Just finished reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell and am wondering – how can we “infect” people to start riding the bus in Vegas?

EcoLocalizer has a post up about the BeltLine in Atlanta:

Part of the 22 mile loop around the city included Norfolk Southern’s abandonment in the Northeast Rail Corridor, so that area could be transformed into part of the BeltLine. Now, AMTRAK and the GDOT want to halt that abandonment. The two agencies say that they want the land for heavy rail development.

Does anyone even take the train anymore? One of my biggest bugaboos about trans-American travel is the lack of a reliable train system. But bumping down a system to make interurban traffic more manageable and ecological for a system that industries only use is a serious slap in the face to residents of Atlanta.

With billions of dollars coming Vegas’s way for highway construction and mass transit, the focus is on bigger hubs and better buses. A light rail system would be more of an imposition on the current architecture of the city, but how about more buses and better routes? How about smaller routes for those who thought enough to live close to work?

The denizens of Atlanta are all for the BeltLine, but how did they do that and how could we achieve that? How can we change the attitudes of drivers?

For those living in the ATL, this info is for you:

Get Involved
Atlanta residents’ enthusiasm has been huge in keeping this BeltLine project on track, and we need to get involved now more than ever! Shirley Franklin let Rep. Lewis know how she feels, and we should follow her example. You can write to him at:

The Honorable John Lewis
U.S. House of Representatives
343 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-1005

If you’re looking to volunteer, there are a number of ways to help out, from giving out information at local festivals to speaking and working on development programs. Folks can also show their support by attending BeltLine events. What else can local Atlantans do to rally for the BeltLine?

Related posts:

1. Light rail in Reno?
2. Reading the LV Sun’s Comments: Cannibals, Mass Transit and Economics
3. UNLV Transit Hub Study, Part 2 of 2
4. Blueprint America – Stimulus Roadblock
5. Reno Transportation Cuts Routes