Please Take your ticket….

If there really does have to be a price for convenience, then some BIG Atlanta condo developers have decided to capitalize on it.  Payed parking lots are not a new thing to the city of Atlanta, but requiring that guests of condo owners pay to park is.  The claim is that the guest parking is part of the retail parking meant to be a source of revenue for the developer.  I don’t have to pay to park when I shop at the grocery store, though it probably won’t be long.  So, why can’t the rent that these business pay to the developer suffice?  It seems to me that if more people had free access to these businesses, the developers would stand to make more money from businesses that are making higher profits.  Unfortunately, as our city continues to grow, I only see this trend increasing.  All the more reason for everyone to try to reduce their dependence on their automobiles.  Let’s look at alternatives like biking, telecommuting and mass transit.  None of these accessible to you now?  Get involved to make it happen.  Increasing the availability and speed of Marta takes community support.  Visit the Citizens for Progressive Transit website for great information on what Atlanta’s ideal transit system could look like.  Also, learn about the proposed BeltLine, and how it could improve more that just transportation in the city. 

I’m all about convenience, but for Atlanta to be able to handle the expected increase in population over the next 20 or so years, some things are going to have to change.  People looking to live in urban areas expect transportation alternatives.  Atlantans who expect to see their property value increase, need to help make sure that Atlanta remains a city worth moving to.