MARTA to make an $8 billion pitch to change the face of Atlanta (Reynolds: affordable housing, install)

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by bu2

There's just seems to be a lot of reactionary opposition to his piece because he didn't buy the current plans lock, stock and barrel.

I was really interested in what this guy has to say as he is local, at GT, and an expert. But this article is pretty terrible. It seems like the guy is stuck on a planning formula he has been teaching and was ignoring glaring variables in the process. How academic...

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Transit Planning 101 for the City of Atlanta: It

I don't see what exactly this guy is arguing for. Anyone enlighten me? The Beltline transit will already be connecting to ponce and running route parallel to it a block over down North Ave. Beltline transit is not the only transit being considered and many of the "O&D" connections already exist or planned to be covered by the Beltline or other projects. West side will be getting just as much, if not larger investment than the east side. MARTA will probably be running the Beltline transit since this funding is a MARTA tax.

I'd like to see some evidence behind the claim that the process he suggested isn't exactly what the city did with the streetcar system plan. I actually went to the meetings; I saw how it was planned. I saw the changes that were made. He claims that the route was decided from the beginning, but I don't remember him speaking at the meetings I went to, the ones where those routes were talked about and actual residents gave their input.

Why is he only speaking up years after the process began?

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by bu2

We have limited transportation dollars. We need to service existing places and build them up, not adopt a "build it and they will come" mentality.

There's a certain truth to this, but it's still misguided. Everyone of the 'nodes' that he mentioned as needing to be connected, is planned to receive high-capacity transit, with a plan on how to fund it.

Ponce is getting streetcar via North ave and Eastside BeltLine.

Downtown and Midtown are both slated to get multiple streetcar routes, will possibly get infill stations, will probably get improved bus service, and are already served by MARTA heavy rail.

Lindbergh will get Clifton Corridor service, eventual BeltLine and Streetcar service, and is already served by MARTA heavy rail.

Buckhead was going to get streetcar service, but pulled themselves out of the plan. They may change their minds later. Buckhead is also already served by MARTA heavy rail.

Northside is planned to get streetcars, and will probably get increased bus service in the mean time.

CDC / Emory is getting light rail via Clifton Corridor.


These were all nodes / corridors that he straight up claims aren't going to receive service, yet they are all in the plans to receive some form of rail-based transit, some of them as part of the November Referendum, which will provide funds for them.

That, and there's certainly a basis for a "build it and they will come" mentality. As others have said, some amount of development is coming whether or not we lake it. We can influence where it will go, and help it integrate into the city at large by providing supporting infrastructure. That's literally the point of infrastructure.

The thing is, our current plans are either already set to serve existing/future development, or are not yet in stone enough to keep them from potentially serving more. Yeah the current streetcar plans are for the West and Eastside trails, but that'll only be a fraction of the November referendum's project list. We could very well see more, or ART routes, or other light-rail lines, or anything else transit related.

[cqholt]

City of Atlanta and MARTA can create transit model in age of micro-regionalism - SaportaReport
Another great read by Maria Saporta.

[cqholt]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...zchBpZmbBK1RMg
2007 Infill Station Report. Page 22 and on looks at the possibility of having infill stations. Page 24 shows costs in millions (2007 dollars).

[fieldm]

Originally Posted by cqholt

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...zchBpZmbBK1RMg
2007 Infill Station Report. Page 22 and on looks at the possibility of having infill stations. Page 24 shows costs in millions (2007 dollars).

[bu2]

Originally Posted by magnetar

I'd like to see some evidence behind the claim that the process he suggested isn't exactly what the city did with the streetcar system plan. I actually went to the meetings; I saw how it was planned. I saw the changes that were made. He claims that the route was decided from the beginning, but I don't remember him speaking at the meetings I went to, the ones where those routes were talked about and actual residents gave their input.

Why is he only speaking up years after the process began?

We're about to spend several billion dollars (assuming the plan passes).

[bu2]

Originally Posted by cqholt

City of Atlanta and MARTA can create transit model in age of micro-regionalism - SaportaReport
Another great read by Maria Saporta.

She also suggests a "methodical" approach.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by cqholt

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...zchBpZmbBK1RMg
2007 Infill Station Report. Page 22 and on looks at the possibility of having infill stations. Page 24 shows costs in millions (2007 dollars).

Good link. The end of this report highlights one of the things I have been thinking about recently: access enhancements to existing stations. Specifically, "E3 Inman Park / Reynoldstown". The existing station is built in a primarily bus / car setup extending west from the platform. But there is a great opportunity for a foot connection to the east. The station platform is only about 500ft from Moreland @ Edgewood retail district where other new denser developments are coming in. A pedestrian station access there would do wonders to improve the visibility and accessibility in that area. In addition, that access point would be a half mile from the center of Little Five Points, making that destination suddenly much more walkable from MARTA rail than the approximate mile walk through neighborhood back streets it takes today.

If there was one best-bang-for-your-buck improvement MARTA could make, that would probably be it.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Good link. The end of this report highlights one of the things I have been thinking about recently: access enhancements to existing stations. Specifically, "E3 Inman Park / Reynoldstown". The existing station is built in a primarily bus / car setup extending west from the platform. But there is a great opportunity for a foot connection to the east. The station platform is only about 500ft from Moreland @ Edgewood retail district where other new denser developments are coming in. A pedestrian station access there would do wonders to improve the visibility and accessibility in that area. In addition, that access point would be a half mile from the center of Little Five Points, making that destination suddenly much more walkable from MARTA rail than the approximate mile walk through neighborhood back streets it takes today.

If there was one best-bang-for-your-buck improvement MARTA could make, that would probably be it.

A less costly option would be to rebuild the south entrance so that it faces towards Moreland and not away from it.