"Sprawlanta": a hot topic amongst our Urban Planning Fellows on Citydata

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, I meant that it is huge relative to Fulton and DeKalb.

Obviously MARTA isn't intended to serve Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton, etc.

It's not even close to "huge" relative to Fulton and Dekalb. It might be if its buses actually went places in a timely manner, but they don't. If you look at other cities like New York and Philadelphia, most of those bus routes stay on the main road. They don't wander off into every little neighborhood, and they certainly don't make stops every 100ft.

[demonta4]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, I meant that it is huge relative to Fulton and DeKalb.

Obviously MARTA isn't intended to serve Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton, etc.

Marta_plan_zpsc3f5816a.png Photo by Andreaz_Jones_Andreaz_Jones | Photobucket

Actually it was.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by MattCW

It's not even close to "huge" relative to Fulton and Dekalb. It might be if its buses actually went places in a timely manner, but they don't. If you look at other cities like New York and Philadelphia, most of those bus routes stay on the main road. They don't wander off into every little neighborhood, and they certainly don't make stops every 100ft.

Don't they have to pick up people in the neighborhoods?

[JoeP]

Again to the OP, that's what forum is for and it's a significant topic to those interested in that topic.

[North Beach Person]

I've been involved in that thread and except for one irrational poster it's been fairly good. That poster has been slapped around pretty hard by several of us.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Don't they have to pick up people in the neighborhoods?

No, those spoiled people can walk an extra 600 feet to the next stop.

[ATLJR]

Originally Posted by MattCW

No, those spoiled people can walk an extra 600 feet to the next stop.

I'm with you on the bus.

Two things:

The suburban-sprawl-type development patterns found primarily outside the core are not conducive to running an effective bus system.

MARTA shouldn't worry about covering every little inch of space. Spread out the stops, stop running unnecessary routes. I'm sure that would save a good deal and allow you to focus on key routes to improve headways and reliability.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by ATLJR

MARTA shouldn't worry about covering every little inch of space. Spread out the stops, stop running unnecessary routes. I'm sure that would save a good deal and allow you to focus on key routes to improve headways and reliability.

Good points!

Changing bus routes is a political minefield, however. They tend to develop their own constituencies and if you move a stop or eliminate a little dogleg somewhere, chances are that you'll encounter ferocious community blow-back.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Good points!

Changing bus routes is a political minefield, however. They tend to develop their own constituencies and if you move a stop or eliminate a little dogleg somewhere, chances are that you'll encounter ferocious community blow-back.

How ferocious really? One headline-filling quote in the local news once from a local loudmouth before fading into obscurity? Maybe that's the problem, it's time to stop letting whoever is shouting the loudest determine policy and only do things that actually make sense.