Emory pursuing annexation into Atlanta (East Point, Alpharetta: safety, yard, commuters)

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by bu2

That's my concern about any of the light rail being in the street. It will make Druid Hills unlivable.

Its the reason Children's Healthcare is moving out of the area to North Druid Hills at I-85 (as bad as the traffic is there, its more accessible).

The original study showed that heavy rail would have twice the ridership of a light rail stub from Lindberg to North Decatur as heavy rail would not require as many transfers (it would run to Doraville or connect south towards the airport). With the money they will be spending, I want a rail line that actually generates significant ridership plus one that doesn't strangle the residents.

The line really provides no direct benefits to Druid Hill residents. The stations are too far away from the residential areas. Residents wanting to use rail will simply drive to Eastlake or Candler Park as they do now.

A light rail that has to travel on clogged up roads, sounds a lot like a bus on rails. Go around or under Clifton, or just work on making riding the bus more attractive to folks.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by jeoff

A light rail that has to travel on clogged up roads, sounds a lot like a bus on rails. Go around or under Clifton, or just work on making riding the bus more attractive to folks.

The LR that they are proposing to Emory will have dedicated track; it won't be a streetcar.
But I agree with bu2 that this line to Emory should have been HR. Much more long term potential, as it could be the gateway to the NE DeKalb and Gwinnett neighborhoods and business centers. In a few years they'll be begging for this.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Tax funds that go to Atlanta and won't go to unincorporated Dekalb.

Around the same line in unincorporated Dekalb, or at least in a Dekalb city if that.

Only if DeKalb refuses to take advantage of the new like to upscale nearby areas, same as when the line is built in their county.

In the mean time, they should absolutely get MARTA to run better supporting buses, see about potentially expanding Relay Bike stations from each Light Rail station and in near-by areas, and implementing a more grid-like road system, or at least go about reducing the number of isolated pockets of development.

[primaltech]

But wasn't it Druid Hills NIMBY's that shot down heavy rail to Emory, back in the 80's/90's?

To MARTA's credit, they even built in a provision to prepare for it:
world.nycsubway.org: MARTA Provisions

But sadly, it went the same unused fate of the Brookwood spur. Well, they do use it to turn around Green Line trains.

[primaltech]

The line would have dug underground from right here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7595.../data=!3m1!1e3

...then headed up along the railroad corridor.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by primaltech

But wasn't it Druid Hills NIMBY's that shot down heavy rail to Emory, back in the 80's/90's?

To MARTA's credit, they even built in a provision to prepare for it:
world.nycsubway.org: MARTA Provisions

But sadly, it went the same unused fate of the Brookwood spur. Well, they do use it to turn around Green Line trains.

As I remember, it was mostly politics that kiboshed the NDH HR spur. The money allocated was to be applied to either that or Bankhead, and it became a rich vs. poor, black vs. white thing.

[primaltech]

Anyway, what they really need is both, combined. The original heavy rail spur from the E/W line up to Tucker, and then this light rail along Clifton also, linking the Emory station on that line with Lindbergh, and everything along the way, including all of Emory and CDC. Would actually work perfectly.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by primaltech

But wasn't it Druid Hills NIMBY's that shot down heavy rail to Emory, back in the 80's/90's?

To MARTA's credit, they even built in a provision to prepare for it:
world.nycsubway.org: MARTA Provisions

But sadly, it went the same unused fate of the Brookwood spur. Well, they do use it to turn around Green Line trains.

I really would love to see the Green Line (or the Blue Line, or a whole new line) get the Tucker Branch built.

Originally Posted by primaltech

The line would have dug underground from right here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7595.../data=!3m1!1e3

...then headed up along the railroad corridor.

Been there. It's a neat spot to go art appreciating.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by primaltech

But wasn't it Druid Hills NIMBY's that shot down heavy rail to Emory, back in the 80's/90's?

To MARTA's credit, they even built in a provision to prepare for it:
world.nycsubway.org: MARTA Provisions

But sadly, it went the same unused fate of the Brookwood spur. Well, they do use it to turn around Green Line trains.

Not sure if it was Druid Hills, but it was DeKalb residents.

Now locals did shoot down the idea of running HRT along the RR tracks south of North Decatur to connect to East Lake.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

I really would love to see the Green Line (or the Blue Line, or a whole new line) get the Tucker Branch built.

I would like to see all of them finally built. I actually think it would make a night and day difference in MARTA's service area coverage and perception of being a pretty good subway system, closer to being on par with its DC brother.

I would love to see:

-The NW spur, with 4 new stations out to Moore's Mill

-The Emory spur, with 4 new stations out to Tucker

-The Hapeville spur (provision just south of East Point), with 4-5 new stations out to Jonesboro or so

And then plus the Proctor Creek Line being extended at least 1 more station to the W/NW, if not 2 more.

All that together, plus the Alpharetta and Stonecrest extensions, plus west line extension to Six Flags, plus a few infill stations in the city, plus the Clifton LRT line, plus the Beltline LRT line, plus hopefully CRT lines to Cobb and Gwinnett- and the system would no longer look like a useless plus sign, and the map would reflect that fact. It would be something that we could all be proud of, and make use of a lot more often. And it would actually help mitigate traffic a lot better.