Georgia board OKs bonds for transit projects (after reducing amount to $75M) (Atlanta: transfer, airport)

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Having ridden MARTA from Doraville to the airport this morning with a freaking whack job on board that finally delayed the train for 30 minutes at the west end station, I wouldn't vote to give MARTA another dollar. This isn't the first time this year that a nut has made my MARTA experience intolerable. No wonder no one wants it.

So, you didn't read any of my post huh? The one where it talked about how people do want transit? Where Clayton joined, and where Gwinnett's beginning to seriously considering it?

Did you do anything about the 'Nut'? Did you get a MARTA Police officer, or do anything other than blame a system for the people who use it, as if there is a way that they could control their own patrons besides a security presence?

Furthermore, twice a year delayed isn't too insane considering every afternoon is parking lot time on the interstates. If you don't like the train, then don't take it. Have fun on the roads, but there's no need to be obtuse. You just come off as being ignorant.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

fourthwarden, I am not saying this to argue with you but what would say are the top 3 (or 4 or 5) pieces of evidence that show significant numbers of people want to shift significant infrastructure funding away from cars and toward public transit?

In my opinion it's important to be able to hit the government with facts showing that what they are doing is not what most people want. Often they will still fly in the face of the taxpayer but it can sometimes help to inundate them with hard data and logic.

After MARTA reduced headways and increased bus service on popular routes, ridership went up. If given good, quality transit people will ride it.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Having ridden MARTA from Doraville to the airport this morning with a freaking whack job on board that finally delayed the train for 30 minutes at the west end station, I wouldn't vote to give MARTA another dollar. This isn't the first time this year that a nut has made my MARTA experience intolerable. No wonder no one wants it.

If you don't feel comfortable, move to another car. If that person is causing issues, report it to MPD via the See and Say app. MARTA PD is quick to respond, as long as you give them accurate info about the trains location and direction of travel.
I do not see people causing this much huff and puff about a crash causing them a 30 minute delay on commuting, things like this happen and it is an isolated event.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Okay, my apologies for overstating it.

You just hear so much anti-car rhetoric that sometimes you have to wonder what the agenda is.

I agree that we need a balanced approach and that if this money was intended for mass transit that's where it should have gone.

There are some people in transit who are anti-car. Its the whole global warming thing. Oil is bad and destroying the planet, creating air pollution and putting carbon in the atmosphere, so those selfish people need to be punished for driving. Some of it is intolerance of people with a different lifestyle-see the constant hostility towards soccer moms driving SUVs.

Not saying the people on here have those agendas, but those agendas do exist.

[UrbanConquistador]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Having ridden MARTA from Doraville to the airport this morning with a freaking whack job on board that finally delayed the train for 30 minutes at the west end station, I wouldn't vote to give MARTA another dollar. This isn't the first time this year that a nut has made my MARTA experience intolerable. No wonder no one wants it.

Yeah, and there aren't any nut jobs behind the wheel of automobiles

Crazy people are unfortunately sprinkled everwhere. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. As a daily commuter on Marta, I very rarely come across people that make my trip unpleasant. Sure, I do every now and then, but that's not a reason to want to cut off funding for the system. You wouldn't want to cut off road funding because someone cut you off and flipped you the bird, would you?

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Having ridden MARTA from Doraville to the airport this morning with a freaking whack job on board that finally delayed the train for 30 minutes at the west end station, I wouldn't vote to give MARTA another dollar. This isn't the first time this year that a nut has made my MARTA experience intolerable. No wonder no one wants it.

I don't mean this personally Ansley, but this is honestly just about one of the dumbest things I've ever read as an excuse for why MARTA doesn't deserve funding.

You know, MARTA's budget doesn't actually pay mentally ill people to ride its trains... but until they cause a problem, as long as they're there legally, they have a right to ride. When they act up they're removed, which is exactly what happened in the case you witnessed, it sounds like.

You don't have a problem with MARTA, you have a problem with people, and I'm not sure how any other transit agency in the same city would be any different.

If a crazy person caused an accident on 285 and it delayed you by half an hour, would you write a post demanding GDOT be defunded because of how long it took to clear the road?

[cqholt]

Gov. Deal announces winners of the $75M for transit projects, as part of the larger 2015 Transportation Fund Act

The one-time $75 million in transit bonds were part of the 2015 Transportation Fund Act, which secured nearly $1 billion a year for roads and bridges.

In historic move, Georgia awards $75 million in transit grants statewide - SaportaReport

MARTA received the largest single grant – $30 million to expand its signage and communications system.
“This is a big deal to us because of the project itself,” Parker said. “It’s a project that impacts almost every one of our customers every day. And it’s a big safety improvement for us. We have about 150 signs today. This will more than double it to 350 signs.”

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Gov. Deal announces winners of the $75M for transit projects, as part of the larger 2015 Transportation Fund Act

In historic move, Georgia awards $75 million in transit grants statewide - SaportaReport

Now if only we could make this an annual thing... but without taking the first $25 Mil. for pet projects...

Seriously, it's a good way to provide transit funding without having to directly line-item any one agency. It also can be divided by a balance of need and politics, providing quite a bit of flexibility.

[tikigod311]

Wait, does this mean they are FINALLLLLLLLY going to replace the rusted out signs around the system? Maybe they will finally fix the station sign facing Main St at the College Park station that has been missing its face for upwards of three years. Been so impressed with MARTA as of late, but they have been negligent in upkeep in this regard. It's such a bad look for the system. It is unfortunate that it seems to take a grant from the state for them to repaint signs after that haven't been touched 30+ years

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Wait, does this mean they are FINALLLLLLLLY going to replace the rusted out signs around the system? Maybe they will finally fix the station sign facing Main St at the College Park station that has been missing its face for upwards of three years. Been so impressed with MARTA as of late, but they have been negligent in upkeep in this regard. It's such a bad look for the system. It is unfortunate that it seems to take a grant from the state for them to repaint signs after that haven't been touched 30+ years

More like 20ish years, which is even worse.