Who thinks the MARTA should be expanded to include Cobb,Gwinnett, and the other metro Atlanta counties? (Macon: new house, unemployment rate)

[xxman777]

Lets keep the topic on MARTA only. Health care or the Autobahn is off topic.

[pirate_lafitte]

I agree. Let's talk about MARTA.

MARTA should be expanded and if you don't want MARTA go live in Ellijay or some place far away. As much as Atlanta has rubbed me the wrong way, MARTA is needed.

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I agree. Let's talk about MARTA.

MARTA should be expanded and if you don't want MARTA go live in Ellijay or some place far away. As much as Atlanta has rubbed me the wrong way, MARTA is needed.

LOL, have you been to Ellijay lately, it's the new Cobb County. I know b/c I'm born and raised in Acworth and my dad built a cabin in East Ellijay back in 1986 on the Cartecay that he still owns today. Going from Acworth to Ellijay today is like going from Atlanta to Acworth back in 1996. 515 looks like Barret Parkway did in '96.

So I guess you should just go ahead and run Marta up to the mountains if you want to be realistic.

Most people who move here don't realize that Metro-Atlanta wasn't really that big just 10 years ago. There was no traffic, well... not much anyway.

I don't really like the idea, but I guess taking Marta up to Ellijay or Blue Ridge to Higway 52 or 53 wouldn't be too bad. I can pack my grill, tent, fishing rod, license, cooler, etc and just hop off at the river.

[PeteyNice]

I wouldn't run MARTA up that far. MARTA is city transit. Running it to Gwinnett or Cobb, etc makes sense. Further than that it is all about commuter rail.

[turtlemom]

I agree that running routes outside the 5-10 county metro cluster is about rail.

I don't use and will not use MARTA in any form for various reasons. However, a well-integrated system of routes that include rail, large buses, mini-buses and vans could be developed that would be much better than what we have now.

If people can commute from NJ into NYC, or from MO into Chicago, then Atlanta *could* develop an effective transport system. I've thought about it, literally, for years and years.

First, a set of 20 large busses that do nothing but circle the perimeter in each direction. Select logical transport stops for the busses to exit and re-enter the perimeter with ease. This takes people from Jonesboro up to Marietta and Sandy Springs with ease. Major large bus routes would include all the major streets radiating out of downtown. But the major cross-streets would need routes, also. These bus routes would need to cover all 5-10 of the chosen metro counties. I can even list streets and major "node" points.

The main concept, however, would be "major through routes" (rail + interstates) touching at "nodes" with smaller feeder routes serving each. Similar in many ways to the current MARTA rail feeder system, but much more comprehensive. It would require 5 years of major funding to get it up and running, plus another 3 years of minor funding as people get used to it.

Tweaking of routes would be done only once every 2 years - to prevent people getting confused.

Busses and rail cars would have to be kept "squeaky clean" and smelling nice. They also would have to be kept in prime working order. No breaking down permitted, no dirty, smelly passenger compartments. People in this area won't use them if they are dirty or stink.

Safety would have to be a major concern, too. Intense preventive policing would be needed. I would suggest making all of the transit routes into a special jurisdiction of the Ga State Patrol - that way there would be no jurisdictional quibbles about a robbery that took place in DeKalb County just before the train / bus crossed into Fulton County where the person was arrested. All crimes on the transit system would come under state jurisdiction.

Bathrooms at each major "station" or "node." Again, clean and sweet-smelling. Same for elevators at train stations.

Special vans for the handicapped. Gwinnett has them, and they are great. Flat fee, you can make appointments in advance, and get picked up and dropped off in a timely manner. No reason the same thing couldn't apply throughout the system.

But do you think the PTB will listen? (PTB = powers that be).

Well, that problem is solved...

Cheerio!
turtlemom

[eraysha]

Excellently written. I totally agree with every thing you said. I wish more folks would jump on board. We need this to happen asap.

[Galounger]

I originally posted these pictures at the Atlanta vs. Houston thread on the General Forum but I thought posters here might also like these pictures. Enjoy!

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by turtlemom

I agree that running routes outside the 5-10 county metro cluster is about rail.

I don't use and will not use MARTA in any form for various reasons. However, a well-integrated system of routes that include rail, large buses, mini-buses and vans could be developed that would be much better than what we have now.

If people can commute from NJ into NYC, or from MO into Chicago, then Atlanta *could* develop an effective transport system. I've thought about it, literally, for years and years.

First, a set of 20 large busses that do nothing but circle the perimeter in each direction. Select logical transport stops for the busses to exit and re-enter the perimeter with ease. This takes people from Jonesboro up to Marietta and Sandy Springs with ease. Major large bus routes would include all the major streets radiating out of downtown. But the major cross-streets would need routes, also. These bus routes would need to cover all 5-10 of the chosen metro counties. I can even list streets and major "node" points.

The main concept, however, would be "major through routes" (rail + interstates) touching at "nodes" with smaller feeder routes serving each. Similar in many ways to the current MARTA rail feeder system, but much more comprehensive. It would require 5 years of major funding to get it up and running, plus another 3 years of minor funding as people get used to it.

Tweaking of routes would be done only once every 2 years - to prevent people getting confused.

Busses and rail cars would have to be kept "squeaky clean" and smelling nice. They also would have to be kept in prime working order. No breaking down permitted, no dirty, smelly passenger compartments. People in this area won't use them if they are dirty or stink.

Safety would have to be a major concern, too. Intense preventive policing would be needed. I would suggest making all of the transit routes into a special jurisdiction of the Ga State Patrol - that way there would be no jurisdictional quibbles about a robbery that took place in DeKalb County just before the train / bus crossed into Fulton County where the person was arrested. All crimes on the transit system would come under state jurisdiction.

Bathrooms at each major "station" or "node." Again, clean and sweet-smelling. Same for elevators at train stations.

Special vans for the handicapped. Gwinnett has them, and they are great. Flat fee, you can make appointments in advance, and get picked up and dropped off in a timely manner. No reason the same thing couldn't apply throughout the system.

But do you think the PTB will listen? (PTB = powers that be).

Well, that problem is solved...

Cheerio!
turtlemom

Good idea. BTW, I agree with you about the PTB. The problem is that the PTB are run by the elite who don't want any kind of transit. IMHO, many of them get cars, and then tell the government to keep the transit out. Why? We live in a society where everyone only thinks of themselves. Sad,but true.

[backfist]

Looking back through this thread, I really like atlantagreg's idea of "just do it"; stop waiting for the voters (who will always vote 'no' anyway). People tend to dislike change; and they really don't like disruptive change. So offering up a MARTA vote is still an exercise in futility.

But what's ironic is that the transplants who bring the increase in traffic, will also eventually bring the necessary votes to get this done.

In the meantime, there are probably several MARTA stations that are in close proximity of heavy rail tracks. As such, it doesn't make sense that a MARTA station in, say, Buckhead doesn't work in conjunction with an Amtrak satellite station in the same location.

[dejuan2]

Pritchard wrote: The reason that people continue to move out to the outskirts of Atlanta is to get away from bussing programs, such as MARTA, which want to import cheap labor for industrial areas. Why would I want to grow bigger industrial areas in my nice rural-suburban community? If MARTA doesn't benefit the residents of a community, and those residents don't want MARTA in their town, why are a bunch of poor, unemployed people from a city 30 miles away cramming this down on an outlying community? Sounds quite draconian to me.

Bussing program? This topic isn't on desegragation in the 1950's. This topic is on public transportation. Marta is public transportation. It isn't a federally mandated bussing program. But it is apparent that you oppose both.

The language that some of you use to describe this topic is pretty interesting.

Pritchard wrote: ruin this "Nice" town, "Good" town that doesn't want anything to do with "Atlanta". I know of many "people" who hate "MARTA". Why would I vote to "bus people in" from depressed areas. I know people who moved far away from Atlanta to get away from "bussing programs"

Let's just be honest and say what we really mean!