Georgia Mayors want rail transit connections to Atlanta (Savannah, Macon: tax, living)

[DirkMcGirt]

Originally Posted by MattCW

And you might want to try actually reading next time. I'll be nice and break it down for you this time. A profitable system doesn't mean the system itself sees the profits. MARTA is profitable, NYC Subway is profitable, Amtrak is profitable, CTA is profitable.

Those systems are 'profitable' because they receive massive tax assistance. The systems are not profitable on their operations. In order for MARTA to be self sufficient, they would have to raise prices up over $6 per ride. That is how massively inefficient the system is. 99+% of transit in the US falls in this category.

That is like saying Ms. Welfare Queen living off government assistance is 'self sufficient.'

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by DirkMcGirt

Those systems are 'profitable' because they receive massive tax assistance. The systems are not profitable on their operations. In order for MARTA to be self sufficient, they would have to raise prices up over $6 per ride. That is how massively inefficient the system is. 99+% of transit in the US falls in this category.

That is like saying Ms. Welfare Queen living off government assistance is 'self sufficient.'

And the economic impact they have far exceeds the assistance, which is the definition of profitable, when revenues exceed expenses.

[DirkMcGirt]

Originally Posted by MattCW

And the economic impact they have far exceeds the assistance, which is the definition of profitable, when revenues exceed expenses.

Economic impact is a nebulous term that gets thrown around to justify foolish spending. Justify the $100 million annual deficit this foolish project would incur with real numbers. If it were such a slam dunk, these projects would be popping up all over the country. Instead, there is one high speed rail line. Hmmm... makes you think.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by DirkMcGirt

Economic impact is a nebulous term that gets thrown around to justify foolish spending. Justify the $100 million annual deficit this foolish project would incur with real numbers. If it were such a slam dunk, these projects would be popping up all over the country. Instead, there is one high speed rail line. Hmmm... makes you think.

Still more than roads which bring in $0. See Texas Central Railway and others like it. But government makes it difficult even for a private company to build passenger rail. Also it is really tough to be profitable when the government gives your competition away for free. Profitable passenger rail companies are the norm basically everywhere else in the world where they don't have to compete with heavily subsidized competition.

[-thomass]

Wow dirk. Let's get rid of roads, the police, teachers, etc. I'm not seeing any profit there.

[DirkMcGirt]

Originally Posted by -thomass

Wow dirk. Let's get rid of roads, the police, teachers, etc. I'm not seeing any profit there.

Paying $2 billion to connect to the economic powerhouse of Columbus, GA is insane. What is that place known for? Military surplus stores, tattoo parlors and payday lenders. That $2 billion would better spent fixing Atlanta's problems. Heck... this plan makes the Clifton Corridor look like a great deal (which it still isn't).

[Prytania]

Savannah, Macon and Athens make more sense.

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by DirkMcGirt

Paying $2 billion to connect to the economic powerhouse of Columbus, GA is insane. What is that place known for? Military surplus stores, tattoo parlors and payday lenders. That $2 billion would better spent fixing Atlanta's problems. Heck... this plan makes the Clifton Corridor look like a great deal (which it still isn't).

Oh I don't know maybe the largest corporate base outside of Atlanta. Companies like Aflac, Synovus, TSYS, Carmike Cinemas, Char-Broil, BCBS of Georgia and home to one of the largest military bases in the country. The largest urban whitewater course in the world as well that attracts thousands each year. So yea, not important to Georgia at all.....

[cqholt]

If NC can have a regional rail system and make it work, then why can't GA figure it out?

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by cqholt

If NC can have a regional rail system and make it work, then why can't GA figure it out?

It's that gosh darn demographic hump that Georgia just can't seem to get over.

The point-man for originally selling the concept of MARTA to the state was former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell.

A few decades gone by, a couple of demographic changes, and some party-switches later...now you can't even speak of the name MARTA without the usual snide remarks under breath.

And begging had to be involved to even get Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed on a transit panel leading up to the failed 2012 TSPLOST referendum. What a full circle that is, huh?

Meanwhile in North Carolina, both the capitol city Raleigh and the largest city Charlotte have been able to create and consistently expand top-notch masstransit/rail with relatively miniscule issues.

And I bet the NC cities don't have their local major paper and other corporate media schizophrenically half-azz praise and overwhelming bash their premeire transit agencies at every opportunity.

This tribalism thing the American south has is pretty intense.