Decatur Considering Golf Carts; Ironing Out Details of Downtown Shuttle Service
Decatur Metro | April 5, 2011Asst. Decatur City Manager Lyn Menne writes in the the April Decatur Focus…
During the strategic planning meetings, we heard a number of suggestions about creating a downtown shuttle service. We are exploring options for pursuing this suggestion in the downtown business district with a possible link to the Oakhurst business district. We know the success of a shuttle depends on short wait times, reliability and proper coverage area so we may need to start with a smaller targeted area and then expand. Initially we are considering small, expanded passenger-size electric golf cart vehicles as a cost-effective option. We would love to hear your ideas about days and hours of service and activity centers that should be served first.
Would you be willing to pay a nominal fee to use a shuttle service or should it be free? We plan to post a survey covering these questions on Open City Hall on the city’s website. However, we’d love to hear from you as we continue to look at ways to move forward with this suggestion. You can send your thoughts to lyn.menne@decaturga.com.
Latest from Decaturish
This would be the coolest thing ever.
I would use it between Oakhurst and downtown and a nominal fee would be acceptable.
I would absolutely pay for a service like this.
An obvious downside to a golf cart – instead of a bus or car – would be its speed. Will it matter to the every(wo)man that a trip to Oakhurst might take 10 mins instead of 5 mins?
And, as Lyn asks above, where are the best places for it to stop initially? Is it as simple as Courthouse (Ponce) /West Ponce/Adair Park/City Hall/DQ/Library/MARTA/Courthouse (Ponce). I’m assuming we don’t want a golf cart on Commerce or College.
I think a shuttle is a good idea. I would use it and would be willing to pay .
DM your point about speed is a valid concern. An extra 5 mins to go between Harmony Park and the Square probably won’t make a difference. On the other hand a route with multiple stops as has been suggested could lead to a time difference that would matter.
Whatever the route/stops, I think they must try to make the full loop in under 30 mins. closer to 20 would be even better. I am not sure the every(wo)man will want to wait over 30 mins for a shuttle to get across the tracks.
Lyn doesn’t mention how many vehicles they plan to use but I think several would be needed to accommodate a route that goes much beyond Square to Harmony Park.
I think Scott already mentioned this, but I imagine they’re considering something like a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle instead of a golf cart. NEVs have a higher top speed (25-30mph), are fully street legal, and are much more viable on streets like Commerce and College Ave. This kind of vehicle would be ideally suited for the route you suggested, but range might be an issue if it’s being used as a shuttle – without supplementing the battery pack arrangement, you’re limited to 30 miles between 8 hour charging cycles.
I’ve used a Gem NEV (www.gemcar.com) to commute from Avondale to Emory for the past two years and I’ve never had a problem with traffic anywhere in Decatur. It’s actually a lot fun to drive one through the City.
Hopefully we’ll see charging stations in Decatur soon! I’d certainly much rather see NEVs than buses.
-Todd
Lovely idea! A nominal fee would absolutely be acceptable, particularly for a bus or van. I’d be a little worried about a golf cart – speed and weather-wise. A route between downtown Decatur and Oakhurst would be magic, especially on our many festival days!
2 good Oakhurst stops could be the end of Feld (Avellino’s) and Harmony park. A stop downtown at the Kroger could be useful as well.
I second the vote for the stop at the end of Feld. This is exciting!
Really, the idea of including Oakhurst in general. And I’d gladly pay a small fee (though preferably less than MARTA since that is already an option I often avoid).
It’s not really a golf cart. It would more likely be a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, which are typically governored to a max speed of 30 mph. So I don’t think it would impact time much, if at all.
Like this?
Yep. That’s a Gem e6.
Golf cart no good in bad weather and inherently more dangerous for transporting anyone, but especially children. Why not a small van/bus? I think liability for whoever undertakes this will have to be covered under the applicable regulations, including driver licensing/permit, etc.
A shuttle is especially important for aging-in-place. In addition to these online queries, I hope that the City of Decatur will conduct some research on origins and destinations that are most important to older adults. A fixed route might include health facilities, groceries, pharmacies, recreation, retirement communities, etc. Many of those are vital services, so a senior-friendly plan would benefit everyone.
The neighborhood electric vehicles / expanded golf carts are a neat idea. I wonder if they’ll be accessible to help fill in gaps that Marta Mobility can’t easily cover. I imagine that DisabilityLink, which is right on Commerce, will have an opportunity to weigh in as well.
I also like the shuttle idea. A small fee would be okay. But would it compete with the pedicab service? Does that still exist?
Glad to see there is support for the concept but don’t get too hung up on golf cart vs. small bus. We aren’t at that detail yet. We really need to get a better handle on whether there’s interest, hours of operation, routes and of course budget etc. We will be posting a survey soon to begin to get at these details but we wanted to get you thinking about it.
Lyn, how will this be funded?
Love it.
Yup, pedicab is still in existence. I imagine you’ll it more downtown now that the weather is getting better. I’m a little confused if this is for transportation to and from downtown, or around downtown. Personally, I wouldn’t pay for something that shuttled me from one end of downtown to the other. I would definitely pay for something that had a stop in my neighborhood (Clairemont Heights) and took me to downtown, Oakhurst or Clairemont/North Decatur intersection.
There was another comment regarding the shuttle being used for elderly individuals accessing key goods and services. While I’m all for that, I get the sense that this particular vehicle is meant for those who listed the Brick Store as one of their favorite things about living in Decatur. From what I could tell, that was a pretty popular answer during the round tables. I may be wrong, but this seems more like the microbrew express than a comprehensive transit service (and I’d be first in line for the microbrew express!).
Why do all the green people here think burning coal is a good way to transport folks around Decatur?
Least worst practical near-term option, perhaps? Our windmills and hydro dam aren’t quite finished. We don’t get quite enough sun and that Nuke plant at the old Devry location is on hold for the time being.
(Trying for humor here. Not sarcasm). It would be nice if there were a natural gas option, eventually.
Eventually? MARTA has/had buses running on natural gas.
Most of MARTA’s fleet are natural gas fueled. The only ones that wouldn’t be are the ones that don’t have the big tank on the top.
Well sure. But wouldn’t a full size bus be too much for this kind of program? I am curious if there are Natural Gas powered smaller class vehiclse available that would be more suited to a circulator shuttle? Soemthing in between the Electric above and a full sized bus.
Wouldn’t it be more cost effective to partner with the existing organization already located in Decatur with buses, routes, trained employees, and maintainance facilities? Has anyone approached them regarding a locally branded shuttle service?
MARTA has or had natural gas powered busses.
A bit off topic but along the lines of transportation and city planning….
Free Parking or Free Markets
http://www.cato-unbound.org/2011/04/04/donald-shoup/free-parking-or-free-markets/
I second the request for a northside stop! I’d GLADLY pay for a shuttle to avoid paying for parking!
The intersection of N Decatur and Clairmont would be fabulous for people accessing retailers there (Publix, Fed Ex/Kinkos, Wuxtry, Eagle Eye, etc.) and would also be really handy for those of us who live on this side of CoD to get to the square and to Oakhurst.
The Emory shuttle bus comes and goes all day long from the Decatur Marta station and has stops on both sides of the intersection of Clairmont & North Decatur Road. The stop going toward Emory is on the Fedex/Kinko’s side, and the stop coming back to downtown Decatur is on the corner near McDonald’s. The Emory shuttle also stops at SOME of the bus stops along Clairmont to and from that Clairmont/North Decatur intersection, e.g., Clairmont and Scott. Nice ride to Emory campus area for all kinds of destinations too — Carlos museum, Panera Bread, etc. The Emory shuttle is FREE for everyone – please give it a try.
Would be nice to use on a one-way venture– many times we’d like to walk downtown and pick up something but don’t want to walk home carrying it, so we drive.
Walgreens sells a light-weight, metal shopping cart with wheels. It folds up flat when you’re not using it. It is perfect to walk downtown, do your shopping, and roll your stuff home. No bus needed… When the cart is open/unfolded, it measures ~12×12 inches and ~24 inches deep. Very sturdy construction, even though light-weight…
I would pay two bucks, tops. I assume that is nominal enough.
I think anything more than a dollar a ride would discourage ridership. More than that and folks will just jump in their car.
Forget about shuttles. How about a sky lift like at six flags? Or a ski lift? That would be cool.
I vote for mag-lev. Downtown to Oakhurst at 200 mph !
The mob has spoken! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF_yLodI1CQ
Best idea yet. Imagine the view: on your right you have Stone Mountain and on the left a great shot of the ATL skyline. This is assuming you’re riding up from Oakhurst.
One problem: how to make sure no growlers fall out of the lift onto unsuspecting pedestrians/cars/pets.
personal rapid transit system!
http://www.ultraprt.com/prt/
Here’s a story from 11Alive about this. And read the last sentence; DM gets a nod.
http://www.11alive.com/News/Odd/186323/186/Golf-Cart-based-Transit-Circulator-Pitched-for-Decatur
Hey hey!
Yeah, I had a quick back and forth with Doug the other day regarding this. Didn’t realize something had gone up about it though. Thanks for the link.
And thanks to Doug for the shout-out!
/News/Odd
I have customers that give free rides on our cars, and pay for it by advertising on the cars as long as the rider shows that they were a patron of one of the hotels/restaurant or they would have to pay a small fee. We have a 6 seater and an 11 seater option!! Great looking too!
Tim
Still trying to understand how this would be funded. Frankly, if we have extra money in the budget (and I don’t think we’d do), I’d rather see us get a full time animal control person. Seems like every other day there is a post here or on one of the neighborhood listserv about dogs running lose, coyotes, etc.