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Old 08-14-2013, 11:13 AM
 
Location: City of Atlanta
1,478 posts, read 1,727,919 times
Reputation: 1536

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Today, a story came out on Creative Loafing highlighting an op-ed by Benita Dodd of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. Benita states that "[Road diets are] a nip here and a tuck there, but the insidious "livability" approach to transportation should worry commuters, given that metro Atlanta drivers are clamoring for congestion relief, not streetscapes, art or roadway reductions."

Free-market policy guru bemoans road diets | Atlanta News & Opinion Blog | Fresh Loaf | Creative Loafing Atlanta

Really?! Road diets are insidious? Taking away a lane of traffic on already wide roads (see Peachtree Center) for alternative modes of transportation is bad? I don't see it. Now, I want to be clear I'm not trying to start an ITP vs OTP thread here, but it really angers me when suburban commuters have such a LOUD say in everything Atlanta does.

Atlanta is creating road diets for its residents - creating bike lanes, wider sidewalks, pedestrian improvements - all things that makes quality of life in Atlanta (or any city) much better. Many Atlanta residents commuting into midtown or downtown can do so via bike, train, etc. - these road diets will only make that more commonplace. Suburban residents don't live here, they commute here. They don't pay city property taxes, they drive their cars from 30 miles away to work, and then they go home. STOP telling city residents what we should and should not be doing with our own money. I don't hear many ATL residents telling Marietta how to re-develop their town square, or having any kind of say in whether a train one day goes to Cobb County, so why do people in Marietta have to have a say in where I live, where I spend 24 hours of my everyday, and where I want to improve my quality of life?

I know I ranted a bit, but reading things like that is frustrating, because the city is moving forward, but sometimes I feel like our suburbs want to hold us back. I thought it would make for an interesting discussion, especially as Atlanta moves forward with millions of dollars in improvements for alternative modes of transportation this year.
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Old 08-14-2013, 11:28 AM
 
10,974 posts, read 10,893,333 times
Reputation: 3435
Yea good post.

Atlanta should do what is best for it's residents and businesses. Our Atlanta taxes should not be going to help out commuters who are not paying Atlanta taxes (just as other local taxes should). This is another example of why we should just make drivers pay for roads themselves and stop using tax money for it.
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Old 08-14-2013, 11:39 AM
 
222 posts, read 588,337 times
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Originally Posted by jsvh View Post
This is another example of why we should just make drivers pay for roads themselves and stop using tax money for it.
Fuel Tax
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Old 08-14-2013, 11:42 AM
 
Location: Kirkwood
23,726 posts, read 24,908,213 times
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Why does a resident of Cobb County care anything about what the City of Atlanta does within the city limits with its money?
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Old 08-14-2013, 11:43 AM
 
10,974 posts, read 10,893,333 times
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Originally Posted by cwlawrence View Post
... (along with all other user fees) cover only 25% of the cost of roads in GA. My tax dollars pay for the remaining 75%.
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Old 08-14-2013, 12:02 PM
 
2,685 posts, read 6,053,878 times
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Oh boy, another thread to bring out the worse in people. Not everyone has the same views in a metro and there almost always is a divide of some type between those that live in the city and those that don't, its not an Atlanta thing.

Someone in Cobb county is much more likely to care about what Atlanta does than vice versa. They probably identify with Atlanta as much as Cobb county and tell their friends who live in Texas they live in Atlanta, root for the same team etc. Lots of people I know live in the suburbs but call Atlanta home and attend things in the city all the time.

This is the beauty of a large metro with a big city as its center. We should want everyone to come and enjoy the city center, it makes it all the better and allows new attractions, teams, museums, PCM etc to happen.


Quote:
Originally Posted by cqholt View Post
Why does a resident of Cobb County care anything about what the City of Atlanta does within the city limits with its money?
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Old 08-14-2013, 12:03 PM
 
10,974 posts, read 10,893,333 times
Reputation: 3435
This stuff frustrates me. As someone that considers themselves very pro-free market, I am tired of right-wingers high jacking causes for their own interest in the name of the free market. I am sure they would love to have other tax payers continue to subsidize their commute, but a free-market think tank should be pushing for a 100% user fee funded public-private transportation network. Not complaining about what another municipality does. Ok, rant over.
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Old 08-14-2013, 12:03 PM
 
Location: City of Atlanta
1,478 posts, read 1,727,919 times
Reputation: 1536
Quote:
Originally Posted by cqholt View Post
Why does a resident of Cobb County care anything about what the City of Atlanta does within the city limits with its money?
Exactly. Most city residents couldn't give two ***** about what Cobb does with their money, and if we did, it wouldn't matter anyway. But people from outside of the city limits are always commenting on what the city does - think MARTA, road diets, the Beltline - really any major initiative the city wants to create. If you live in Marietta, fight for what you want in Marietta, but don't bring those ideals to Atlanta. If you care that much about what Atlanta does, then move to the city, and make you input count. I understand everybody has different points of view, and those should all be heard, but they should only be heard by people who pay for those initiatives. If you want to build a 6 lane road in Cobb County rather than expanding transit, feel free - personally, I won't like it, but I don't live there, so I don't have a say.
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Old 08-14-2013, 12:07 PM
 
Location: City of Atlanta
1,478 posts, read 1,727,919 times
Reputation: 1536
Quote:
Originally Posted by noah View Post
Oh boy, another thread to bring out the worse in people. Not everyone has the same views in a metro and there almost always is a divide of some type between those that live in the city and those that don't, its not an Atlanta thing.

Someone in Cobb county is much more likely to care about what Atlanta does than vice versa. They probably identify with Atlanta as much as Cobb county and tell their friends who live in Texas they live in Atlanta, root for the same team etc. Lots of people I know live in the suburbs but call Atlanta home and attend things in the city all the time.

This is the beauty of a large metro with a big city as its center. We should want everyone to come and enjoy the city center, it makes it all the better and allows new attractions, teams, museums, PCM etc to happen.
I tried to make it clear this wasn't about OTP vs ITP, and the thread wasn't created to bring out the worst in people. Regardless of whether they identify with Atlanta, they don't live in Atlanta - they live in Cobb. I live in Atlanta, and I think my quality of life in my city is just as important as somebodies quality of life in Cobb - we choose where we live based on having certain ideals that are shared with our neighbors. I chose the city because I want more access to alternative transportation, while somebody who lives in Cobb might want more yard space or a bigger house. To each his own, but don't tell the city that I pay taxes to that we shouldn't create better quality of living for our residents because somebody from another city doesn't like it.

Everybody from around Atlanta should be welcomed to Atlanta - like you said, that's the beauty of the big city - culture, nightlife, etc. And in my view, if you want to visit, you are welcome - the more visitors, the better our economy. But as a visitor, you don't have a say in what the city does. If you want a say, move to said city.
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Old 08-14-2013, 12:08 PM
 
Location: Kirkwood
23,726 posts, read 24,908,213 times
Reputation: 5703
Quote:
Originally Posted by noah View Post
Oh boy, another thread to bring out the worse in people. Not everyone has the same views in a metro and there almost always is a divide of some type between those that live in the city and those that don't, its not an Atlanta thing.

Someone in Cobb county is much more likely to care about what Atlanta does than vice versa. They probably identify with Atlanta as much as Cobb county and tell their friends who live in Texas they live in Atlanta, root for the same team etc. Lots of people I know live in the suburbs but call Atlanta home and attend things in the city all the time.

This is the beauty of a large metro with a big city as its center. We should want everyone to come and enjoy the city center, it makes it all the better and allows new attractions, teams, museums, PCM etc to happen.
If she feels that strong about road diet than she can prevent them from her local community. Us in Atlanta want complete streets and our city gov't is answering the call.
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