AJC: First year of I-85 HOT lane brings drivers but less money than expected (Atlanta: sales, hotel)

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by rzzz

Should Atlanta "turn into" a giant highway?

If we keep adding more and more lanes on more and more land. Maybe not literally but the outcome of that endless short term method is pretty awful for the city.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

My arbitrary $36,000 per rider cost? You keep citing that like it is some hard rule. What are you talking about.

Math. $90 Million for 2500 daily riders = $36,000 cost to build per initial daily rider.

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Math. $90 Million for 2500 daily riders = $36,000 cost to build per initial daily rider.

And you still think that is a good ratio of capital expenditure to results?

Heck, my conservative highway lane estimate had about a $3,500 per user expense.

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

Gtcorndog

How many roads and lanes do you think we should build? As congestion grows we will keep getting more roads and lanes. Is there no end? Should Atlanta turn into a giant highway before we make a long term solution?

And $90 million for 2 miles of streetcar that doesn't go anywhere is the long term answer?

Adding to the highway infrastructure at least provides results. This $90 million does nothing. If you wanted to use it for something, you could apply it to starting a commuter rail line on existing tracks. That might not attract many more riders, but at least has further reach and might help some real commuting options.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

And $90 million for 2 miles of streetcar that doesn't go anywhere is the long term answer?

Adding to the highway infrastructure at least provides results. This $90 million does nothing. If you wanted to use it for something, you could apply it to starting a commuter rail line on existing tracks. That might not attract many more riders, but at least has further reach and might help some real commuting options.

Do you think we would be able to grow the highways and support a population simmilar to Chicago's or even the Bay area without more transit options? That where the city is growing. In our lifetimes.

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

Do you think we would be able to grow the highways and support a population simmilar to Chicago's or even the Bay area without more transit options? That where the city is growing. In our lifetimes.

Then do better than the project that this money is building. $90 million should get more than the crap sandwich we are getting.

[tikigod311]

We should seriously drop the whole streetcar thing. The dot should not pay for the streetcar, and they aren't. Nor are they paying for the belt line or the Clifton corridor. I don't see anyone here asking them to either.

Now, commuter rail is something that the dot should be looking at. And they (fingers crossed) are, with the MMPT.

[cqholt]

IT IS A STREETCAR. IT IS NOT LIGHT RAIL. I think you are beyond confused because we are talking about the Streetcar project that is currently being constructed downtown AS A STREETCAR AND NOT LIGHT RAIL. What is confusing about this?

Have you even researched the different between Streetcar and LRT? The infrastructure is the same, vehicles are the same, the only difference is streetcars operate in mixed traffic and at lower speeds while LRT has its own ROW. Light rail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia & Tram - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
We can not know if the downtown streetcar will be a success or failure until it is operation for a while. The local dollars being spent on the project were earmarked for those corridors anyways, repaving, sidewalk improvements, sewer improvements, etc. Except now all those things are getting done, plus rails are being laid in the ground. Private investment is already up in the corridor and store fronts are being redeveloped for businesses.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

And $90 million for 2 miles of streetcar that doesn't go anywhere is the long term answer?

You're always using the "doesn't go anywhere" argument. That one is really getting old...every rail line on Earth goes from A to B, and the streetcar line in Atlanta goes several places - including connecting with MARTA. If you don't see that it actually does go somewhere then I can totally understand your lack of comprehension for the advantages of rail transit.

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by JoeTarheel

You're always using the "doesn't go anywhere" argument. That one is really getting old...every rail line on Earth goes from A to B, and the streetcar line in Atlanta goes several places - including connecting with MARTA. If you don't see that it actually does go somewhere then I can totally understand your lack of comprehension for the advantages of rail transit.

What does it connect that is worth $90 million in connecting?

Heck, the 2,500 rides (not riders) projection indicates how little value this project actually has. Ridership that low clearly indicates that it doesn't go anywhere. C'mon son.