Some Beltline & Ponce City Market Updates (Atlanta: land, parking)

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by demonta4

1. Who's gonna walk a mile from a train station?

Not this guy. It's about 1.25 miles from North Ave. Station. At a brisk walking pace, that's just over a 20-minute walk. Once you count in crossing five major intersections and two decently-sized intersections, it's going to be easily a 30-35 minute walk. Don't know too many people who are going to do that.

[ATLondoner]

Originally Posted by cqholt

That people are lazy? Yes.

$5 for me and my wife to ride the MARTA bus from North Ave Station to PCM or we can get Uber for basically the same price and not have to wait in the luxurious environs of the North Ave bus bay.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

Not this guy. It's about 1.25 miles from North Ave. Station. At a brisk walking pace, that's just over a 20-minute walk. Once you count in crossing five major intersections and two decently-sized intersections, it's going to be easily a 30-35 minute walk. Don't know too many people who are going to do that.

Not to mention it's one massive hill after another, with multiple lanes of traffic screaming by.

Terribly unpleasant walk even at half the distance.

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by JPD

Not to mention it's one massive hill after another, with multiple lanes of traffic screaming by.

Terribly unpleasant walk even at half the distance.

Agreed. 1 mile doesn't seem so bad in places like Manhattan, where you can just walk and walk and be entertained by what's going on around you. The walk is (for the most part) pleasant because it was built for pedestrians, not cars. 1 mile on Ponce or North Ave is hell. It's curb cut after curb cut for drive-thrus and strip malls with people driving past you at 50mph because we have 0 traffic enforcement in this city, a lack of anything interesting along the stretch until you get to the market, and some massive intersections. No, walking 1 mile on Ponce or North Ave is not pleasant, and even I wouldn't do it. And I'm VERY pro-MARTA and pro-getting out of cars. I bike in the bike lane on Ponce, but I wouldn't walk it if I don't have to.

[MattCW]

My point, is that for a very busy destination, on a very busy corridor, there's barely more than token bus service. That's pathetic and frankly, indicates to many people that MARTA simply can't be trusted. Dekalb will possibly get the chance to vote on more money for MARTA soon. If MARTA isn't being a good steward of the money they already have, then why should I want to give them anymore? This, along with the Clayton disaster are perfect examples of MARTA's continued failure to adequately provide reliable bus transit.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by MattCW

My point, is that for a very busy destination, on a very busy corridor, there's barely more than token bus service. That's pathetic and frankly, indicates to many people that MARTA simply can't be trusted. Dekalb will possibly get the chance to vote on more money for MARTA soon. If MARTA isn't being a good steward of the money they already have, then why should I want to give them anymore? This, along with the Clayton disaster are perfect examples of MARTA's continued failure to adequately provide reliable bus transit.

MARTA just upgraded bus service along the corridor so there are headways between North Ave Station and Ponce @ Highland every 15mins ALL DAY.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Po....3650443?hl=en
The Atlanta Streetcar System Plan has North Ave proposed for Streetcar service, but these projects take time to study for federal funding.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by CCATL

Agreed. 1 mile doesn't seem so bad in places like Manhattan, where you can just walk and walk and be entertained by what's going on around you.

Speak for yourself. When I was in a Chicago, my 0.6 mile walk to and from work and my hote each day was more than enough. And that was on flat terrain, on a wide sidewalk, down a major thoroughfare. There would have to be something pretty special at the end of a full mile for me to willingly walk that far over hilly terrain. And PCM ain't it. About the only way I could walk it would be on a completely separated path like the Beltline. And that is not possible all over the city

[Atlanta Scientist]

Originally Posted by MattCW

My point, is that for a very busy destination, on a very busy corridor, there's barely more than token bus service. That's pathetic and frankly, indicates to many people that MARTA simply can't be trusted. Dekalb will possibly get the chance to vote on more money for MARTA soon. If MARTA isn't being a good steward of the money they already have, then why should I want to give them anymore? This, along with the Clayton disaster are perfect examples of MARTA's continued failure to adequately provide reliable bus transit.

The beltline will eventually be serviced by light rail. Ponce City Market is on the Beltline. I'm not sure what more MARTA could do than provide bus service to the area at this point in time. I routinely catch the 102 from Ponce back to North Ave and then to home.

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

Speak for yourself. When I was in a Chicago, my 0.6 mile walk to and from work and my hote each day was more than enough. And that was on flat terrain, on a wide sidewalk, down a major thoroughfare. There would have to be something pretty special at the end of a full mile for me to willingly walk that far over hilly terrain. And PCM ain't it. About the only way I could walk it would be on a completely separated path like the Beltline. And that is not possible all over the city

To each his own I guess. I lived in NYC and used to walk that distance on the sidewalks constantly. When I moved to Atlanta the amount of walking I did drastically decreased (and my weight showed it), hence the reason I took up bike commuting :-) Either way, we're in agreement that North Ave and Ponce are not the friendliest places to walk any distance, never mind a mile.

[jsvh]

Ponce City Market area is being built up partly because of the exception of the transit connectivity coming to that area both along the Beltline and North Ave.