AJC: Mass transit improvements key to Braves stadium success (Atlanta: lease, home)

[jero23]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

Awwwww. You mad girl?

Nope, but sounds like you are stressed and pressed...girl

[J2201987]

Originally Posted by Black_Sheep3

Prepare yourselves, Atlanta 2017, traffic wise, is gonna be a damn mess.

I would LOOOOVE to rent a helicopter and watch this foolishness unfold on opening day.

[cwkimbro]

Well ignoring the aspects of this overtalked topic

and the usual comments from the usual suspects...

and just focusing on this op-ed article...

His ideas don't work, because there are no incentives for them to happen.

The traffic problems created are really screwing people in and around the Cumberland area and possibly people commuting I-75 or I-285 in that area.

The Braves have no incentives to give people a discount for riding a bus. Not only do they not make money from selling parking to those fans, but to lose a portion through an incentive and the expense of operating a shuttle isn't going to happen. Sure they might create a traffic jam, but that doesn't mean they aren't turning a profit when it occurs.

As for MARTA and CCT, no doubt they can alter some existing local bus routes for these changes. This will really impact low-income workers at the stadium more than anyone. It won't be convenient for most fans, which is a bulk of the traffic problem.

I also have issues with the idea MARTA, the region, or the state should pay for long-distance shuttles just for gamedays. There are some financial reasons it works for MARTA in their location, not to mention it is very short distance.

Now I'm all for the idea of expanding, upgraded regional transit service into the area. However that is an expense that pays off well beyond being a gameday-only shuttle.

I just don't like the idea that a single organization moves anywhere and we should spend money chasing them down. The major benefit to these facilities being intown is they are near resources and connections shared for other reasons.

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by SAAN

285W will be backed to Chamblee Dunwoody on game days.
400S will be backed to Northridge because of the 285W backups.

Not only that, but we're forgetting another clusterf...

The construction of the 400/285 interchange.

I can see the entire top end at a complete standstill in both directions on game day.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

Well ignoring the aspects of this overtalked topic

and the usual comments from the usual suspects...

and just focusing on this op-ed article...

His ideas don't work, because there are no incentives for them to happen.

The traffic problems created are really screwing people in and around the Cumberland area and possibly people commuting I-75 or I-285 in that area.

The Braves have no incentives to give people a discount for riding a bus. Not only do they not make money from selling parking to those fans, but to lose a portion through an incentive and the expense of operating a shuttle isn't going to happen. Sure they might create a traffic jam, but that doesn't mean they aren't turning a profit when it occurs.

As for MARTA and CCT, no doubt they can alter some existing local bus routes for these changes. This will really impact low-income workers at the stadium more than anyone. It won't be convenient for most fans, which is a bulk of the traffic problem.

I also have issues with the idea MARTA, the region, or the state should pay for long-distance shuttles just for gamedays. There are some financial reasons it works for MARTA in their location, not to mention it is very short distance.

Now I'm all for the idea of expanding, upgraded regional transit service into the area. However that is an expense that pays off well beyond being a gameday-only shuttle.

I just don't like the idea that a single organization moves anywhere and we should spend money chasing them down. The major benefit to these facilities being intown is they are near resources and connections shared for other reasons.

This is exactly why a marta line was never built to turner field. Stadiums should be built near existing transit, taxpayer money should not be spent to build transit to privately owned stadiums.

[HH82]

Originally Posted by cqholt

This is exactly why a marta line was never built to turner field. Stadiums should be built near existing transit, taxpayer money should not be spent to build transit to privately owned stadiums.

Absolutely right. The thing that makes this part of Cobb different though is that, unlike the area immediately surrounding Turner Field, Cumberland already has the density to justify a MARTA rail line, even without the Braves stadium. Cobb's leadership is being shortsighted about HRT, and they will find out the hard way in a few years when they discover that all the road improvements they're making don't do enough to get people to or through the area. At some point, big businesses will consider moving to less congested areas, possibly in other counties, and Cobb County will be forced to offer them tax incentives to stay, which will still do nothing to solve the traffic problem. There will come a time in the next five to ten years when major business interests who draw a lot of water in the community will demand rail transit to serve the area, but by then, it might be too late to keep some of them around. HRT costs a lot of money, but in this case, the area needs to make a plan to stay competitive with Perimeter, Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown, and the new big developments going in at Doraville and the Airport, or else that's exactly where those disgruntled business leaders will ship out to. Why not save the millions in incentives they would have to offer, or the millions more in road expansion, and start putting it towards something the people there will already be begging for in five to ten years in order to sustain the level of growth they are currently seeing? Politics only serve themselves, never the future.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by HH82

The thing that makes this part of Cobb different though is that, unlike the area immediately surrounding Turner Field, Cumberland already has the density to justify a MARTA rail line, even without the Braves stadium.

The two areas have comparable population densities today (maybe even still higher in Summerhill). But before the stadiums were built the area surrounding the stadium in Summerhill was much denser. The need for surface parking pushes out residents and businesses near stadiums. The funny thing about all of this is that the Cobb stadium may actually cause the area to loose density that is needed to support rail transit.

[HH82]

Originally Posted by jsvh

The two areas have comparable population densities today (maybe even still higher in Summerhill). But before the stadiums were built the area surrounding the stadium in Summerhill was much denser. The need for surface parking pushes out residents and businesses near stadiums. The funny thing about all of this is that the Cobb stadium may actually cause the area to loose density that is needed to support rail transit.

That may be residential population density, but the daytime population in Cumberland is much higher simply because of the commercial district. That's really why MARTA is needed there.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by HH82

That may be residential population density, but the daytime population in Cumberland is much higher simply because of the commercial district. That's really why MARTA is needed there.

I don't think offices are thrilled about being located next to stadiums and having to compete for parking & and traffic either.

[HH82]

Originally Posted by jsvh

I don't think offices are thrilled about being located next to stadiums and having to compete for parking & and traffic either.

Yet another reason Cobb should get with the program before the inconvenience of the ridiculous traffic causes some businesses to uproot for greener pastures. I don't want to see them mess this up, because it's ultimately the people of Cobb who would be hurt most by poor planning.