| YOU'RE INVITED: Golden Shoe Awards Celebration |
 Please join us for the 9th annual
Golden Shoe Awards Celebration. Wednesday, November 5 6:00 to 8:00 pm Old Decatur Courthouse
(map)
Enjoy delicious appetizers from Azul, Badda Bing, and Voilá and great walking music by DJ Brian McGreevy.
Tickets: $10 each in advance; $15 at door.
Get your tickets online through November 3.
Become a NEW member for just $30 and get one free ticket!
The Golden Shoe Awards honor pedestrian-friendly projects, programs, and
people,
with special recognition for writer Maria Saporta. |
PEDS Takes Aim at Atlanta's Dysfunctional Sidewalk Ordinance
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 Broken sidewalks and missing or poorly designed curb ramps create
tripping hazards throughout Atlanta. They also block access to people
with disabilities.
At a City of Atlanta Utilities Committee work session earlier this month, PEDS President Sally Flocks gave a highly visual presentation recommending that the City amend its sidewalk ordinance. The clause authorizing Public Works to charge the cost of sidewalk repairs to abutting property owners should be deleted.
The ordinance is unfair to property owners, so it's no surprise that elected officials lack the political will to enforce it. Yet the City's unwillingness to enforce the ordinance, which was intended to provide a funding source for
sidewalk repairs, makes it even more unfair to pedestrians. A bad policy is no excuse for forcing pedestrians to continue to endure obstacles and tripping hazards. Atlanta's sidewalks are as neglected as its sewers were a decade ago.
Attorneys with the City law department recommended against revising the ordinance, for it protects the city from liability claims if a damaged sidewalk causes injury. The ordinance does not, however, protect the City from lawsuits claiming discrimination against people with disabilities. Lawsuits have been successfully brought in Chicago, Sacramento, and other cities to force them to make sidewalks accessible to all users.
Sally will meet with all City Council members to explain the importance of amending Atlanta's sidewalk ordinance and the legal challenges that could arise if they fail to do so. Meanwhile, PEDS encourages Atlanta residents to contact their City Council representative, as well as city-wide representatives Mary Norwood, H. Lamar Willis, and Caesar Mitchell to encourage them to support amending the ordinance. |
Listen Up: New Radio Ads Target Drivers
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 PEDS is excited to
announce the completion of three pedestrian safety ads for radio
broadcast. These public service announcements target two dangerous
driver behaviors: neighborhood speeding and failing to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.
By clicking the links below, you'll be among the first to hear our radio ads.
Over
the next few months, we'll work with all the major radio stations
in metro Atlanta to air these important messages and help civilize the
relationship between drivers and pedestrians. Four out of five drivers
listen to the radio, so we expect these ads to reach their targets.
PEDS is extremely grateful to Radio Outhouse
for its generous in-kind contribution of audio production services and
talent. This project is sponsored by the Georgia Governor's Office of
Highway Safety. |
Keep Smart Growth Tool: Vote YES to Amendment 2!
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Keen interest in the presidential race is expected to drive record turnout for November's general election, but picking a president isn't the only critical issue before voters. A yes vote on proposed state constitutional Amendment No. 2 will preserve a vital smart growth tool that can positively shape Georgia communities for decades to come.
Amendment 2 reinstates the right of school districts to participate in tax allocation districts, or TADs. More
than 50 Georgia
cities have approved TADs. TAD's have been essential to pedestrian-friendly projects
such as Atlantic Station and the BeltLine.
School districts have participated in numerous TADs. They lost the right to participate in TADs earlier this year, however, when the Georgia Supreme Court ruled
that the state constitution prohibits their participation. Amendment No. 2 reinstates that right but does not require school districts to participate. The decision remains in local school district hands.
Amendment 2 will be near the bottom of the long Nov. 4 ballot. Look for this language: Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize community redevelopment and authorize counties, municipalities and local school boards of education to use tax funds for redevelopment purposes and programs? Vote yes!to the ability of local communities to promote smart growth in areas that need it most.
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