Gallatin

Gallatin
Capital City and Region
From top to bottom: Gallatin CBD, Gallatin seen from the City Observatory, State Street in Central City, Pinehurst Neighborhood, Conifer Ave in Central City, Gallatin City Hall, Bernard Square, National Museum of Art, Fenburg Park Neighborhood, Cava 3 Tram traveling down a street in the Central City
Country	New Gough Island
Region	Gallatin
Government
• Executive Mayor	James Parker
Area
• Capital City and Region	28 sq mi (70 km2)
• Land	28 sq mi (70 km2)
• Urban	1,034 sq mi (2,680 km2)
• Metro	3,300 sq mi (9,000 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Capital City and Region	634,000
• Density	13,000/sq mi (5,000/km2)
• Urban	1,500,000
• Metro	1,810,000
Demonym	Gallatiner

Gallatin is the capital city and largest city of the Republic of New Gough Island. It is the largest city and the anchor of the Greater Gallatin Area which includes the Gallatin City Region, and the Parasides Island Region. The city has a population of 453,000 people as of the 2020 census. The city is the most densely populated city in the country. Located in the northern area of the country which houses 85% of the national population in 10% of the land area. The Greater Gallatin area has a population of 905,000 with 724,000 people living in the urban area.

The city was founded in 1718 but not proclaimed capital of the country until 1870. The city is on Gallatin Island separated from Parasides Island. The city is 36 sq mi in area. The city is well known for its historic architecture and art scene. Gallatin Island as a whole is connected to the Parasides Island by the 1 mile-long road President Frank Berman Memorial Bridge. The city has a robust transit system connecting itself to the suburbs by bus. Street trams and taxis are the main features of the transit system. The city has a network of motorways outside of the city limits.

The city attracts the largest amount tourists to the country, with many arriving in the city to travel to the nature and rugged outdoors oriented vast South Area. On average, 8-10 million tourists visit the city each year. For this reason, the city is called the Gateway to New Gough Island. Tourist attractions include: the several historic parks in the city, the National Museum of Art, Bernard Square, City Observatory, national monuments, and much more.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census the population stood at 453,000 people. The city is younger than the national average. The median age for the nation is 35.8 years old. The city's median age is 29.5 years old. The religious makeup of the city is, 58% are atheist or agonistic, 38% are Christian, 2% are Jewish, 1% are Muslim and 1% are other. 62% of those who described themselves as Christian are Protestant while 38% of the city's Christian are Catholic.

The racial makeup of the city as of the 2020 census is: 75% white, 12% black, 8% mixed race, and 5% are natives. The age makeup of the city is, 25% are under the age of 18, 45% are in the age range of 18-34, 22% are the ages 35-55, and 8% are the age of 56 and older.

The city is highly educated, 33% of residents have at least a Bachelor's degree, 14% of residents have a Master's degree, 3% have a professional degree, 3% have a doctorate degree, 8% have an Associate's degree, 39% have just a high school diploma. As a result the city is very wealthy, with the average income being ACU 54,000. 24% higher than the national average of ACU 41,000.

The city has 10% of it's population living at or below the poverty line of ACU 25,000. Majority of the city's residents are middle class, with 70% being in the category. 9% are considered upper middle class with a income of ACU 100,000 to 300,000. 5% of the population are considered upper class with income above ACU 300,000. With 1% of the city's population being millionaires or higher. There are 4,530 millionaires in the city with 2 billionaires in the city.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1730	180	—
1750	5,000	+2677.8%
1800	12,000	+140.0%
1820	67,000	+458.3%
1850	139,000	+107.5%
1870	207,000	+48.9%
1880	254,000	+22.7%
1890	313,000	+23.2%
1900	331,000	+5.8%
1910	353,000	+6.6%
1920	371,000	+5.1%
1930	388,000	+4.6%
1940	401,000	+3.4%
1950	431,000	+7.5%
1960	448,000	+3.9%
1970	434,000	−3.1%
1980	420,000	−3.2%
1990	409,000	−2.6%
2000	396,000	−3.2%
2010	380,000	−4.0%
2020	364,000	−4.2%

Geography

The city is located on Gallatin Island a small island off the coast of Parasides Island which is part of the New Gough Islands chain. The island used to be confier rainforest prior to human settlement. The island's average elevation is 52 feet. There are a some hilly areas in the city. The highest elevation in the city and island is 191 feet. The island is largely built up however there are city parks. There are 40 parks and gardens throughout the city.

Climate

The climate of Gallatin is Subpolar Oceanic. With cool to mild summers and wet cold and sometimes snowy winters. The city is one of the wettest places in the country with the North West Rainforest being wetter. The city is in the path of a lot of low pressure systems. During the winter snow is common with most snow days bringing 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) per snow day. Heavy snow storms and blizzards happen at least once a year. However, both heavy rainfall and snow events are becoming more common.

Cold waves and heat waves happen every year. However, these events are moderated by the ocean. A heatwave is described as during the summer months with a temperature of 70°F (21°C) or higher for 3 days in a row or longer. A coldwave is described as during the winter months with a temperature at or below 32° F (0°C) for 3 days in a row on longer. Gallatin is one of the wettest areas in the country. Not far from the Parasides temperate rainforest which receives 120-160 in (3,048- 4,064 mm) of precipation per year. The city receives 100 in + (2,540 mm +) of precipation per year.

The highest temperature ever recorded was 86°F (30°C) back on January 12, 2012. While the coldest temperature ever recorded was -14°F (-26°C) back on July 16, 1983. The wettest month is March while the driest month is November. The wettest year was 1998 with 184 in (4,674 mm). The driest year was 2012 with 54 in (1,372 mm). The snowest season was in 1993 with 120 in (305 cm). The least snowest season was 2012 with 10 in (25 cm).

Climate data for City Observatory, Gallatin, New Gough Island, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1900–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	86 (30)	82 (28)	77 (25)	72 (22)	64 (18)	59 (15)	54 (12)	52 (11)	58 (14)	63 (17)	68 (20)	73 (23)	86 (30)
Average high °F (°C)	63 (17)	61 (16)	55 (13)	47 (8)	44 (7)	42 (6)	41 (5)	41 (5)	43 (6)	48 (9)	54 (12)	58 (14)	50 (10)
Average low °F (°C)	50 (10)	46 (8)	42 (6)	36 (2)	32 (0)	27 (−3)	24 (−4)	25 (−4)	28 (−2)	34 (1)	41 (5)	45 (7)	36 (2)
Record low °F (°C)	36 (2)	32 (0)	22 (−6)	10 (−12)	1 (−17)	−9 (−23)	−14 (−26)	−3 (−19)	4 (−16)	12 (−11)	24 (−4)	31 (−1)	−14 (−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	8.71 (221)	9.01 (229)	12.28 (312)	10.89 (277)	8.14 (207)	7.56 (192)	8.23 (209)	9.28 (236)	8.53 (217)	7.83 (199)	6.38 (162)	7.12 (181)	103.96 (2,642)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (2.5)	4 (10)	9 (23)	12 (30)	10 (25)	10 (25)	9 (23)	4 (10)	1 (2.5)	60 (151)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	15	16	20	18	15	14	15	17	15	14	12	14	185
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	0	0	0	1	4	6	7	7	6	5	3	1	40
Source: New Gough Island Weather Service

Transportation

The Greater Gallatin Transit Authority or GGTA is the provider of public transportation in the Greater Gallatin area. The GGTA covers the city tram network of Gallatin, buses, buses rapid transit, taxis, and para transit. The Tram network has 35 lines city wide. The trams are the vintage Cava 2 (1949-1961) and Cava 3 (1962-1989) which has been kept up over the years. There are 30 bus lines and 5 bus rapid transit lines serving the Greater Gallatin area.

The Greater Gallatin area is also served by 6 motorways. With The Waterfront Motorway as a ring road traveling just outside city limits along the waterfront of Parasides Island. There are no motorways in the city limits of Gallatin. Gallatin is connected to the rest of the county by the Queens Strait Bridge which carries The Gallatin- Greycott Motorway as well as train service across the Queens Strait. Train service is frequent having the Gallatin Union Station as the only place in the city for train service. Gallatin Union Station will be the hub for the subway.

It is estimated that 60% of city residents use public transportation regularly with 30% of commuters from the Greater Gallatin area using public transportation to go in and out of the city.

City Streets

Gallatin city streets are largely in a planned grid system from the 1718, and have been modified multiple times afterwards. The city has a network of grand avenues which are usually tree lined and are 4 lanes wide, two lanes in each direction. The speed limit for the grand avenues which are main thoroughfares for traffic are 30 mph. One-way streets are also common in the city. Many streets have been redesigned for the inclusion of cycling lanes and traffic calming. There are no motorways in the city limits as the result of the Motorway Exclusion Act of 1950 which prohibited the construction of motorways in the city of Gallatin on the basis of cutting off historic neighborhoods and increasing traffic. It is estimated that 75% of city residents do not commute by a personal vehicle. As of 2023, 60% of residents take public transportation. While 10% walk to commute and 5% bike to work.

There are residential streets which are usually narrow and one-way have a speed limit of 15-20 mph. Many streets are paved with brick or cobblestone and slow careful driving is expected. Residential streets have space for street parking for residents. There are strict school and hospital slow zones which limit speed limits to 15 mph. These zones are on 24/7 regardless if the school is in session or not. Drivers will receive a ACU 150 fine and will be expected to pay within a reasonable amount of time.

Motorways

There are 6 motorways in the Greater Gallatin Area. These include The Waterfront Motorway which circles the city which is known as the UH-3, the Gallatin-Greycott Motorway which is SH-1, The Eastwood Motorway which is UH-8, The Airport Motorway which is UH-5, The Oakridge Motorway which is SH-10, The Outer Ring Motorway which is UH-4 and SH-2, Urban Highway or UH is a motorway within a urban or metro area. While State Highway or SH are national routes that be motorways or rural 2 lane roads. The primary routes are the 18 mile The Perimeter Motorway which carries traffic around the city limits and has exits for city streets. The Perimeter Motorway has the second highest traffic volume in the country with 130,000 vehicles per day traveling with 3 lanes in each direction as it was the first motorway built in the country opened in 1953. The most important motorway is the Gallatin- Greycott Motorway which is one of the three links from Parasides Island to Gough Island (the mainland), the 6 lane (3 lanes in each direction) Queens Strait Bridge is a suspension bridge which crosses the mile wide Queens Strait located 30 miles west of the city center carries 50,000 vehicles per day and also has a railway on the lower deck. The Gallatin- Greycott Motorway carries nearly 75,000 vehicles in places closer to the end of the motorway at an interchange with the Perimeter Motorway.

The third busiest motorway is The Eastwood Motorway as it is 28 miles long which mainly serves the eastern suburbs which carries 40,000 vehicles per day. This motorway is tied with The Outer Ring Motorway which is 50 miles long and is 6-8 lanes wide and serves as the bypass for traffic. The Outer Ring Motorway has interchanges with The Gallatin- Greycott Motorway, The Parasides Island Motorway, The Oakridge Motorway, and The Eastwood Motorway. It also serves as the beginning/end of The Airport Motorway which is only 4 miles long and is the shortest motorway in the area. Motorway speed limits range from 40 mph on The Perimeter Motorway to 60 mph on The Outer Ring Motorway. Most motorways have speeds of 50 or 55 mph.

The Waterfront Motorway is just outside of city limits on Parasides Island in a inner suburb

The President Frank Berman Memorial Bridge connects Gallatin Island to Parasides Island. The bridge carries 60,000 vehicles per day

Street Trams

The street tram system dates back to the 1860's as horse drawn carriages. The street tram network became electrified in 1898 and rapidly expanded during the early 1900's. At its peak it had 70 lines in the city and the inner suburbs. The increase of car ownership and suburban growth caused ridership to decline in the late 1940's and 1950's. In the 1960's the city introduced bus routes and it replaced half of the tram system by 1968. The tram system was revitalized and expanded the track milage to better serve the old city population that wasn't able to access the buses. There are 108 miles of track across the city as of 2023. The tram system has 35 routes and is integrated with the rest of the public transportation system. The cost of the tram is ACU 1.25 per one way. At night there are only 5-night lines that run every hour only really serving the city center and government center. Trams run every 5 to 10 minutes at rush hour and 15 to 20 minutes at off peak hours. There are on average up to 150,000 people using the trams per day.

A Cava 2 Tram traveling down a City Center street

Buses and Bus Rapid Transit

Buses were introduced in 1963 and rapidly expanded during the late 1960's and 1970's. The city has 30 bus lines connecting to the suburbs. They run throughout the Greater Gallatin area and cost ACU 1 one way. There are 5 Bus Rapid Transit lines which are as frequent as every 5 minutes during the rush hour and 10 minutes on off peak hours. BRT uses bus lanes and bus traffic signals to help keep the system efficient. The regular bus service is as frequent as every 15 minutes at rush hour and 30 minutes at off peak hours. The suburb to city buses run every 30 minutes during rush hour to every hour during off peak hours. The suburb to suburb or within suburb bus routes are less frequent and range from every 20 to 40 minutes at peak rush hour to every hour during off peak hours. There are 5 night lines for buses only serving the main thoroughfares. There are 2 city to suburb night bus lines. All night lines run every hour. Night lines are available 12 am to 5 am. There are 80,000 commuters that use the bus on average every day.

Cycling and Walkability

The city has the highest walkability score in the country. The city has invested into the bike lanes and pathways in recent years. There are 100 miles of bike lanes and pathways across the city.

City Government

The city of Gallatin is a region and city. Regions have some function in the Unitary state. Largely focusing on local matters with some autonomy in regard to governance. Regions have a Premier, a regional single chamber legislative assembly. The city region of Gallatin has an Executive Mayor and a City Assembly. The Executive Mayor like all Premiers have a cabinet of departments. The departments include: the Department of Health, Department of Transportation, Department of Education, Department of Parks and Enviromental Protection, Department of Housing, Department of Police (Gallatin City Police), Department of Fire and Emergency Services, and Department of Sanitation and Utilities.

The City Assembly is made up of 1 assembly person per neighborhood, plus 2 assembly persons (1 representing the old city and the other the new city), and 1 at large city assembly person. There are 42 members of the City Assembly elected to a 5 year term. A person cannot run if they are under the age of 18 and over the age of 70. The Executive Mayor can only run for two 5 year terms and the age limits apply for them as well.

The current Executive Mayor James Parker who was elected in 2020. He is the youngest Executive Mayor in the city's history at just 28 years old. He is the 3rd LGBT Executive Mayor and the first gay Executive Mayor in the city's history. He is the first Socialist Party member to win the election.

The city party known as Gallatin Beautiful Movement has the majority of seats in the City Assembly, with 21 seats. The second largest party is the Socialist Party with 8 seats, the third largest party is the Conservative Union with 7 seats, the fourth largest is the Liberal Nation 5 seats, and the smallest is the Green Party with 1 seat.

The current Executive Mayor of Gallatin, James Parker

The City Assembly makeup as of the 2020 Election

City Neighborhoods

There are 39 city neighborhoods

• City Center

• Fenburg Park

• Pinehurst

• Bernard Square

• Stratford

• Berlint

• Mangata

• Hanover Park

• Raynham

• Betty's Corner

• Confier Forrest

• Evergreen Terrace

• Berman

• Crossway

• Newport Park

• Harrison Heights

• Westminster

• Government Center

• Marble Field

• Kingston

• University Park

• Embassy Row

• The Gayborhood

• Wayland

• Waterfront Park

• East Fox Point

• West Fox Point

• Southbridge

• Hartridge

• New Oakridge

• Westerlin

• Zaledo

• Haymarket

• Eastside

• Perimeter Heights

• Garden Estates

• Flatiron

• Edward Town

• Princeton

Education

The Gallatin Public Schools is the largest school district in the country with 91,000 students as of 2023. There are 35 public schools, with 20 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and 5 high schools throughout the city. High school times are from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Middle school times are from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. And elementary school times are from 7 am to 2 pm. Gallatin Public Schools are considered the best public school system in the country.

There are 12 private academies throughout the city, tuition can range from ACU 500 per month to nearly ACU 2,000 per month at the most prestigious intuitions. During the spring all students regardless of public or private, must take the national college entrance exam known as the Excell Exam. The exam has all subjects, from advanced math, advanced Common, advanced science, advanced life skills, and advanced national and world history. The exam is held nationwide on every last Friday of November. The test can take up to 5 hours to complete. Students must list their universities of choice, based on the score combined from all 5 subjects that reaches 1,000. The higher the score the better chances you have to get into the top university of choice. Any score below a 500 is deemed failing and the applicant cannot attend university. The applicant can appeal to take the test again in a year; however, they must pay ACU 250 to retake the test. There are unlimited chances. Many students study all day sometimes for 2-3 years in addition to schoolwork, and if their parents can afford to pay for a private tutor. Public tutors are in easily available and applying for one is easier despite limited timeslots.

All universities in the country are public, there are 3 public universities in the city. The top school in the country, known as the University of Gallatin with 10,000 students, the second best as Hartridge University with 8,000 students, and University of New Gough Island main campus the third best in the country with 12,000 students. The University of New Gough Island has 4 other campuses across the country.

There are 41 libraries in the city. 40 of them are part of the public university system of Gallatin. With the main one being the Gallatin Public Library. The one library while public is restricted to appointment only is the National Library of New Gough Island. The other 39 libraries are neighborhood branch libraries.

University of Gallatin campus

Sister Cities

Králowec, F.D., Morrawia (2000)