As the Saporta Report reports, Atlanta just put out a Request for Proposals on a bike share program that would eventually span to both Atlanta and Decatur.   The initial Bike Feasibility Study (funded by the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation) gives great background on the initiative, including the map above that shows Atlanta/Buckhead and Decatur as the “Phase 1 Market Service Areas”.   (You’ll find a more detailed map on page 6 of the study.)

According to the study, Decatur would initially have 30 bikes at 3 different stations throughout the city, while Atlanta would have 540 bikes at 54 stations spanning the city’s core and up in Buckhead.

The executive summary of the study states that a bike share program “can work in Atlanta and Decatur” and estimates the initial capital and operational costs at $6 and 12.9 million over a six year period.

All this on the heals on the launch of NYC’s new bike share program over the weekend.

UPDATE: One additional point of clarification from Rebecca at Atlanta Bike…

the RFP is for a City of Atlanta system only. COA can’t issue an RFP for Decatur. Our hope is that Atlanta and Decatur will select the same vendor so that people would only need one membership to use bike share in Atlanta and Decatur.

Our bike share feasibility was a joint project between City of Atlanta and Decatur,

 

The Saporta Report reports…

The Decatur-based Task Force for Global Health has received a five-year $28.8 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a support center for neglected tropical diseases.

The grant will enable the newly-established Neglected Tropical Diseases Support Center to collaborate with other partners around the world to address gaps in research. The center will coordinate with partners to implement the research agenda for these diseases, while ensuring the quick translation of new solutions into the program policy.

The Gates grant will be officially announced on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Saporta Report reported Monday that DeKalb County officials are planning on asking the Georgia General Assembly in early 2013 to approve a local option sales tax to be spent on various transportation projects.  From CEO Burrell Ellis’ budget recommendation to DeKalb County Commissioners, he writes…

“In 2013, we will seek the Georgia Legislature’s approval for a local option sales tax for Transportation purposes, in order to address this growing backlog of street resurfacing, sidewalks, intersection safety and congestion relief and related projects.”

The county has nearly spent all the 2006 transportation bond funds, and now wants to allocate $5 million from the HOST program to continue to pay for needed transportation repairs and upgrades.  But HOST isn’t enough to leverage all available matching funds, according to Saporta.  That’s why the commissioners and the CEO are pursuing this option.

David points to this op-ed on the Saporta Report by Atlanta-based landscape architect and urban designer Mike Morgan urging Atlanta to use Decatur as its model to “reorient growth to people”.  Here are a couple of interesting blurbs…

Fortunately, we do not have go very far to find a great example the results that can be achieved through a change of direction.

Decatur is the place, and it is right next door. Decatur made a radical choice to reorient itself to the realm of the pedestrian. They went on a road diet. They narrowed Ponce De Leon Ave. to two lanes. They replaced auto capacity with shady sidewalks, on-street parking, and bike lanes. They focused a vibrant living environment right on top of their fine downtown train station.

…Atlanta, to date, lacks a focused commitment to an urbane lifestyle. Look at the areas surrounding most of the intown train stations. While originally envisioned as community centers, policies were never put in place to make transit development desirable.

Stations are separated from users by blasted looking parking lots, high fences, atrocious urban design, dangerous roadways and sprawling commercial districts. The stations are not friendly to pedestrians or bicyclists. Is there any wonder that few people use them?

Related to these observations, does anyone with a deep MARTA history know why the North/South line runs close to, but not directly under Peachtree Street?