Tales from the Corners

  In my previous post, I discussed the suburb of Johns Creek’s rejection of public transit expansion. That rejection is a representation of the thinking that got the metro area into the place where it is these days. Today, cities like Johns Creek are part of a car-centric culture that produces massive traffic jams, lack of transportation choices and poor air quality. There’s been much talk about attracting businesses of all stripes to the metro area over the past few years. It’s no secret that attracting businesses to the Atlanta metro area means attracting young talent. According to scores of surveys, that young talent wishes to utilize public transportation. The communities that already have MARTA rail service are in a good position to attract companies and young people to move there thus expanding their already-growing tax bases. At the moment, Johns Creek is going in the opposite direction by operating on antiquated thinking. One needs to look at Kimball Bridge Road, S...

It's been a while since I posted travel information, so here goes. The following are deals that can only be booked on Cyber Monday 2015. 2015 CYBER MONDAY TRAVEL OFFERS The following deals can be booked ONLY on CYBER MONDAY, November 30, 2015.  All deals are subject to blackout dates and based on availability.  Additional restrictions and room category limitations may apply. CONTINENTAL U.S.  FLORIDA Hotel:  The Palms Hotel & Spa, Miami Beach Offer:  25% off best available rates guaranteed, rates start at $225 Valid for Travel:  Nov 27, 2015 – October 31, 2016. No Friday or Saturday arrivals, blackout dates apply. How to Book:   www.thepalmshotel.com  with promo code PROCYBER Hotel:  Circa 39 Hotel, Miami Beach Offer:  25% off best available rates guaranteed, rates start at $149 Valid for Travel:  Nov 27, 2015 – October 31, 2016. No Friday or Saturday arrivals, blackout dates apply. How to Book:   www.c...

There's been much brouhaha last week up in Johns Creek about that city's opposition to MARTA rail expansion. On Monday, November 16, they city produced Resolution 2015-11-19 which essentially states that the city opposes a 1/2 % tax increase for MARTA expansion.  In other words, NO to MARTA in Johns Creek. Well, we've "seen this movie before." In the aftermath of Resolution 2015-11-19,  proponents and opponents came out of the woodwork to conduct an attempt at conversation.  Those conversations show that this relatively new city has a long way to go in order to deal with its ongoing traffic congestion issues. The bottom line is that something needs to be done about this city's horrific traffic. One of the city's thoroughfares, Medlock Bridge Road (Georgia 141) is a north-south congestion nightmare. At peak times, Medlock Bridge backs up well in Gwinnett County where the road is known as Peachtree Parkway. On heavier days, the congestion goes i...

With the recent time change, wet and violent weather, it's no surprise that most of us who drive in the metro Atlanta area have been white-knuckling it more than usual these days and nights. Certainly driving is a challenge on the dry, sunny days, but motorists' problems have been compounded by these recent events. While the wet weather has been on the increase, GDOT (the Georgia Department of Transportation) recommends to slow down, leave plenty of distance from other vehicles, turn on the lights, put the phone down and my favorite piece of advice: stay awake. Anyone who has lived in this region knows that these recommendations are no joke, but all too often that advice is forgotten in many folks' hectic lives.  Not terribly long ago, I was hit from behind on the Downtown Connector. The kid who hit me from behind apologized yet blamed his mistake on "taking too many people to work and having to go across too many lanes." Also, the light rain didn'...

In early October of this year, a woman was killed while attempting to cross against the "don't walk" sign in a crosswalk. A few weeks later a person was struck and killed going across a road without using a crosswalk. A few days after that tragedy, a person was struck by three cars while attempting to cross a rather busy road. All three incidents happened in Georgia's Gwinnett County. That same scenario was once again carried out in unincorporated Lawrenceville (Gwinnett County's county seat) in early November when a 76 year old woman was struck and killed. In that accident, the woman was walking in a crosswalk near an elementary school at 6 p.m. on a Monday night. It turned out that the woman was walking while the "don't walk" signal was flashing. Four pedestrian fatalities took place in Gwinnett County in less than one month during autumn 2015. In each of those cases, the pedestrians failed to obey the rules. Either the pedestrians did...