MARTA to make an $8 billion pitch to change the face of Atlanta (Monroe: photos, tunnel)

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

So, given the good news (for the city, at least) here is a steaming-fresh map of a fanciful routing for our future streetcars and light rail. Enjoy! As always, constructive criticism is welcome and wanted.

Dude, that is incredible!!! Fantastic work as always. MARTA needs to be paying you...

Today I was looking at this map while working at PCM looking out the window at the Beltline... my mind was swimming. The dream is so much closer to reality! It looks like I may have a front row seat to an incredible amount of action. As an infrastructure nerd and a lover of this city, this is uuuuge.

Very interested in how the track layout will work around PCM and North Ave. It seems to make sense that the actual station is on the south side of North Ave. I hope they don't put the station right at the Beltline doorstep of PCM as that could turn into an incredible bottleneck. Also, with the new plaza coming in at the PCM Shed, it is going to be odd to have a parkspace and the trail with an active rail line in-between. I hope they shift the tracks to the Murder Kroger side of the ROW.

Also,walking around the trail today, I noticed there is a very wide space just south of the Masquerade. This would be a good place for a three track station with a stub end track. Very interested in the physical location of stations.

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Very interested in how the track layout will work around PCM and North Ave. It seems to make sense that the actual station is on the south side of North Ave. I hope they don't put the station right at the Beltline doorstep of PCM as that could turn into an incredible bottleneck. Also, with the new plaza coming in at the PCM Shed, it is going to be odd to have a parkspace and the trail with an active rail line in-between. I hope they shift the tracks to the Murder Kroger side of the ROW.

They're just renderings, not final plans of course, but here are a few views of what it might look like...

Between PCM and Ford Factory Lofts:


Looking northeast over Ponce:

[tikigod311]

Nice, thanks for posting. The grassy trackbed is beautiful. Per the renderings, it looks like the station will be @ Ponce and the Beltline. I guess there is enough room b/t the entrance to PCM and the bridge over Ponce for a station, but this will be CROWDED

[primaltech]

I just hope they go with something at least double the length of the streetcar for the Beltline, and for the North Avenue line. Both should ideally be higher capacity, true light rail, not just a streetcar.

Anyway, the vehicle lengths (and track/ROW straightness) will factor in on how many stations and how far away they should be. The fewer the better, IMO. Should be only about 6-8 or fewer stops between KSM and Ansley Mall. If even that many.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by primaltech

If they would cut the number of bus stops in half or more, as they should, then that would lower the costs.

The rule of thumb is that people won't walk more than 1/4 mile for transit, either to get to transit or to get to their destination. If you cut stops, you cut coverage.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by bu2

The rule of thumb is that people won't walk more than 1/4 mile for transit, either to get to transit or to get to their destination. If you cut stops, you cut coverage.

It is all a trade off, because people also take transit less if the routes are less frequent, slower, or less direct.

I prefer and do, walk longer distances to faster, more frequent, and direct routes. MARTA would benefit from doing more of that with buses. (And they are planning to with ART)

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by bu2

The rule of thumb is that people won't walk more than 1/4 mile for transit, either to get to transit or to get to their destination. If you cut stops, you cut coverage.

1/4 mile for bus stop, 1/2 mile for rail station.

[fieldm]

Originally Posted by cqholt

1/4 mile for bus stop, 1/2 mile for rail station.

So as far as rail expansions, which stations do you think will be expanded and how many phases of the streetcar do you think will be proposed to the city in Nov?

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fieldm

So as far as rail expansions, which stations do you think will be expanded and how many phases of the streetcar do you think will be proposed to the city in Nov?

I honestly leave it up to the experts on that. MARTA has the 30 years of HRT operations and knows which projects will have the best ROI, just look at the Red Line thru Buckhead and into Perimeter Center, that made PC the premier Atlanta Edge City.
My best guess is the current BeltLine/Streetcar corridors that are in EIR will be built, since they are furthest along and can qualify for Federal Funds sooner. What ABI has been doing and is very forward thinking, is reserving the transit ROW or in the case of the Westside Trail, building the conduit, etc. This will make implementation quicker and cheaper.

[cqholt]

MARTA Board Chair discusses how to fund new projects | 11alive.com

“Probably about two, three billion,” Ashe said. “We, of course, hope to leverage that against federal funding and revenue so it would turn into more than that.”

CoA 0.5% sales tax increase will bring in $2-$3B in revenue, that can be leveraged with Federal Funds to double that amount.