The document discusses the transformation of transportation that has occurred over the past 10 years in Atlanta and across the country. It notes that attitudes towards transit have shifted from exploring ways to exit MARTA commitments to exploring ways to expand MARTA. While the speaker is a champion for transit expansion, they acknowledge that elected officials cannot change transportation from the top down and that voters do not currently have an appetite to pay for expanded transit options. The speaker challenges the group to convince voters that investing in transit will improve their lives in order to move the dial further on expanding transportation alternatives.
Prepared Remarks of City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Inauguration of the City Attorney, Board of Supervisors Chambers, San Francisco City Hall (Jan. 8, 2002)
A Study on the Relationship between Education and Income in the USEugene Yan Ziyou
What is the relationship between education and income? Is education truly the great equalizer or do factors such as gender and family income at the age of 16 affect current income?
As part of the Coursera Data Analysis and Statistical Inference course, these issues were examined using data from the US General Social Survey in R.
Prepared Remarks of City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Inauguration of the City Attorney, Board of Supervisors Chambers, San Francisco City Hall (Jan. 8, 2002)
A Study on the Relationship between Education and Income in the USEugene Yan Ziyou
What is the relationship between education and income? Is education truly the great equalizer or do factors such as gender and family income at the age of 16 affect current income?
As part of the Coursera Data Analysis and Statistical Inference course, these issues were examined using data from the US General Social Survey in R.
Getting around Toronto is difficult, and it’s the subject of many private discussions throughout the city. Despite all we have to say, there is currently no independent publication circulating that is solely dedicated to discussing transit. Enter the Toronto Transit Zine, of which you reading the very first issue.
The purpose of this zine is to open discussion around the many issues surrounding mobility in the Toronto area. We aim to get past divisions such as ‘subway vs LRT’ or ‘downtown vs (inner) suburbs,’ and discuss the details that really matter.
Congressman Bill Owens of NY State Veterans Experiencing DiscriminationAdirondakdeb
This letter was emailed to Congressman Owens Aide, Scott Matthews, to request assistance in reaching an amicable, quick resolution to the inaccessibility of the DAV National Transportation Program for Veterans in Wheelchairs. The DAV National Transportation Program is run jointly with the Veterans Administration.
Getting around Toronto is difficult, and it’s the subject of many private discussions throughout the city. Despite all we have to say, there is currently no independent publication circulating that is solely dedicated to discussing transit. Enter the Toronto Transit Zine, of which you reading the very first issue.
The purpose of this zine is to open discussion around the many issues surrounding mobility in the Toronto area. We aim to get past divisions such as ‘subway vs LRT’ or ‘downtown vs (inner) suburbs,’ and discuss the details that really matter.
Congressman Bill Owens of NY State Veterans Experiencing DiscriminationAdirondakdeb
This letter was emailed to Congressman Owens Aide, Scott Matthews, to request assistance in reaching an amicable, quick resolution to the inaccessibility of the DAV National Transportation Program for Veterans in Wheelchairs. The DAV National Transportation Program is run jointly with the Veterans Administration.
1. Advance Atlanta, October 20 1
Good evening.
Welcome to Cobb County.
Thank you for inviting me to be part of this event.
And, especially for giving me the opportunity to say a few words about my perspective on
transportation.
Transportation is going through a transformation, in the Atlanta region and across the country.
Ten years ago, we were talking about planes, trains and automobiles.
Today, we are talking about transit, trails and driverless automobiles.
Ten years ago, MARTA communities were exploring ways to exit from their commitment to
MARTA.
Today, those same communities are exploring ways to expand MARTA.
Ten years ago, transit was only discussed at the regional planning table.
Today, it is discussed at the economic development table.
Folks, I could go on and on.
But, I don’t need to, you get it.
That’s why you are here.
And, the truth is, it is not us, this room, this “choir”, to whom we should be speaking.
We should be speaking to the voters.
Because, the future of our regional transportation, system depends on THEM.
And as you all know, and I know all too well,
We, in this room, do not make up the majority voting demographic, who actually show up to
vote.
2. Advance Atlanta, October 20 2
I am a champion of transit expansion and, of offering more and better transportation options.
I was a vocal advocate of the 2012 TSPLOST.
I led the initiative to study the possibility of running bus rapid transit down Cobb’s most dense
commercial corridor.
To connect the 3rd largest university in the state, to one of the one of the largest job centers in
the South East, to the City of Atlanta.
But, I learned the hard way that it is not up to me.
Elected officials and government leaders, cannot change the future of transportation from the
top down.
This is a bottoms up discussion.
Right now, the voters in Cobb do not have an appetite for it.
Or, perhaps they just don’t have the appetite to pay for it.
Either way, introducing the notion of transit was not received well.
And, it was the first time I almost lost my job.
My understanding is that even in Gwinnett, where the political landscape is changing much
quicker than Cobb, and, the community itself has started the transit discussion,
the polls show that right now, likely voters are not there yet.
This does not mean we are not making progress.
I think that the MARTA expansion on the ballot in Atlanta is a HUGE step forward.
The transit advocacy work that Senator Brandon Beach is doing for North Fulton is a sign of
major progress.
It is the beginning of the transformation I referenced earlier.
We ARE moving the dial.
And, it is your job to move it further, faster.
I think that is why you are all here tonight.
3. Advance Atlanta, October 20 3
Now, I have attended more of these type of events than I can keep track of.
We all show up and speak to each other- the believers.
We share war stories.
We leave cheering about expanding transit in the region.
I admire, appreciate and applaud Advance Atlanta for your excitement about, advocacy of and
commitment to transit expansion.
I contend that most people in the Atlanta region agree with you. Even the naysayers.
There are very few people who don’t believe that we need more and better options.
There are very few people who are ok with sitting in traffic because it is the only way to get
home from work.
I personally do not believe that we need to persuade voters that we need more transportation
options.
In fact, I would bet that if there was a question on the ballot today, asking voters if they
supported more and better transportation options in the region, including transit, it would get
a landslide yes vote.
BUT, the question before voters is not whether or not we need more transit and transportation
alternatives.
The question for voters is whether or not they are willing to pay for it.
We do not need to convince voters that it’s necessary.
We need to convince them to WANT to pay for it.
That is my challenge to you-
The members of Advance Atlanta
And, everyone in the room tonight.
4. Advance Atlanta, October 20 4
The narrative should not be about the need for transit expansion.
The narrative should be about the value of transit expansion.
Now, I know, you know, everyone in this room knows, how important it is to economic growth
and job creation.
We know how important it is to millennials- our future workforce.
We know that if we do nothing, we will fall behind.
The entire region will suffer.
But, Joe and Donna voter don’t get that.
And, quite frankly, they don’t care.
YOUR job is to bring Joe and Donna voter into rooms just like this.
To talk to them about what expanded transportation options means to them and their
neighbors and their kids and their grandkids.
Talk to them about how it will make their lives better.
This is not an easy task.
It is hard. It will be hard.
But, it is the only way to move the dial further and faster.
We must convince voters that just like they invest in roads, which they do… a LOT,
Their lives will be better off if they also invest in transit and other alternatives.
This is what we need to do.
This is what YOU need to do.