September 2008 - Posts

Sara Cheshire

• Where to Find Gas in Atlanta

   Ok, so I'm at a quarter tank and all the stations around me intown are out. My coworker even said he drove to the mountains this weekend to fill up.  But, you don't have to go that far.  The AJC has a link to a twitter page that lists real-time postings of reports of stations with gas.

   The AJC reports two more weeks of gas chaos.  I'm sticking with fewer drive commutes and must the say it felt great to get back on the bike this weekend, especially with the nice weather.  MARTA is doing a study today to check ridership levels to see if they need to increase route frequency.  Kudos to MARTA.  I didn't realize that on the Monday and Tuesday after Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf Coast, ridership rose 3 to 4 percent and MARTA added trains, reported the AJC. The same thing could be done this week based on an increase in riders.  Just maybe, if enough people try MARTA to save gas, and more trains and buses run, then we could all get a taste of the better functionality of our transit system and these improvements, and ridership levels could maintain post-gas drama.
  

  It would be great to see if Clean Air Campaign can give us some air quality stats, to see if this gas crisis is improving our air quality -- if only due to people driving less/filling up less or taking a bike or train to save some fuel.

   Wishing you a good fill up and easy alternative commuting.
  
  

  Posted Sep 29 2008, 08:33 AM by saracheshire with no comments

  Filed under: environmental, marta, transportation, current events

• Atlanta Gas Shortage

  So over a week ago I thought I was in the twilight zone when I went by six gas stations that were out of gas.  Ok, so Ike had just hit the coast, but did I miss a memo?
  

  And what is going on this week?  I'm seeing the plastic bags over the pumps again, the gas price signs missing the gas prices and the AJC printing another story on the long lines at gas pumps.  Plus, you know it is bad when people you know out-of-state start sending you emails about the Atlanta gas shortage they read in a  CNN news story.  Right now, I'm just glad I have a half tank and don't need to go out into the petroleum frenzy that is becoming Atlanta.
  

  I mean, if I realized that a shutdown of Texas oil refineries would increase my price at the pump and make the city go nuttier than a forecast of snow, then I would have purchased and filled up on cheap gas before Ike landed.  I usually hit the Briarcliff corridor for cheap gas prices; the QuikTrip near the intersection with Clifton, or several of the stations on North Druid Hills near I-85.  But they were out of gas last time I went by a couple of weeks ago.  But my question is, why are we out of gas again?

  It is important to note that in the CNN story, it talks about suburban gas stations being out.  Sure, they were out of gas at some intown stations too, but I have three comments about the suburban issue:

  1. People in the suburbs probably drive a whole lot more, and partially of their own choosing.  They had their chance to have easier MARTA access, but in the past have declined rail extensions due to fear of urban spread and urban crime.  As early as 1990 there was a vote to extend MARTA rail to Snellville, Stone Mountain and Gwinnett, which was ardently voted down.  And I will say the last I heard, the Cobb Community Transit Express buses were standing room only, so it isn't like there isn't a demand for transit options in nearby counties.
     
     
  2. It goes to show how different the lifestyles are intown and OTP (outside the Perimeter).  I live in the city and I'm too busy half the time to even be caught up in the news about gas or be willing to fill up my tank at a moment's notice.  I budget my money anyhow and so far have stuck to a $70 limit for gas this month. I'm sure not going to fill up until I need it. I take MARTA to work almost every day of the week, so gas or no gas, I'm getting to where I need to be.  I would be freaking out too if I lived 30 minutes from anything. 
     
     
  3. Why is Atlanta having this problem and not other cities?  I'm guessing it is partly the sprawl and way too many cars.  People like to drive too much here.  There are just too many cars and too many people driving and too many people needing gas and too many people over-reacting.  Instead of getting freaked out by the evening news, go volunteer, meet your neighbors, do something cultural or hop on that train you aren't taking and go to a sports game.  But let's not inconvenience the whole city by thinking you need to fill up your cars and SUVs "just in case".  This whole gas issue is supporting that point that Atlanta is overly car-centric.  Most people seem to not care if they are contributing to the gas shortage as long as their car is topped off.  They are making Atlanta seem more like "closing day"...hard to have an opening-day type of city when you can't get fuel to get where you need to go.
     

  So, I would say to those people who are worried about gas, maybe you could turn more of your worries and more of your support toward transportation options in the city that would benefit everyone and lead to less demand for gas.  The Clean Air Campaign offers carpooling match ups, and there is MARTA of course, which seems to be perpetually out of money.  Support the Belt Line or Citizens for Progress Transit. Encourage your employer to do four-day work weeks or telecommuting.  Vote "yes" for transit expansion, or don't whine and complain when gas shortages happen or prices go so high that they become unaffordable.  It doesn't really affect me, as I can get around without a car, but I don't want to be inconvenienced when the choices made by those outside the city catch up with them and that SUV driver in Roswell causes gas panic in my 'hood.
  
  
  Posted Sep 23 2008, 07:46 PM by saracheshire with 6 comment(s)

  Filed under: marta, transportation, current events

• The Holy Grail of MARTA

  I experienced the Holy Grail of MARTA tonight.  Ok, so maybe a slight exaggeration.  Still, I was flabbergasted when a man on the train was on his phone from Arts Center all the way to Five Points.  Maybe not a miraculous thing for you, but my phone surely doesn't work underground, and I always have to cut people short or call them back if they catch me near a tunnel.
  

   So I asked the guy, "Whose your cell phone provider?"

  "T-Mobile," he responded.

  There you go.  If you are shopping around for a cell phone provider, it is good to know that T-Mobile has your MARTA coverage. 

  I also had another miraculous MARTA discovery recently.  Google Maps now shows MARTA bus stops and train stations.  Plus,  when you click on "Get Directions" you can choose the public transit option from the drop down menu and Google will give you MARTA directions, total commute time AND tell you the upcoming departures for the bus or train on your route.  Or if you ever wondered how long it would take you to walk to work or the grocery, select the walking option.  It makes it so easy.  So get your Google schedule and hop on the train with your T-mobile phone and be one of the chosen few in the know.
  
  
   

  Posted Sep 15 2008, 10:25 PM by saracheshire with no comments

  Filed under: marta, transportation

• Fly Delta Jets - for Gustav Deals?

  For me, one of the big perks about living in Atlanta is being able to fly non-stop to just about anywhere in the world. Both Delta and AirTran call Atlanta home, which keeps prices competitive, even as gas costs go up.
  

  AirTran is relatively new to the travel industry, with its first flights in 1993.  On the other hand, Delta originally serviced the Mississippi delta region in the 1920s as a crop-dusting company, beginning passenger service in 1929.  Monroe, Louisiana was Delta's headquarters before moving to Atlanta in 1941.

  Now, what I'd like to know, is how this long-standing company, a company originally from Louisiana, let slip through the cracks an e-mail I received today.  I'm signed up to receive weekly fare specials from Delta, so on Tuesdays I get e-mailed prices good for flights departing the upcoming Saturday, returning on Monday or Tuesday.  Great deal if you are willing to travel last minute.  I was happy to see a $120 round-trip flight to my hometown today and...sale flights to New Orleans?

  Ummm, I think they just had a hurricane.  Not even all the residents have been allowed back into New Orleans after Gustav and Delta is offering flights there? Some of the homes may not have power for another three to four weeks. My first thought was that surely this was a mistake to offer a weekend deal to the city in post-hurricane clean up (including sewer repair - enough said).  But on second thought, I started thinking that volunteer clean-up crews could benefit from a cheap flight...or what about all those evacuees?  They could take a one-way flight back to New Orleans for only $69. 

  But where was this sale last weekend?  If Delta is willing to offer weekend deals regardless, couldn't they assist with evacuation efforts by offering this sale price to people in New Orleans or other hurricane zones? Delta did offer three additional flights out of New Orleans before Gustav, but I wonder, at what price?  I don't know the financial requirements of Delta or other airlines, so I am not sure of the feasibility to provide airline tickets at a discount to those in evacuation situations, but it seems like the noble thing to do.  Why couldn't the government subsidize some of the cost if it came down to that?  Just a thought.

  For now, if you want to volunteer or visit at your own risk, purchase Delta's weekend fare to New Orleans.  If you have already booked travel around New Orleans and were affected by Gustav, Delta is also offering ticket changes without charge through September 8th.  The same goes for select cities that may be affected by Tropical Storm Hanna, through September 12th.  So next time you get charged extra for a bag or snack, be thankful that at least in Atlanta you can get competitive flights and flexibility to hurricane and non-hurricane destinations.
  

  Posted Sep 02 2008, 07:46 PM by saracheshire with no comments

  Filed under: history, transportation, airport