Twilight!

The 30th annual Twilight Criterium is this Saturday!


See: Flagpole's coverage & the official event website.

Street improvements

From Flagpole:

Street repaving and streetscape improvements will be among the last sales tax-funded projects under the current round of SPLOST collections (a new list of projects goes before voters in November).
...
Eleven downtown streets are under consideration, along with (if enough money is available) Baxter, Milledge, Prince, Oconee and Lexington.
...

The money will go to repaving downtown and other streets that need repaving the worst, under guidelines drawn up by county staffers, with streetscape improvements added. Streets where commercial "redevelopment" is especially desired will also get priority. Any plans for Atlanta Highway will have to wait; Commissioner Kelly Girtz says he'd like to see a planted center median along that road, and designated lanes for buses. Federal "smart growth" grants are available, Girtz says; he suggests Athens needs a staff person who would apply for such grants.

In May commissioners will review new planning department studies of Prince Avenue and Oconee Street that are intended to guide future developments there. The studies will inventory existing conditions along both streets and make long-term recommendations for sidewalks, minor zoning changes, or "overlay districts" with special requirements.

Also in Flagpole, some creative suggestions for cheap, grassroots transportation choices.

BikeAthens Treasurer provides bike rack to city hall

Our Treasurer, Peter Norris, crafted the new bike rack at city hall downtown. Check it out!

Video from holiday parade

BikeAthens' "float" featured in this video at minute 17:50.

Holiday Bikes for Kids

The Holiday Bikes for Kids project got some coverage in the ABH today.

Also, tonight & Wednesday we are preparing for Thursday night's Downtown Parade of Lights. If you can't make it for the prep sessions, be sure to come down to Dougherty St, across from Denney Towers, on Thursday between 6 and 6:30- all walkers and cyclists are welcome to join our float!

Downtown Parade of Lights - Dec. 3rd!

Join the BikeAthens "float" through the annual Downtown Parade of Lights.

Dress as an elf or get otherwise festive...walk or ride your bike, and if you have a unique or interesting bicycle, please ride it!

After the parade, we'll convene at Little Kings for refreshments.

We had a blast last year, and we even won the "best Novelty Float" award. We will be on the LEFT side of Dougherty across from Denny Towers. Please join us by 6:30 pm.

Hope to see you- the more the merrier!

Here are pictires from last year's parade:

More deck discussion

Flagpole's Kevan Williams analyzes the downtown parking deck's context in downtown, as well as alternative exterior designs that might liven it up as a valuable component of the streetscape (See James Kunstler for another perspective on the suggested alternative facade.)

Is it cool or an abomination?

Downtown deck approved

A 520-space, mixed-use, downtown parking deck got the go-ahead from the ACC Mayor & Commission. This deck will be built in the lot behind and adjacent to the Georgia Theatre.

ABH provides this artist's rendering of the deck design:

Downtown parking deck

Parking costs downtown may increase dramatically due to the proposed parking deck & mixed use development near the Georgia Theatre.

Welcome to Athens

Welcome to Athens, new UGA students! And welcome back, all who summered elsewhere.

Check out bikeathens.com or this blog for everything you need to know about transit, walking, and cycling in Athens. If you like to volunteer, we have plenty of opportunities! You can always check out the great local weekly, Flagpole, for transportation news and event announcements as well.

In its orientation-to-Athens issue, Flagpole generously mentions BikeAthens quite a few times...

* BikeAthens Co-Chair Amy Johnson is quoted in a story on the Long Range Transportation Plan.

Don't forget to come by Trappeze at 7 pm tonight! We'll be discussing the LRTP and finalizing BikeAthens' formal comment on the plan. If you can't make it, be sure to submit comment on the plan. If you haven't read it, don't worry! While we strongly advise you to read the plan, you can submit any comment you like on the future of transportation in Athens. It will all be considered. You can email comments to macorts@co.clarke.ga.us until August 18th. Or, stay tuned for our soon-to-be-live online comment form, where you can tailor your comments on the LRTP and submit them from a single web page.

* Also, City Dope talks sidewalks, Athens Rising covers downtown and parking decks, and a feature for new arrivals points folks to our free Bike Map.

* Finally, the events calendar reminds the volunteer-minded to consider our ongoing Bike Recycling Program.

BikeAthens encourages you to walk, ride a bike, or take transit whenever possible. It's easier than you think to get around without a car! It will save you money, keep you healthier, and reduce traffic all around.

When you do drive, watch for pedestrians and cyclists, and give them the right-of-way. It's not just neighborly, it's the law!

And when you bike or walk, just remember:

• Be aware of your surroundings
• Be visible
• Ride legally & predictably
• Wear a helmet
• Share the road with all users

Enjoy yourself, and take advantage of all that Athens offers. We hope you'll get involved with BikeAthens!

The ghost of ped malls past

In a story on the old urban renewal plan for downtown Athens, the ABH revisits the idea that College Square could be converted to a pedestrian mall.

This topic has come up on the BikeAthens discussion listserve, in the ABH, and on the letters page of Flagpole. The discussion never fails to rile folks up, one way or the other. Personally, I'd love it. The pedestrian-only zones I've seen in other cities are the most pleasant places to hang out. They are full of people and full of thriving businesses. The key, of course, is to design them well.

The story also mentions that New Urbanism will be the guiding principle behind whatever future downtown development plan Athens creates. New Urbanism "espouses a return to the close-knit communities that existed before the car transformed American life... people should live near where they work and shop, and should be able to walk where they want to go."

Twilight pics

We hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did!

Downtown parking

The Commission has decided to revise its downtown parking plans, keeping the higher expired meter fines but raising every meter to a 2-hour limit.

Twilight '09: Volunteers needed

Our friends at the upcoming Twilight Criterium 2009 need your help!

Check out their volunteer opportunities here, and commit to helping out one of the greatest events our fair town has to offer.

Some pics from last year's Twilight here:

Local news a-plenty

From Flagpole:

• Downtown parking deck
• GA's slack attitiude toward train funding
• Downtown parking fees
• Possible bus fare increase
• 2005 SPLOST: "$8 million is available for local streetscape, sidewalk and infrastructure upgrades"
  

From ABH:

• Milledge Ave ped/bike trail

Downtown parking deck

"The Athens-Clarke Commission is on track to pick a developer to work with on a $20 million downtown Athens parking deck, " reports the Banner-Herald.

Atlanta-based Batson-Cook Development is the frontrunner to design, build and fund part of a long-planned mixed-use parking deck in a surface lot near the Georgia Theatre.

The public-private partnership would be a first for Athens, although they're common in other cities, such as Greenville, S.C., and Savannah.

The preliminary plan consists of a six-story structure that looks like a building, not a parking deck. It includes 520 parking spaces, 12,000 square feet of ground-level retail space along West Clayton and Washington streets, 23,000 square feet of high-end office space on the top floor and a rooftop garden.

ABH provides this artist rendering of the deck as well:

Could any of the parking go below street level?

Bike racks and/or lockers, scooter parking, and an Athens Transit bus stop would be nice as well.

The roof-top garden and mixed-use aspects sound very cool, and it's a relief that the architects are trying to avoid the grim aesthetics of a parking deck.

Downtown parking, transit ads, & TSPLOST

ABH:

The Athens-Clarke Commission voted Tuesday to triple the fines for parking too long in downtown Athens.

Starting July 1, the fine for parking at an expired meter will rise from $3 to $10, and the fine for feeding quarters into the meter after it has expired will rise from $5 to $15.

Meters will be enforced from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., rather than the current 6 p.m.

The commission also voted to "sell advertisements on Athens Transit buses, a move that is expected to bring in about $25,000 to $50,000 a year for additional service."

ALSO,
The state legislature is moving forward on a TSPLOST bill:

The House plan favors a statewide sales tax that would raise $25 billion for transportation projects during the next decade. The Senate plan would allow counties to band together to impose a regional tax.

Georgia's business lobbyists have aggressively pushed for the increases, saying Atlanta's traffic woes are hurting their ability to recruit and keep companies. The city's commute routinely ranks among the nation's worst, and state officials say Georgia ranks near the bottom when it comes to per capita spending on transportation.

Under both plans, Georgia voters would have to approve the tax hike in 2010 as a constitutional amendment. The Senate measure requires local officials to craft a list of potential projects that local residents would consider, while the House proposal includes a lengthy list of specific projects across the state.

$500K available for alt trans projects in Athens

Athens-Clarke County has $500,000 to spend on bike, pedestrian, and transit projects, and we want to hear from you on which projects you'd like to see happen.

Read the post below and then please fill out the poll on our blog home page.

Details & project descriptions via the ABH:

A standing committee of five commissioners is deciding how to spend $500,000 the commission earmarked for alternative transportation - walking, biking and buses - in 2006.

Officials said they want to spend $75,000 to update a plan for future bike lanes written in 2001, expanding it beyond the three-mile radius from downtown that was mapped out eight years ago. They also want to hold back $25,000 for incidental expenses.

Projects that parks, transportation and Athens Transit officials said could be funded with the remaining money include:

► $400,000 to buy land for a future expansion of a planned, federally funded park-and-ride lot at Oconee Street and the Athens Perimeter.

► $400,000 to widen College Station Road between Research Drive and Barnett Shoals Road to add lanes for bike riders.

► $400,000 to build 1.3 miles of sidewalks along Oglethorpe Avenue, Whit Davis Road, Cherokee Road, Research Road and Cedar Shoals Drive.

► $400,000 to build a trail connecting the Multimodal Transportation Center to a planned rail-trail project in East Athens.

► $400,000 to supplement sales tax revenue earmarked for the North Oconee River Greenway.

► $400,000 to build paths in a proposed park along Pulaski Creek.

► $400,000 to build a bike lane along West Broad Street/Atlanta Highway from Alps Road to greenspace near the Middle Oconee River.

► $400,000 to build an off-road path connecting Milledge Avenue and Milledge Avenue Extension.

► $200,000 to buy land for bus shelters at stops where the local government does not own right-of-way.

► $50,000 to promote Athens Transit bus service.

► $20,000 to buy and install 40 bike racks around Athens.

Ped mall variations

Flagpole's "Athens Rising" columnist, Kevan Williams, explores the oft-discussed downtown pedestrian mall concept, pointing out that such a pedestrian space need not be linear or limited to "College Square."

He says, "These pedestrian plazas ought to be little gems in the city...We’ll never know how this thing would work until we try it, but trying it out doesn’t require a multi-million dollar streetscaping project. This spring, the city could put out some traffic barricades, roll out the AstroTurf, and take back the street for a week to see what happens."

Upgrades to downtown parking meters

Downtown Athens is getting new "solar-powered parking meters that accept credit cards and dollar bills."

Notably,

The pay-and-display system also will cut down on streetside clutter, because each new machine can handle up to 10 parking spaces, [ADDA Executive Director Kathryn] Lookofsky said.

"It will make the sidewalks more walkable."