MIA in the ATL

Did you miss me on my week hiatus? (or a little longer, something like that, sorry)

So it has been crazy busy and I have a lot to catch up on. A transit funding bill was passed (trust me, I'll get to this one), I went Amtrak camping, we had another photo shoot, I went to San Francisco, and I joined the ranks of the (semi)unemployed. I'm still at the shelter, but don't have a day job in Cobb County. I'm excited for the time to catch up on my blog and find that kickass job I've been dreaming of (hint, hint, MARTA) but I'm distressed because I no longer have a reason to ride CCT. Should I to change my name to MARTAgirl now?

Let's talk transit funding. This is a topic near and dear to my heart, I love MARTA, I need it to run, what else would I blog about? A bill got passed a Thursday ago, on the 38th day of session. Basically, this bill:

a - creates TSPLOSTs to be voted on in 2012 that would be in effect for 10 years
b - relieves the MARTA 50/50 restriction for three years
c - says new money voted for in the TSPLOSTs can not be used for MARTA salaries
d - says allows Clayton County to vote for a sales tax to fund transit
e - seriously maims the MARTA board

I'm probably missing something, but these are the points I want to talk on.

I'm disappointed.

I'll go with Dubose Porter on this one, this is barely a bandaid. I mean, good job Georgia for getting off your ass and doing something, boo for not doing anything terribly useful. We wouldn't see money from the TSPLOSTs at best until 2013, more like 2014 if it passes. And then it's only good for 10 years, which is about 10 years shy of the 20 year minimum to get and federal funds. So, FAIL.

Relieving the 50/50 restriction is nice, but three years? Really? You still can't trust them with their own money? And we all know that the relief isn't enough, because they've been burning through their capital reserves for necessary things, like the new FTA requirements in response to the accidents last year in DC. So, FAIL.

Can't use new funds on salaries? Because having people to drive the bus and operate the trains isn't really that important, right? And neither are the cops and station agents. FAIL.

Clayton County can vote to join MARTA. We just have to convince them this is something they want to do, and since their buses were absorbed by GRTA and sold due to federal regulations on the funds used to purchase those buses, they outta, it's their only chance at transit right now. This would also mean an influx on money for MARTA, so for once, WIN.

Slashing the MARTA board. MARTA and the board didn't show up during the final hours of negotiating the bill, so this would seem like a big old slap in the face. Mayor Reed even sent a cop car, lights and all, to pick MARTA CEO Dr. Scott up at MARTA headquarters, but, due to board instructions, she still didn't go. Maybe if she had, the bill would have been more favorable for MARTA. The MARTA board is full of older civil rights leaders who drive to the board meetings, so I'm not too sorry to some of them go. We need riders on that board, people who are more invested in MARTA, so I'm gonna call this a win. Now I need to campaign to get on the board. I hear there's a small stipend. Heck, I'd do it for an unlimited ride pass.

Three epic fails plus one ray of hope and a minor win equals

FAIL.

I has a sad

From where I grew up.

Transit Funding!

I know, you're probably getting sick of me prattling on about funding for MARTA.  All you really read this blog for is my stories of getting attacked by homeless dudes or the Boob Tap.  You even like the stories of me getting hit on, repeatedly.  But I started this blog as an advocate for transit, and by golly I'm going to MARTAgeddon and Draconian y'all til death.  Or at least until we get some money.  I'll let you bet amongst yourself which happens first.

But there may be some hope on the horizon.  Let's take a look at our playing field, as it stands on the morning of the 36th day of the session.  That gives us four more days, so maybe like two weeks.  Who knows.  They may need a break, I don't know how these things work.  I would probably need a break.  I spent one day at the capitol this session, I'm good until next year.

Anyways, so what we have on the table are:

HB 1393, sponsored by the awesome Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam.  This bill would remove the tax cap on Clayton County and would allow them to vote to pass a one cent sales tax for transit funding.

HB 277, a regional transportation bill (TSPLOSTs) which would allow regions to pass a one cent sales tax for transit funding and creates a 2020 Transportation Trust Fund Oversight Committee.  This one is in a joint transportation conference committee which consists of a bunch of republicans from outside the Metro region.  Why there are no Metro Atlantan reps on that one amazes me.

SB 39, again, another TSPLOST bill.

SB 120, Sen. Doug Stoner's bill to reduce the 50/50 restriction on MARTA.  This bill, written last year, is still in the House transportation committee.

SB 285, same deal, reducing the 50/50 restriction.  Also still in the House committee.

SB 520 passed out of the House transportation committee yesterday, so this one looks promising.  Along with removing the 50/50 restriction, this bill would also restore the public transportation office to the Department of Transportation, which should help transit statewide.  It would also rearrange the MARTA board.

I think that has us covered.  I think we need to show overwhelming support for HB 1393, HB 277, and SB 520.  Basically, I'm just picking SB 520 because it seems like the more substantial bill of the 50/50 ones.  What we do need, however, is for Clayton County to get transit, the 50/50 restriction to be lifted from MARTA, regional input on project lists, and funding for transit that has a flexible sunset provision (because you can't receive funding from the feds for transit that isn't funded locally for a minimum of 20 years).  So e-mail or call your reps, and the folks on that joint transportation conference committee and give your support for MARTA!

You can find out who your elected officials are here.

And those conference committee folks are listed out here.

Remember, transit isn't paid for at the fare box, it needs support from the state and local governments.  It's a joint effort, folks.  How can Georgia expect MARTA to go on it's own when no other large transit system in the nation does?

(PS - Like how I worked in that role call of my favorite blog posts?  I hope you read them.  All.)

Be the E

I am E.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Be the E is a call to action evoking Gandhi's quote, "Be the change you want to see in the world."  Publictransportation.org is partnering with Earth Day New York to promote the environmental aspects of public transit.  Each year, public transit use in the US saves 1.4 billion gallons of gas, the equivalent of 4 million gallons a day.  That's more than three times the amount of refined oil America imports from Kuwait.  Besides being smart environmentally, for everyone concerned about America's dependency on foreign oil, this is a no-brainer. 

Your call to action is this: take a photo of yourself giving the I am E sign.  Show that you support public transportation, then e-mail said picture to me at cctgirl@gmail.com.  I intend to make an awesome photo montage of your lovely faces and send it to our reps to show that Atlanta is E.  We need public transit and we care.

I've already got some friends that are E, are you?

Mean People Suck, Part Infinity

Dear Atlanta,

If you are riding the train and a person with a visual impairment who is accompanied by a seeing-eye dog attempts to board, please let him walk through the doorway. This may involve thinking about someone other than yourself for a few seconds and finding a spot where you and your good vision could get to quickly, no longer blocking the entrance and/or the aisle. Better yet, perhaps offer some appropriate guidance such as, "sir, the first seat to your left is free" or "all of the seats next to the door are taken, but there is a pole for you to grab onto about a foot to your right." Finally, I suggest that if you don't have an actual disability, maybe you should get off of your lazy ass and let someone who is impaired to the point of needing a service dog sit down. Having nine children under the age of three doesn't make you disabled, just stupid. So grab the stroller and move out of the way before I move it for you.

Warmly,

The AC

P.S. - MARTA, maybe you could actually program the pre-recorded announcements on the train to accurately describe the direction in which the train is headed, or I don't know, something crazy like getting the names of the stations and/or the lines correct. I hear that most blind people can't read and it might make their lives easier if they didn't get themselves to the Southbound platform at Midtown only to be told that the train that they just boarded is headed to Doraville and the next stop is Lindbergh Center. Thx.

Busghetti

I have been swamped, and I have a lot to catch up on.  I have hours worth of video to figure out what to do with, the legislative session resumed today with 7 days left to come up with some transit solutions, and One took me Amtrak camping, plus another photo shoot last night.  So until I can get my head straightened out, this is what I saw at 8:10 AM Sunday morning on the 110.

That's right, they were eating a plate of spaghetti on the bus.  Ever hear of that rule, no food or drinks on MARTA?  I can see sneaking a chip, or a closed coffee mug (I have been known to do such a thing, that 7 AM commute is a tough one!) but a fricking plate of spaghetti!  That's ballsy!

I will have to say that was the most entertaining bus ride I've ever had.  It may have been the tired delirium from just getting off Amtrak after catching the train at 6:15 AM after packing up a camping site, but these people were crazy.  I think the 110 on Sunday mornings may be where it's at.  A drunk couple got into a fight (yes, at 8 AM on a Sunday), and some young couple decided to head off with spaghetti couple to smoke some.  This was after I got to listen to this woman talk about how she'd take off her cast and break her arm again to kick someone's @$$.  I'm not sure whose, hoping it wasn't mine.

Crazies always come out in the off-peak hours. 

Some more amateur shoots

So I got the stills off this camcorder.  Not the videos themselves, but the stills none the less.

They told Bob to pretend to be a pilot.  Bob is a retired pilot, so it must have been easy for him.

They weren't taking my picture, so I wondered away.  This is Ken, he retires in 24 days.  He's awfully friendly.  And very happy to be retiring.

The tacky token sign.  Just taped up there all hapazardly.  Tsk, tsk!

Airport Photo Shoot

Today was our first MARTA photo shoot at the airport.  We meet at 7 AM (yuck!) to work in the optimal lighting.  That meant I was up at 5:30, after a night of phone calls at the shelter. 

I kept having fun posing with my Breeze card in all sorts of fun pictures, but the photographer, Dan, kept telling me those weren't the sort of pictures they were after.  But it was loads of fun and I'm looking forward to the next shoot Sunday.I'm thinking that for this one, we need to have fun and be goofy.  We're supposed to revamp MARTA's image, right?  I think we need photos of the Boob Tap, people posing silly, and the like.  Who's with me?

Until I get the DVD of the shoot and unload my video ( ie figure out how to upload my video) here are some pictures from this morning:

PS the photographer who's donating his time to the studio is Dan at Studio 7 Photography.  Their stylist/ producer is Charlene.  Check them out!

Do you GEAN?

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then head on over to the Georgia Environmental Action Network and sign up today!  The end of the legislative session draws near and nothing has been done to alleviate the transit funding situation.

The GEAN puts out Action Notices for various issues that allow you to send e-mails to your representatives.  Right now there's a transit funding Action alert up.  All you have to do is sign up, put in your information, and click yes and the system will send a lovely pre-populated letter to your reps.  And I say lovely because I helped write and approve it.  So I can verify it being the kind of thing we need.

Our representatives need to know that we care about MARTA.  Getting letters, e-mails, and phone calls from their constituents lets them know that these issues are important.  So pop on over there now and be heard!

Down on Ponce

One loaned me a book to read, one I had never heard of but sounded fun.  And it wasn't even a train book or planning or none of that nonsense, it's a fiction book!  An actual fiction book.  I think it's one of three he owns.  And I gave him one of the others.

It's a book called Down on Ponce by Fred Willard, and it takes place in Atlanta.  That's right, the Ponce referred to is our own Ponce de Leon.  Published in 1997, the book features the Clairmont, Lil Five, Lanier, and even gives a shout out to MARTA!