11/9/14

If you’ve been on Krog Street in the past few months, then you probably haven’t missed the monolithic block of concrete that has risen in a former parking lot between Edgewood Ave and the Stoveyard complex. While initially catching my eye for its striking resemblance to the Israel-West Bank border wall, it has, over the last few weeks, transitioned from one massive wall into a full four-sided structure, yet another new multi-story parking deck built to house some indubitably impressive amount of vehicles, assuming they can find a way in.

While certainly not the only parking deck of its type to have cropped up in Atlanta in the last few years, the irony of the deck’s location, looming to conceal an unfinished segment of the Beltline snaking behind it, is particularly poignant. The area, which also includes the Edgewood Ave bridge recently repaired and improved for Beltline access, is shaping up as quite the case study for a city with dueling agendas. On one hand, city officials have been notably vocal in expressing support for the growing efforts to increase bike and pedestrian friendly corridors throughout the city. But at the same time, by allowing developers to erect numerous multi-story decks (that inherently create bottleneck situations) in areas already plagued by traffic problems, what message are residents to take about the vision for Atlanta’s transit future?

Meanwhile, just a couple miles west of Krog Street, another transformational site also reveals an interesting dichotomy reflective of the state’s ambivalent attitude towards progressive transit planning. First, the good: the demolition of the eyesore parking lot that sat for years as the approach to the east side of the capital is well under way, with plans in place for a grand “Liberty Plaza” civic space. And, the bad: of course, the removal of that deck was only possible through the construction of a much bigger (albeit moderately attractive) $24.4 million replacement a block away. Again, with sufficient irony, this new deck with both standard sized spots and specially designed extra large “legislative” spots, sits in the footprint of the former Department of Transportation building.

With 1,168 spots, the deck has enough space for every legislator to park 2 cars plus 3 more for lobbyists, since the deck is not open to the public. With that ample space, plus a newly extended, covered walkway linking it to the Twin Towers, it seems the Georgia Building Authority made every effort to incentivize suburban lawmakers to drive all the way in to downtown, eschewing the use of MARTA’s park-and-ride lots for their intended purpose. Considering that there are already two major decks for state employees at the base of the twin towers, it’s unclear how full the new South Parking Deck will be for the 300 days the legislature is not in session.

In July, the Wall Street Journal published an article by Mayor Reed about the “transformational solutions” that cities will continue to provide as state and federal governments grow increasingly stagnant. He foresees a near future with a “greater focus on personal mobility—involving walking, biking, light rail, autonomous vehicle, and car sharing programs…” That sounds good, but with so much car-centric development continuing to occur in Atlanta, we need leadership to address transit issues from every angle, beyond supporting the streetcar and the Beltline. The ideal of a personally mobile future is not going to happen overnight, particularly in a place like Atlanta, where it will involve a pronounced cultural shift.

It’s time for the planning department to scrutinize whether every new apartment complex (particularly those along the Beltline or close to existing mass transit) deserves a parking spot, or two, for every unit. How about incentivizing mixed-income housing by instituting rent-stabilization on apartments without a designated parking spot for residents who (gasp!) might be living without a car? In other words, some new apartments arguably could exist without a spot in a deck and be offered at a discounted rent. Creative solutions to Atlanta’s constantly increasing traffic problem should come from encouraging development to reflect sustainable and progressive practices.

Every day I pass the new complex nearing completion called 755 North, proudly displaying banners touting its “Southface-certified Sustainable Development.” Building sustainably during construction is great but what about long-term sustainability? The complex began in the same way as the Krog development and the new Inman Quarter in Inman Park: “Parking decks wrapped in a thin veneer of apartments,” as Matt Bartlett described in CL in July. 755’s website touts “Preferred Parking for Energy Efficient Cars.” I guess the Prius and Tesla owners will appreciate being able to pull out into a traffic-filled North Avenue first.

As long as development prioritizes parking over people, Atlanta’s traffic woes will multiply and communities that should becoming more dynamic and inclusive will remain locked in an impersonal gridlock of keycodes and barrier gates.