Mobility in Metro Atlanta: Your Civic Dinner Feedback at Work

Posted on: Apr 16, 2018

It’s no surprise that mobility has been a popular Civic Dinners topic. After all, traffic affects all of us, and lord knows we love to talk about it.

Of course, transportation has been in the headlines lately. You’ve likely heard the big news: State lawmakers have passed legislation that creates a regional transit authority, to be called The Atlanta Region Transit Link, or The ATL. ARC was part of the discussions that led to this historic legislation.

With mobility all the buzz these days, we thought it would be a good time to share some of the things that you’ve told us at your Civic Dinners on Mobility.

A mobility dinner in Inman Park

Things like…

“People with limited resources depend heavily on public transportation. More affordable options are needed.”
“You can’t just build infrastructure and hope people will use it. You have to work within communities to figure out their needs and incorporate them into the overall vision.”
“The turnaround for infrastructure processes is too long. We need to find ways to deliver transit improvements in less than decades, and pedestrian improvements in less than years. There are diminishing benefits to adding additional time studying a project.”

Some major themes that have come up at Mobility Civic Dinners so far…

People reported feeling joy when their routes are convenient to popular destinations, and when they have options to a variety of transportation options.
People reported feeling frustration with long commute times, traffic, and when they lack transportation options.
People reported feeling fearful when a lack of walkability led to stressful traffic conditions.

When asked to name one thing decision-makers should consider when thinking about transportation solutions in metro Atlanta, top answers included:

Selfie taken at a mobility dinner in Kennesaw

Planning should look to the future, not metro Atlanta’s past. Attitudes, conditions, and technologies are changing.
Timeliness is key.
Transportation options should be expanded to incorporate more users.
Diversity of commuters should be taken into consideration.
Consider economic development, accessibility, and equity as key factors.

Add your voice to the regional conversation about improving mobility in metro Atlanta. Host or attend an ARC Mobility Dinner today. Be sure you subscribe to The Bite, your monthly mouthful on ARC Civic Dinners.