What's wrong with Atlantic Station? (arena, parking, building)

[grin123]

It has zero transit access to the rest of the city. To get there on foot you have to cross over the largest highway in the state across cars zooming past giving zero care about pedestrians. It's basically like an outdoor suburban mall in the city.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by grin123

It has zero transit access to the rest of the city. To get there on foot you have to cross over the largest highway in the state across cars zooming past giving zero care about pedestrians. It's basically like an outdoor suburban mall in the city.

You bumped a nearly decade-old thread for a false assertion.

[primaltech]

Well, it has a bus connection, and technically the only bus-only lanes in the city (though I'm not sure how well those are enforced), but the transit connection to such a dense and walkable area could definitely be a whole lot better. Even if it's always mostly a drive-and-park area, with all that tons of parking that AS has. (That is hidden pretty nicely, at least.)

Heavy rail to there is never going to happen, for plenty of reasons (one being the awkward location) so we can just forget that, but a light rail/streetcar along 17th St sure would be great (also seems unlikely at least for now though). But either way, even if it's BRT, AS needs to have at least that. They need to change the bus-only lane to be the left most lane, not the right/turn lane. And with colored surface, and, enforced. Maybe even with barriers. With the BRT stations located in the median, with improved pedestrian crossings.

They should set it up as a Gold standard BRT setup along 17th, with the ability to up-convert to light rail, when there's funding and a full plan for a proper line. Like, I can imagine a quality BRT that started at Arts Center Way, then 17th, then maybe Howell Mill area, then eventually out to Cumberland. But, West Peachtree St would ideally be converted to 2-way traffic (which should happen anyway), with some dedicated center-running bus lanes with red-colored pavement. Traffic signaling and everything would have to cooperate, too.

[ShenardL]

I didn't go to Atlantic Station much when I lived in midtown, even though there was a free daily shuttle bus nearby. But I recently went in December and it has improved a lot. A lot of people were out and about and the ice skating rink is a nice bonus.

This is how it looked similar to this YouTube video:



Would love to see the cap over the connector to make it easier to access Atlantic Station and Georgia Tech to midtown.

[SEAandATL]

Originally Posted by Gulch

You bumped a nearly decade-old thread for a false assertion.

The way that post read it would sound like you literally had to walk across The Connector, though the freeway lanes dodging traffic and not like there's a bridge on 17th street, or a free shuttle for that matter.

[ShenardL]

Originally Posted by SEAandATL

The way that post read it would sound like you literally had to walk across The Connector, though the freeway lanes dodging traffic and not like there's a bridge on 17th street, or a free shuttle for that matter.

Could be a troll account. Signed up in March 2022 and the vast majority of his posts are negative about Atlanta and he digs up posts from 10 years ago.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by SEAandATL

The way that post read it would sound like you literally had to walk across The Connector, though the freeway lanes dodging traffic and not like there's a bridge on 17th street, or a free shuttle for that matter.

The walk across to Midtown is not exactly ideal, though. That's got to be the biggest city bridge I've ever seen that isn't over a waterway.

If they'd line it with trees, and block the view of the connector, it would be a lot more inviting trek. 5th St is the absolute best bridge in Atlanta. They should make them all look like that. The more greenery the better.

Also once they inevitably replace this building with a modern glass tower, they could integrate it with the sidewalk right there a lot better:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7917...7i16384!8i8192

That would make it feel like the urban Midtown is right across the bridge, rather than even further than that.

[arjay57]

As long as the youngsters are not shooting or fighting, I have no problem with Atlantic Station. It turned out very well in my opinion.

[Smocaine]

Originally Posted by SEAandATL

The way that post read it would sound like you literally had to walk across The Connector, though the freeway lanes dodging traffic and not like there's a bridge on 17th street, or a free shuttle for that matter.

Eh, it's a strongly-uninviting walk, which kills engagement and makes it feel much farther away than it really is. I live in the northern half of Midtown and AS feels like it might as well be in Inman Park, just because of how 'bleh' of a walk it is.

As someone else said, the 5th Street bridge is the model for a good pedestrian bridge. It's tight and pedestrian-friendly, there's good retail on the Midtown side, and the Georgia Tech side is pleasant and inviting. It never feels like you're crossing a huge no-man's-land, which is exactly what kills AS' connection to the rest of the city. Even when you cross it, you land in a car-centric area, not something like that retail area on 5th street. AS is close to Midtown on a physical scale, but not on a real human scale. An area needs immediacy in its impact and a transition-less path, and AS has neither.

[Citykid3785]

Originally Posted by Smocaine

Eh, it's a strongly-uninviting walk, which kills engagement and makes it feel much farther away than it really is. I live in the northern half of Midtown and AS feels like it might as well be in Inman Park, just because of how 'bleh' of a walk it is.

As someone else said, the 5th Street bridge is the model for a good pedestrian bridge. It's tight and pedestrian-friendly, there's good retail on the Midtown side, and the Georgia Tech side is pleasant and inviting. It never feels like you're crossing a huge no-man's-land, which is exactly what kills AS' connection to the rest of the city. Even when you cross it, you land in a car-centric area, not something like that retail area on 5th street. AS is close to Midtown on a physical scale, but not on a real human scale. An area needs immediacy in its impact and a transition-less path, and AS has neither.

I agree.

Some try to throw Atlantic Station in with "Midtown," and frankly that enormous highway is enough to prevent any sort of cohesion. I haven't really been to AS in the last 2ish years, prior to that is was nice but.......sleepy? I've gotten the impression they have tried to change that, perhaps they have.