Over the last couple months as the 2012 Transportation Sales Tax project list has grown and shrunk, and many of the projects that might affect Decatur in large and small ways have fallen by the wayside.  However, one remains.  And while proceeds from an approved 2012 transportation sales tax probably won’t bring transit into the Decatur city limits, a transit line connecting the “Clifton Corridor” to the Lindbergh MARTA Station would have a big impact on all area residents.

Today, Emory officially stated its support for the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative and vocally urged the Emory community via email to contact members of the Transportation Roundtable – “especially those representing DeKalb County—CEO Burrell Ellis and Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd” – and express support for the project, prior to Thursday when the list will be further reduced to match projected revenues from the tax.

During a recent MARTA open house on the potential transit line, some Druid Hills and Va-Hi residents expressed concerns, though since most of the line would travel along the current CSX right-of-way, intrusion is minimal considering its length and the area’s population density.

The Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative’s Facebook page notes that if selected, light rail could be elevated above the CSX right of way or at street level.  There has also been recent talk of tunneling the line, regardless of whether its heavy rail, light rail or rapid bus.

View a larger PDF of the map above HERE.

West Howard Avenue, Decatur GA (pic submitted by David)

Chris Billingsley sends in this amusing photo and writes…

Mr. Wild E. Squirrel and family figured out the trap beneath the feeder until the neighborhood cat decided to take a nap inside. Hadn’t seen a squirrel since. I never thought I would say it but whatever neighbor allows their cat to roam and poop in my yard, thank you.

Now, Andisheh didn’t ask me to post this.

But hell, if I only did what he told me to do, I’d still be sitting at the W.Howard crosswalk @ Adair yelling explitives at speeders, while trying to engage unsuspecting pedestrians in conversations about why they thought the faux-brick crosswalk was cracking.

And I’m told that’s no way to live.

So instead, I suggest we exclaim some uncomfortably loud “Congratulations” to Mr. Nouraee, who’s new book – which was co-written with writers, Jodi Lynn Anderson and Daniel Ehrenhaft – is now on sale!  You think this is some kind of DM prank or a July 19th fools day thing?  Well, then check out this New York Times blurb baby!

This graphics-rich collaboration by three Gen X writers is like Jon Stewart’s “America” for the Y.A. set. But unlike Stewart’s readers — at least theoretically — the intended audience for “Americapedia” still needs to learn the basics of the American Revolution (“America Unfriends Great Britain”). So while the book holds no shortage of attitude and satire, it also imparts an impressive array of historical substance and even a degree of earnestness and patriotism, complete with an appendix on civic action for teenagers.

Sure you could wait for Andisheh’s talk at the Decatur Book Festival to purchase the book, but how then will you be able to publicly call him out for all the places where you felt he/they sacrificed historical accuracy for acute hilarity?

Buy it today!