MARTA to make an $8 billion pitch to change the face of Atlanta (Clayton: properties, companies)

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by skbl17

Local legislation is not subject to Crossover Day rules. Hence, the MARTA proposal lives on as two separate pieces of legislation (Atlanta and DeKalb).

- skbl17

Ahhh. Interesting.

Well maybe the South DeKalb rail expansion might happen after all.

[fourthwarden]

Why the bill to expand MARTA rail may be only ‘mostly dead’

“What I think is going to happen is, hopefully, the rhetoric on both sides, the Democrat side and the Republican side, will start scaling back a bit, because we’re in a jobs war,” Reed said. “And it’s not just Democrats and Republicans in Atlanta. Or Atlanta versus the suburbs. It’s about whether Georgia is going to continue to attract jobs that pay well.”

“I think the most mature approach is to wait until sine die,” the mayor said. “Everybody should take a deep breath, because anyone who is sophisticated knows that the Legislature can do what it wants to."

“Everyone recognizes that there is a great need for road and infrastructure improvements all throughout Fulton, certainly in north Fulton,” Reed said. “If we don’t address this in ’16, the next opportunity for a referendum is ’18. Which means you’ve effectively moved the process back five years.”

Perhaps you didn’t recognize what just happened. That was the mayor of Atlanta revealing his hole card. Not as a threat. Just a cold, hard non-negotiable fact.

But Tuesday’s vote was also a display of ballot strength that can be applied to other infrastructure issues. Or withheld.

“Folks can’t be politically naïve enough to believe that they can just put a countywide referendum up that does roads only. You might as well not even go through the exercise,” Reed said. Again, his tone was important. He wasn’t loud. There was no threat, no boasting. Just cold, hard fact.

“The biggest deterrent to primary opposition is a roaring economy,” Reed said. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is closing in on a 20-year leasing deal with its largest tenant, Delta Air Lines. With that deal comes $6 billion in renovations and a sixth runway.

“The gumbo of the region’s economy is coming along nicely,” Reed said.

Take a $6 billion capital program at the Atlanta airport, add an $8 billion MARTA program that extends more than a decade, stir in $1.3 billion in road improvements over five years – that would be what’s left over should MARTA take the half-penny – and suddenly you have a construction industry on fire and unemployment taking a nose dive, the mayor said.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by fieldm

True but at least they want something lol. For that route light rail isnt bad. It will be similar to the light rail system in Charlotte. Its quiet and fast (not as fast as HRT). It will serve its purpose since the rail line is only 8 miles long. Plus it will make our transportation network more diverse to include heavy rail, light rail and the streetcar. I agree with you but for this case I think light rail is ok

They really didn't want anything. But LRT is quieter than HRT.

I just never saw a justification of why MARTA was so bent on building it behind the residential areas on the north side of the railroad tracks instead of the commercial area on the south side.

And the project has changed dramatically since the environmental study process. They have added many more miles of subway. They really need to re-think that decision. With the added subway, they might not find much opposition to HRT.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Why the bill to expand MARTA rail may be only ‘mostly dead’

Here is hoping this gets done. We need more transit options in the city.

[fieldm]

Originally Posted by bu2

They really didn't want anything. But LRT is quieter than HRT.

I just never saw a justification of why MARTA was so bent on building it behind the residential areas on the north side of the railroad tracks instead of the commercial area on the south side.

And the project has changed dramatically since the environmental study process. They have added many more miles of subway. They really need to re-think that decision. With the added subway, they might not find much opposition to HRT.

My thing is just give people what they want and try not to **** them off

[bu2]

Originally Posted by fieldm

My thing is just give people what they want and try not to **** them off

They don't want either. I talked to a number of people from those neighborhoods at the open house. Nobody wanted it.

And you need leadership to do things that make sense.

If HRT to Alpharetta made no financial sense, you don't build it even if people want it (I'm not saying it doesn't make sense-just using that as an example).

[bu2]

The delay on the vote may not be all bad. That's if they really do get around to looking at a more regional approach. At least the quotes they have in the AJC article (today, didn't see it yet online), indicate Cobb and Gwinnett legislators supported killing the bill this year because Gwinnett and Cobb would not be a part.

But talking and doing are two separate things.

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by bu2

The delay on the vote may not be all bad. That's if they really do get around to looking at a more regional approach. At least the quotes they have in the AJC article (today, didn't see it yet online), indicate Cobb and Gwinnett legislators supported killing the bill this year because Gwinnett and Cobb would not be a part.

But talking and doing are two separate things.

I'm confused though. Last time we voted as a region, which included Cobb and Gwinnett, didn't both of those counties vote the referendum down? So, when they were included, they said "we don't want this", but when they're not included, they say "what about us?". Seems to me they are just holding the whole region back playing these games.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by CCATL

I'm confused though. Last time we voted as a region, which included Cobb and Gwinnett, didn't both of those counties vote the referendum down? So, when they were included, they said "we don't want this", but when they're not included, they say "what about us?". Seems to me they are just holding the whole region back playing these games.

T-SPLOST should not be used as a bellwether.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by bu2

The delay on the vote may not be all bad. That's if they really do get around to looking at a more regional approach. At least the quotes they have in the AJC article (today, didn't see it yet online), indicate Cobb and Gwinnett legislators supported killing the bill this year because Gwinnett and Cobb would not be a part.

What the hell? MARTA can only serve its member counties, which Gwinnett and Cobb voted against being.

If true, I am utterly perplexed by how stupid that is.