Beltline needs paths for wheels and heels
Bill Torpy once again identifies low-hanging fruit that needs attention. In this case, Torpy has identified a dangerous mix of otherwise healthy activity — all the non-car traffic on the Beltline. Accidents will occur when wheeled modes of transportation mix with walkers, joggers, kids and dogs.
The solution is separate, parallel paved paths. One example is the pathways running for miles around the City Lakes in Minneapolis. There are separate, parallel paths for wheels and heels. Both paths are one way in the same direction, which is a much safer approach. This fix is a higher priority than the hotly debated Beltline light rail.
H. THOMAS BLUM, MD, ALPHARETTA
Expect more curb traffic at airport
Approximately 40 years after the intro of New Coke (a debacle), the Atlanta airport management announced it was more than tripling hourly parking rates from $3 to $10.
How much thought went into this huge change? People react to price changes (see the price of eggs), and middle-class people will react by not using hourly parking, causing a tremendous increase in curb drop-offs and pickups. Have those potential problems been taken into account? I doubt it.
It seems the Trump tariffs team might have been involved in this one. The city too busy to hate apparently isn’t too busy to gouge. A move to $5 would have been reasonable. Pure shortsightedness.
ALLEN BUCKLEY, SMYRNA
Dickens sets example with clean energy goals
Mayor Dickens’ pledge to transition Atlanta to 100% clean energy by 2035 is a bold example of the leadership our city and nation need.
Like many cities, Atlanta already feels the impacts of pollution, extreme heat and severe weather driven by fossil fuel emissions. Climate denial threatens to undermine the progress we’ve made, so local and state governments must keep pushing forward until voters have their say in future elections.
Pausing or reversing course on our climate goals would have dire consequences for public health, economic opportunity and Atlanta’s livability for future generations.
Thanks to Mayor Dickens and everyone working to make Atlanta a cleaner, healthier and more resilient city for everyone.
JEFF JOSLIN, ATLANTA
100 days of a dystopian novel
One hundred days. The arrest of the Wisconsin judge. Deportation of people who are in the country legally. Sending people to prison in El Salvador without due process. Defying court orders to return someone wrongfully sent to a foreign prison. Decimating relief and health agencies. Mass firing of federal employees. Erasing references to minority groups and DEI initiatives on federal websites and in museums. Removing books from libraries. Taking away civil rights from transgender people. Hegseth’s group chats. Robert Kennedy, Jr. and his distrust of vaccines. The measles outbreak. Discrediting major news sources. Defunding universities. Making comments about annexing Canada and running for a third term.
I could go on, but you get the idea. It’s like living in a dystopian novel. I can’t believe this is the United States. I dread reading the news every morning, and I fear for our future.
TERRI SMITH, SHARPSBURG
U.S. security breach does untold damage
Tuesday’s opinion piece, “Our rivals see the door wide open” by Brian O’Neill, summarizes the most severe threat to our security in my lifetime. We have no idea how much damage has been done so far, and the long-term consequences are unmeasurable.
If any one of these acts had been committed by anyone outside of Trump’s supporters, they would already be in jail.
SCOTT LAMPERT, ATLANTA
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