What Is Transit, Anyway?

by Ellen Dozier Mayer

For months, the region has been transfixed by the debate on transportation. In a few weeks, metro residents will get a chance to learn about one of the central issues in all that talk — regional transit.

The Civic League's 3rd annual Neighborhood Summit on Sept 24 will feature a discussion from key transportation activists to probe deeper into what transit is and why communities from all 10 metro counties, from Rockdale and Fayette to Cherokee and Gwinnett, should care.

The key questions:

• What exactly does “transit" include?
• Is it coming to my neighborhood?
• What’s the cost of “transit?"
• What are some of the programs tied to transit?
• What impact does transit have on the economy, the region's quality of life and the environment?

Leaders from various community groups involved in the regional transit conversation will be presenting: Raymond Christman  of the Livable Communities Coalition; Nathaniel Smith of the Partnership For Southern Equity;  Ashley Robbins of  Citizens for Progressive Transit: John Keys of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities.

The panel will be the lunchtime presentation of a day filled with riveting discussions and workshops that will provide practical resources to hundreds of residents representing neighborhood groups and associations throughout Atlanta. In all, the daylong summit will have 31 presenters from all over the 10-county region.

Four morning workshops will feature topics such as community gardens and home foreclosures. Cultivating leadership and applying for grants are a few of the subjects covered in the afternoon workshops.

Think of it as boot camp for the neighborhood. But instead of feeling sore and wondering how to get out of bed the next day, participants will leave with tons of useful information, tools to get moving on community projects — and limber networking muscles.

Here are the details: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Loudermilk Center for Regional Community, 40 Courtland St. NE. Registration for the Neighborhood Summit is $25. Seniors and students get an additional discount.

Visit http://www.neighborhoodsummit.org for more information and to take a look at some short video clips featuring regional neighbors talking about the gathering.

Ms. Mayer is managing director of the Downtown-based Civic League for Regional Atlanta.