"The Braves, Cobb County, and the debate over expanding mass transit" (Atlanta: live in, professionals)

[arjay57]

Sounds like the Braves are okay with not having rail transit.

As Atlanta Braves EVP Derek Schiller put it: Braves fans don't use MARTA. Or at least, rail access won't be critical to the success of the organization's new SunTrust Park stadium project.

It was a friendly tit-for-tat at Bisnow's Atlanta 2016 Forecast event at the W Hotel Midtown yesterday between City of Atlanta Council president Ceasar Mitchell and Derek, with Ceasar asking if the stadium's impact is having an effect on views about MARTA expansion into Cobb County. Derek said the stadium will already be very connected, but pointed out connectivity can take different forms, alluding to the organization's 14-point access plan.

He said at Turner Field, fans griped about parking around the ballpark, and even with a bus option from MARTA, only 8% of the fan base—many commuting from as far as 50 miles away—used mass transit to get to games. He said Atlanta still has a car culture, though the long-term hope is for transit.”

More....SCHILLER: BRAVES' FANS NEVER WERE DEPENDENT ON RAIL

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Sounds like the Braves are okay with not having rail transit.

I call factcheck on that 8% claim.

[whodean]

The fans the Braves want to cater to by and large do not use MARTA.

[-thomass]

Imagine if there was an ACTUAL Marta stop at turner field and there were actual things to do around the stadium?

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by -thomass

Imagine if there was an ACTUAL Marta stop at turner field and there were actual things to do around the stadium?

Thank goodness at least one of those is changing in the next 5 years. Personally, with the new development around Turner Field via GSU, I'm glad the Braves are hauling ass. Now we don't have to hear the suburbanites complain anymore. I'll also look forward to the decline that occurs in the areas around the new Braves stadium over the next 20 years while Atlanta's gentrification begins to wrap around the downtown area including Summerhill.

The suburbs are simply no longer the "Safe option" anymore like they were 25 years ago. The Braves and it's fan will learn this as time continues.

[cqholt]

The Braves organization have such a suburban mindset:

In terms of the Braves' SunTrust Park, he called it a mall model, where the Braves will anchor a mixed-use development.

Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/atlanta/news/...medium=Browser

Instead of the stadium being part of the urban fabric, like Fenway, Wrigley, Camden Yards, Busch, they want it to be a Sears.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

I call factcheck on that 8% claim.

I also highly doubt the number was just 8%, as I and other MARTA commuters have dealt with rush hour along with Braves fans. They are easy to spot, they are the ones who look confused at Five Points, even though there are overhead signs EVERYWHERE!

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Thank goodness at least one of those is changing in the next 5 years. Personally, with the new development around Turner Field via GSU, I'm glad the Braves are hauling ass. Now we don't have to hear the suburbanites complain anymore. I'll also look forward to the decline that occurs in the areas around the new Braves stadium over the next 20 years while Atlanta's gentrification begins to wrap around the downtown area including Summerhill.

The suburbs are simply no longer the "Safe option" anymore like they were 25 years ago. The Braves and it's fan will learn this as time continues.

The sad truth is that "safe option" is code for "there are fewer blacks and browns living nearby." Speaking of which, by contrast it was clearly no big deal by comparison that the Downtown Connector and former AFCS split the old neighborhood in two.

Originally Posted by cqholt

I also highly doubt the number was just 8%, as I and other MARTA commuters have dealt with rush hour along with Braves fans. They are easy to spot, they are the ones who look confused at Five Points, even though there are overhead signs EVERYWHERE!

And now the Braves shuttle connects to the West End station, so there's even less of an excuse for them to get lost once they get off the train.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by -thomass

Imagine if there was an ACTUAL Marta stop at turner field and there were actual things to do around the stadium?

Yep. The Dome gets 30% of fans using MARTA.

Good riddance to the Braves, their new leadership is terrible.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by -thomass

Imagine if there was an ACTUAL Marta stop at turner field and there were actual things to do around the stadium?

Multi-billion dollar public investments should not be built to privately owned stadium, instead privately owned stadiums should be built near existing transit station, see MB stadium as an example.