"The Braves, Cobb County, and the debate over expanding mass transit" (Atlanta: apartment, employment)

[dcredskins]

Why do people who don't live in Cobb care so much if they join Marta?

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by dcredskins

Why do people who don't live in Cobb care so much if they join Marta?

Because tens of thousands of commuters with Cobb license plates clog my city's streets every day. No jurisdiction exists in a vacuum.

[dcredskins]

Originally Posted by Gulch

Because tens of thousands of commuters with Cobb license plates clog my city's streets every day. No jurisdiction exists in a vacuum.

Every city I have ever been to has clogged streets, regardless of their transportation situation.

Other people, me included, think people want Cobb in because they are going to pay more in then they will get out. That's why these other counties want them in so bad.

[AfternoonCoffee]

Originally Posted by skbl17

I'm not cheering yet. While I'm not against the move (I'm not paying for it, I don't have a vested interest in Turner Field or the Braves, etc. etc.), I'm not jumping for joy, either.

Ideally, the county commission should have begun negotiations with MARTA the moment the Braves deal was finalized. Instead, I've been seeing BRT proposals, bridge proposals, shuttle proposals, public renunciation of possible MARTA membership proposals, and everything that is...wait for it...not MARTA.

So yeah, I'll "embrace" and welcome the move with open arms the minute Cobb has (at the very least) a MARTA referendum. Until then, call me neutral.

- skbl17

Fair enough. I appreciate your thoughtful, well-reasoned opinion on the matter. It's a breath of fresh air

[Atlwarrior]

The losing Braves are horrible they can't leave quick enough.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by dcredskins

Every city I have ever been to has clogged streets, regardless of their transportation situation.

Other people, me included, think people want Cobb in because they are going to pay more in then they will get out. That's why these other counties want them in so bad.

Except that any money they bring in addition to the current MARTA services would then be used to back bonds for construction of transit, as well as operations. From there it would be about funding the bond payments and day to day opperations that transit added.

It's not some big gotcha conspiracy, it's simply people wanting alternatives to driving. In any of those cities, I can all but guarentee you traffic would be worse without the option of transit. Just as it would be here.

[dcredskins]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Except that any money they bring in addition to the current MARTA services would then be used to back bonds for construction of transit, as well as operations. From there it would be about funding the bond payments and day to day opperations that transit added.

It's not some big gotcha conspiracy, it's simply people wanting alternatives to driving. In any of those cities, I can all but guarentee you traffic would be worse without the option of transit. Just as it would be here.

None of that matters to a person in Cobb. The real question is, how much would they contribute at 1% sales tax compared to the amount spent and the percentage of riders from that area.

Most of the people who cry about no Marta in Cobb DONT live in Cobb so it isn't an alternative for them.

[dcredskins]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Except that any money they bring in addition to the current MARTA services would then be used to back bonds for construction of transit, as well as operations. From there it would be about funding the bond payments and day to day opperations that transit added.

It's not some big gotcha conspiracy, it's simply people wanting alternatives to driving. In any of those cities, I can all but guarentee you traffic would be worse without the option of transit. Just as it would be here.

It's not a conspiracy, it's a fact of life. Cities/countries want to add rich areas that pay in more in tax revenue than they use. Atlanta would have loved to have gotten their hands on North Fulton cities. That's why they incorporated themselves. It blocked future attempts to be absorbed into the city.

[glovenyc]

Originally Posted by dcredskins

None of that matters to a person in Cobb. The real question is, how much would they contribute at 1% sales tax compared to the amount spent and the percentage of riders from that area.

Most of the people who cry about no Marta in Cobb DONT live in Cobb so it isn't an alternative for them.

As a Cobb resident / home owner, I would gladly pay the 1% tax if we were to be added to MARTA. Small price to pay to move the overall ATL Metro transportation system closer to the 21st century. I would love to have the option of using mass transit. Sadly the short-sighted old guard in Cobb and Gwinnett has put the entire (core counties) region in a very expensive situation now if we want to get it right.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by dcredskins

It's not a conspiracy, it's a fact of life. Cities/countries want to add rich areas that pay in more in tax revenue than they use. Atlanta would have loved to have gotten their hands on North Fulton cities. That's why they incorporated themselves. It blocked future attempts to be absorbed into the city.

The North Fulton cities that incorporated did so to get out from under the thumb of Fulton County's government more than to get away from the City of Atlanta (which hadn't made serious efforts to annex since the 1960s, and really only the ITP area of Sandy Springs).