been installing. They also tend to be a great nuissance for bicyclists, since it forces bicyclists on normally wide streets to enter the traffic. But they discussed the bulb out's main opposition as just car drivers who wanted to drive faster. Of course, they failed to mention bicycling as a commuting option.

Oh its pointless - that show failed on so many levels that it's impossible to list what they didn't mention.

[SAV]

I think this just proves that the news is heavily swayed. The news just isnt for the people anymore. Well, not as much as it use to be. They never address problems head on. They either ignore them or dilute them. This is why Im starting to hate watching TV news.

If they really wanted to have a NEWS segment they would have said something concerning:

-results of building all these roads

-sprawl

-history on MARTA and WHY IT GOES NO WHERE

-good and bad things about transit and driving. (HELL, THEY COULD HAVE AT LEAST COMPARED THE TWO)

-future road plans

-future transit plans

-Other county bus systems

-They could have compared Atlanta with another city

-What our gov't is doing

-They could have gotten drivers and riders to take a survey

-I could go on and on

Oh, and I cant believe they had the nerve to talk about some damn traffic lights.

I think 60minutes or nightline should do a special on Atlanta