Georgia Senate looking for regional transit solution (Atlanta, Alpharetta: price, buses)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Gulch

And doing nothing will still require them to get stuck on 400. A Red Line Extension would shorten their drive significantly.

I don't know whether that's true or not, Gulch.

Most of the people on 400 would probably be unaffected by extending the rail line. They can already get on the train at North springs, Sandy Springs or Perimeter if they want to, but the vast majority cruise right by.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Because unless you legally ban them from Atlanta, they will still drive here. Is that so hard to understand?

We don't need to ban them. Just stop subsidizing the roads and parking spaces they are using. We also need to stop designing our downtown surface streets as 5 lane one-way expressways to make it easier for people from the suburbs to get through and instead design them to be friendly to residents and customers to walk / bike around downtown.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Most of the people on 400 would probably be unaffected by extending the rail line. They can already get on the train at North springs, Sandy Springs or Perimeter if they want to, but the vast majority cruise right by.

The backups go way north of North Springs. Some of my coworkers that live up there don't take MARTA because by the time they get to N Spring, they are already through most of the traffic. (But I still think they are crazy for doing their 1.5 hour one-way commute each day).

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I don't know whether that's true or not, Gulch.

Most of the people on 400 would probably be unaffected by extending the rail line. They can already get on the train at North springs, Sandy Springs or Perimeter if they want to, but the vast majority cruise right by.

So making it easier to use MARTA by constructing stations closer to residential areas in North Fulton would do nothing, nothing at all?

[primaltech]

If you work at Perimeter Center (which is a ton of jobs), and live anywhere in North Fulton, the existing stub of a train is useless to you. By the time you get to North Springs (whether by car or bus crawling in 400 traffic), you're already there.

And going from Alpharetta to Buckhead station is borderline pointless to take the train as well.

Extend the line to Windward, via 5 new park ride stations, and the whole game changes completely. MARTA would suddenly be useful. Something we've hardly ever allowed it to be.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by Gulch

So making it easier to use MARTA by constructing stations closer to residential areas in North Fulton would do nothing, nothing at all?

I imagine it would help in a small way but doubt it would alleviate the traffic issues in a significant way. Even if it might pay for itself, I think the dollars for the line extension would be better spent in Atlanta's core.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Gulch

So making it easier to use MARTA by constructing stations closer to residential areas in North Fulton would do nothing, nothing at all?

It might help some of the folks up there to some extent, but honestly, it's their decision.

When there's an outcry from the northern suburbs in favor of higher MARTA taxes, I will stand with our brothers and sisters on the far side of the river. However, I am not hearing it at this point.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by arjay57

If these folks wanted to take mass transit into the city they could easily do so by parking at Perimeter, Sandy Springs or North Springs. Even if you run the line further up 400 they're still going to have to drive to the station.

Not at all true. There would be new bus lines that would have been introduced WITH the stations. That, and the drive to the station, for quite a few people, wouldn't involve GA 400 at all, allowing them to not be part of that particular traffic.

Originally Posted by arjay57

Why not let the people in Milton and Johns Creek fight their own local political battles? If they are outraged by their elected officials' stance on MARTA I am sure they will throw them out.

Don't we have enough to fret with here in our intown neighborhoods? As Voltaire suggested, tend your own garden and let the rest take care of itself.

Because the shady politics in north Fulton affects the rest of the county. Because the shady politics from Cobb and Gwinnett and Forsythe affects Fulton. There are plenty of people in town and elsewhere in the county that would love to have better transit access north, just as there are those who want to have transit access down here.

It only really matters to tend to your own garden when your housemate and neighbors aren't chucking in weeds to keep you from tending to it.

Originally Posted by arjay57

I don't know whether that's true or not, Gulch.

Most of the people on 400 would probably be unaffected by extending the rail line. They can already get on the train at North springs, Sandy Springs or Perimeter if they want to, but the vast majority cruise right by.

By definition, everyone along GA 400 would be affected, the matter of how affected is the question. Having more stations means more parking spaces closer to people, as well as better bus coverage. North Springs is routinely filling already, and more parking is needed. More stations mean more parking for commuters coming down, as well as more buses for commuters going up.

As traffic gets worse, people would at least HAVE THE OPTION to use the train, which they hardly do now.

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

I imagine it would help in a small way but doubt it would alleviate the traffic issues in a significant way. Even if it might pay for itself, I think the dollars for the line extension would be better spent in Atlanta's core.

The point of transit is not to alleviate traffic. The point of transit is to provide an alternative to driving, while adding capacity to a corridor. Considering the money that would have been spent on the GA 400 extension COULD NOT HAVE been spent in the core of Atlanta, then it is a moot point. Either that money would go to building the Connect 400 rail line, or it wouldn't have been collected. Period.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

If you work at Perimeter Center (which is a ton of jobs), and live anywhere in North Fulton, the existing stub of a train is useless to you. By the time you get to North Springs (whether by car or bus crawling in 400 traffic), you're already there.

And going from Alpharetta to Buckhead station is borderline pointless to take the train as well.

Extend the line to Windward, via 5 new park ride stations, and the whole game changes completely. MARTA would suddenly be useful. Something we've hardly ever allowed it to be.

I would MARTA is very useful, in fact 440K unlinked trips agree. Is it useful to most of North Fulton, no.

[arjay57]

fourthwarden, good points.

However, let me ask this. Why not simply add parking at the existing stations and a bunch of new bus routes feeding into them?

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Not at all true. There would be new bus lines that would have been introduced WITH the stations. That, and the drive to the station, for quite a few people, wouldn't involve GA 400 at all, allowing them to not be part of that particular traffic.

Because the shady politics in north Fulton affects the rest of the county. Because the shady politics from Cobb and Gwinnett and Forsythe affects Fulton. There are plenty of people in town and elsewhere in the county that would love to have better transit access north, just as there are those who want to have transit access down here.

It only really matters to tend to your own garden when your housemate and neighbors aren't chucking in weeds to keep you from tending to it.

By definition, everyone along GA 400 would be affected, the matter of how affected is the question. Having more stations means more parking spaces closer to people, as well as better bus coverage. North Springs is routinely filling already, and more parking is needed. More stations mean more parking for commuters coming down, as well as more buses for commuters going up.

As traffic gets worse, people would at least HAVE THE OPTION to use the train, which they hardly do now.

The point of transit is not to alleviate traffic. The point of transit is to provide an alternative to driving, while adding capacity to a corridor. Considering the money that would have been spent on the GA 400 extension COULD NOT HAVE been spent in the core of Atlanta, then it is a moot point. Either that money would go to building the Connect 400 rail line, or it wouldn't have been collected. Period.