Atlanta university head drives for Uber; Gets schooled in city's transportation woes

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Sure. Just shows that you are no safer from hacking in a regular car than a driverless car.

People were terrified of "driverless elevators" when they first came around too. But people move past it after getting used to having them around.

I don't know.

There is a big difference between one tool that travels in one straight point versus another tool that has to make turns, start and stop, plus maneuver between other moving tools. A whole lot more variables to consider in that situation.

I would be more comfortable if this country moved away from its cold-sterile corporatist sociopathic leanings...towards a more humanist empathic and socialistic leaning...regarding technological advances.

Maybe then it would be easier to be more comfortable with automated and/or driverless cars.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by jsvh

It would be great if MARTA could provide fast, reliable transportation between any two points in the metro 24/7/365 for a flat $2.50, but the hundreds of billions in funding it would take to build a system like that is never going to happen.

So you can sit and wish for that (and I am supportive of MARTA expansion as well), but in the mean time people still have got to live. And that means either taking Uber to keep your job or paying a little extra in rent to live close to reliable transit / job access.

Yeah...I don't see that happening either. The state would have to fund MARTA and I don't think it will. As for the 24/7 thing, realistically I am not sure if MARTA (train service) should be 24 hours because of how Atlanta is but I think it would be cool if there were at least night buses. Again, that would probably also need to be funded by the state.

I do like that MARTA is expanding but believe me I don't put too much hope into MARTA. I gave up a long time ago.

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by DreamerD

Yeah...I don't see that happening either. The state would have to fund MARTA and I don't think it will. As for the 24/7 thing, realistically I am not sure if MARTA (train service) should be 24 hours because of how Atlanta is but I think it would be cool if there were at least night buses. Again, that would probably also need to be funded by the state.

I do like that MARTA is expanding but believe me I don't put too much hope into MARTA. I gave up a long time ago.

I think the 27/7 train coverage would be beneficial to MARTA customers. They are only closed for 4 hours. IMO that isn't much down time and it wouldn't hurt to have less frequent train service 24/7 and less frequent bus service 24/7 as well.

I don't think they will ever do anything about the long waits at the station at night and I do think that is understandable considering there are less riders and waiting ensures that people who get off the train will have a bus ride home at night.

But the 24/7 train coverage would be a plus and I don't see why Atlanta would not be able to have it or that there is any specific Atlanta condition that precludes MARTA from having another 4 hours of service per night.

[Atlmike]

Marta should bulid a partnership with uber and for exp give Gwinnett resdents that use the Doraville station -uber-home a discount to encourge people that "hey this marta isnt a bad ideal afterall" It just may in fact get voters to nudge that countys leaders. In other words be proactive marta.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by Atlmike

Marta should bulid a partnership with uber and for exp give Gwinnett resdents that use the Doraville station -uber-home a discount to encourge people that "hey this marta isnt a bad ideal afterall" It just may in fact get voters to nudge that countys leaders. In other words be proactive marta.

MARTA is already ahead of you.
MARTA teams up with Uber - CBS46 News
Uber & MARTA: Connecting The Last Mile | Atlanta

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

People "choose" to live further out because they cannot afford the higher rates in the city. CoA rents are higher than those out in Clarkston or Stone Mountain.

DeKalb County is covered by MARTA and has stations. IMO they should increase the frequency of bus service to be of better service to customers. I used to work at the Airport until 2am in the morning and actually had to either pay $40 for a cab ride home to go to bed or (most of the time this is what I did) sleep in the airport until MARTA starts running again so I could get home without paying an arm and a leg. I made $6.25 an hour back then. I worked full time while I was in college at the airport and most nights could not afford a ride home in a cab. Lots of people did the same as what I did and slept in the airport because they couldn't afford a ride home.

If MARTA had been 24 hours this wouldn't have happened. And if buses didn't sit in the terminal/station for 30-40 minutes after arriving, people wouldn't feel the need to spend extra money to get Uber to take them home.

The president's experiences show problems with MARTA not something that is "filling" gaps. IMO it is showing gaps that MARTA has in this regard.

Bus frequency is a chicken and egg scenario. Until ridership gets high enough to warrant extra buses, it will stay low.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Atlmike

Marta should bulid a partnership with uber and for exp give Gwinnett resdents that use the Doraville station -uber-home a discount to encourge people that "hey this marta isnt a bad ideal afterall" It just may in fact get voters to nudge that countys leaders. In other words be proactive marta.

Why doesn't Gwinnett County's own GCT act as an extension of the train, with buses reaching deep into the county? Oh wait. it's because transit is for poor people only.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

But the 24/7 train coverage would be a plus and I don't see why Atlanta would not be able to have it or that there is any specific Atlanta condition that precludes MARTA from having another 4 hours of service per night.

There isn't other than the lack of significant demand (which may change in the near future).

[Atlmike]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Why doesn't Gwinnett County's own GCT act as an extension of the train, with buses reaching deep into the county? Oh wait. it's because transit is for poor people only.

This would also work, but of course gwinnetts leaders seem to have zero intrests in transit. I just saying its a way for marta to market itself. Yes i do find it silly to see all those GCT buses leaving the doraville stations and five points.... why cant those just be marta busses