Beltline connectivity more important than rail lines
I remember when I first visited San Francisco, I toured every corner of the city without ever getting into a car. I walked and rode buses, some on overhead electric lines, for over a week. But I never used any rail, except to get back to the airport. Guest opinion column writers Gregory F. Randolph and Brian Stone have overblown the importance of Beltline rail in their (“If Atlanta fails to build Beltline rail, it could be disastrous” AJC, Nov. 16) essay. I hope they read the David Edwards op-ed published on the same page. (“Paris offers lesson to Atlanta: Put children first in mobility solutions.”)
For better “urbanism,” we lack simple connectivity, not rail lines. It is the nirvana fallacy that the former guest column promotes: If it is not perfect, there is no progress. Not true. How about we build basic infrastructure first? Pedestrian greenways and pathways to the beltline, infill bus rapid transit with dedicated lanes, and safe bikeways in all neighborhoods. You build from the bottom up, not the top down. It is the way cities have been built since the oldest civilization in the world, Mesopotamia.
JOHN DUKE, COLLEGE PARK
Paper in hands brought much happiness
The countdown to the end of a printed AJC - something I grew up watching my parents read daily, and something I look forward to every single day as an adult.
Digital may be faster, cheaper, and easier, but nothing will compare to having a real paper in my hands. It’s a shame that something that brings so much happiness to so many has to come to an end.
KIM HOBEN, JOHNS CREEK
Former ‘copy girl’ will adjust to digital
When I read that the print edition was being stopped and replaced by a digital format, I was disappointed but realized that it had to happen.
A little more than 80 years ago, I was thrilled beyond measure to be hired for my first job in the classified advertising department of the Dayton Journal Herald in Dayton, Ohio. I was 15 years old. A year or so later, I had the opportunity to work in the editorial department as a copy girl. (I don’t suppose there is such a position now). I loved that job, which involved picking up reports from the courthouse and police station, filling in the numbers at the Stock Exchange, and taking them back to our floor. I would also run errands for the reporters, pick up sandwiches for them and occasionally place bets for them at a small bar in the neighborhood. I worked there until I started college, but I still have fond memories.
I hope that all of your employees know that their efforts have been appreciated and that they will have employment opportunities.
Thank you for providing the print edition, and I will adjust to the digital format.
PATRICIA GROSVENOR, TUCKER
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
