Sandy Springs proposes Monorail Plan (Atlanta, Springfield: 2014, peachtree, area)

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Actually I've always thought a rail based people mover makes the most sense to me, for Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and the Perimeter area. Maybe even for connecting downtown Sandy Springs with its MARTA station, but that could arguably be bus.

Something sort of like the Skytrain people mover at the airport. An aerial loop system with a handful of key stops on it. Namely, of course the MARTA stations, plus stations at the Ravinia towers, Concourse towers, all the various Cox towers, IBM and all the offices on Barfield, and finally Glenlake with the UPS HQ, Newell Rubbermaid HQ, and soon to be Mercedes HQ there as well. Then it could nicely loop back over to the North Springs station which is right there just across the highway.

For linking the under construction Sandy Springs city center area with the Sandy Springs MARTA station, I would recommend widening Mt Vernon by one lane each side, and making that a bus only lane, which does a constant, free shuttle loop service, like Atlantic Station.

This is a good idea and something that should be paid for by the businesses and retailers thru the Perimeter CID, since they will directly benefit from it.
Although, PRT (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_rapid_transit) has fallen out of favor for mass transit, and besides downtown systems in Jacksonville, Detroit, Miami, and Morgantown/WVU (the most successful example of PRT in the US) none have been built in over 25 years. Metromover has been extended.

[primaltech]

I'm talking about an Automated People Mover.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_mover

Just like all the various airport sky trains, except for the Perimeter CID. Connecting the key office towers (and some dense residential) directly with MARTA, in climate controlled rail vehicles above street level.

Vancouver's one is amazing, with 47 stations.

[arjay57]

They could do something like the Skytrain at Hartsfield.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I'm talking about an Automated People Mover.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_mover

Just like all the various airport sky trains, except for the Perimeter CID. Connecting the key office towers (and some dense residential) directly with MARTA, in climate controlled rail vehicles above street level.

Vancouver's one is amazing, with 47 stations.

Could work, but that will cost nearly $1B, with the elevated track covering the area suggested and maintenance facility. I like the idea of having a circulator in PC, but worry about the cost and funding for such an expensive project.

[fourthwarden]

I have a pretty good idea that Sandy Springs will come to the conclusion that there won't be enough use to justify the cost. That said, MARTA HRT is a bit set off from the more dense developments along Roosevelt.

They could start with BRT, get MARTA to dedicate a few articulated buses to the route and give them their own lanes. From there they could start work on a possible LRT / Streetcar hybrid. That would be a bit more practical than a monorail, probably better received, cost the same, if not less, and handle just as much.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

I have a pretty good idea that Sandy Springs will come to the conclusion that there won't be enough use to justify the cost. That said, MARTA HRT is a bit set off from the more dense developments along Roosevelt.

They could start with BRT, get MARTA to dedicate a few articulated buses to the route and give them their own lanes. From there they could start work on a possible LRT / Streetcar hybrid. That would be a bit more practical than a monorail, probably better received, cost the same, if not less, and handle just as much.

As long as either technology had their own dedicated lane and not running in mixed traffic, it could work. No need for grade separated intersections, just priority signalization. Similar to LACMTA's Orange line.

[HH82]

It'd be nice if Buckhead Atlanta and all the major players in Buckhead could implement something like this to connect South Buckhead along Peachtree from Arts Center to Buckhead MARTA. Of course it'll never happen, but it's a thought. Buckhead is an absolute nightmare at rush hour, so buses are stranded in it too. I guess it's like that almost everywhere in the dense parts of town though. I think this would be a better idea than putting a streetcar in that Peachtree traffic.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by HH82

It'd be nice if Buckhead Atlanta and all the major players in Buckhead could implement something like this to connect South Buckhead along Peachtree from Arts Center to Buckhead MARTA. Of course it'll never happen, but it's a thought. Buckhead is an absolute nightmare at rush hour, so buses are stranded in it too. I guess it's like that almost everywhere in the dense parts of town though. I think this would be a better idea than putting a streetcar in that Peachtree traffic.

Streetcars are cheaper because there is no need to aerial structures, which in that corridor the residents would never allow.

[HH82]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Streetcars are cheaper because there is no need to aerial structures, which in that corridor the residents would never allow.

Yeah, I just wish they would allow the streetcar to take up a dedicated lane on either side, but I'm sure they won't let that happen either. Especially seeing how they're fighting the bike lanes so hard.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by HH82

Yeah, I just wish they would allow the streetcar to take up a dedicated lane on either side, but I'm sure they won't let that happen either. Especially seeing how they're fighting the bike lanes so hard.

There's the planned Peachtree streetcar line that would serve Buckhead, though, as you said, we'll have to see how that goes when we get there.