The ATL: new regional transit system (Atlanta, Dallas: interstate, development, tunnel)

[Atlanta Scientist]

But to me it feels as though we just are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

We are creating yet one more bureaucracy that will carry its own administrative costs while not developing the necessary funding stream to build the comprehensive regional transit system we need.

https://saportareport.com/enough-alr...d-now-the-atl/

Exactly how I feel about this Atl thing. Nothing significant will come of it that couldn't have been done without it except for maybe that special district in Cobb. A poster above mentioned that by not hopping on board with their view of ATl that we are somehow unreasonable. My response to that is perhaps they are a bit delusional in the belief that this ATL thing is a panacea for Atlanta's transit it woes.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by Columbia Scientist

https://saportareport.com/enough-alr...d-now-the-atl/

Exactly how I feel about this Atl thing. Nothing significant will come of it that couldn't have been done without it except for maybe that special district in Cobb. A poster above mentioned that by not hopping on board with their view of ATl that we are somehow unreasonable. My response to that is perhaps they are a bit delusional in the belief that this ATL thing is a panacea for Atlanta's transit it woes.

Not sure where you're getting "belief that this is a panacea" from the people who have carefully studied and thought about what this bill does and who generally like what this bill does.

Unless you're just making that up.

[brown_dog_us]

Without a very large new revenue stream none of this stuff mentioned will happen. The most I see coming out of this is a few faux BRT lines.

[primaltech]

Also not sure how you can predict the future and say that nothing will come out of all these new different possibilities and all this new flexibility, that was not there before.

Literally there was pretty much only one single tool in place before this bill, which is that (the entirety of) Cobb and Gwinnett counties could hold a referendum on whether to join MARTA. Whereas now there's lots of different possible variations of all kinds of arrangements, all available now. And any other counties in the metro can also participate.

Which, have no doubt about it, some of those counties will, eventually. Might take a decade, but counties like Henry and Douglas and Rockdale are going to get there eventually. And maybe even Cherokee and Forsyth.

[Atlanta Scientist]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Not sure where you're getting "belief that this is a panacea" from the people who have carefully studied and thought about what this bill does and who generally like what this bill does.

Unless you're just making that up.

It was a direct response to your unreasonable comment. It seemed that you have a belief that this is the ultimate and best solution when others believed it not to be so.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by Columbia Scientist

It was a direct response to your unreasonable comment. It seemed that you have a belief that this is the ultimate and best solution when others believed it not to be so.

This isn't even a solution, let alone the best solution. It's just a new legal framework, that allows for whatever future solutions approved by voters in whatever areas.

It says if Rockdale County (for example), wants to have a 1/2 penny sales tax for local bus service and/or commuter rail, it can do that, or it can have a referendum for the citizens to approve or reject that. And that service would be the same branding and be a part of the same system as the transit in neighboring DeKalb, whether or not it's operated by MARTA (which it now legally can be.)

Most of the people whining and griping about this, don't even know what they're even talking about. It's just lazy, surface-deep reaction to what you assume or decide that it is.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by brown_dog_us

Without a very large new revenue stream none of this stuff mentioned will happen. The most I see coming out of this is a few faux BRT lines.

Originally Posted by primaltech

This isn't even a solution, let alone the best solution. It's just a new legal framework, that allows for whatever future solutions approved by voters in whatever areas.

It says if Rockdale County (for example), wants to have a 1/2 penny sales tax for local bus service and/or commuter rail, it can do that, or it can have a referendum for the citizens to approve or reject that. And that service would be the same branding and be a part of the same system as the transit in neighboring DeKalb, whether or not it's operated by MARTA (which it now legally can be.)

Most of the people whining and griping about this, don't even know what they're even talking about. It's just lazy, surface-deep reaction to what you assume or decide that it is.

The fact that there is $0 dedicated, yearly funding for transit makes me question it.
MARTA was created to be the 5 core counties transit authority, but it had to be approved by county commissioners and then a 1% sales tax referendum. GRTA was created to be the 13-county transit authority without needing county-wide approval or referendums, when funding began to dry up the Xpress Bus network was threatened to be shut down, Deal added funding for GRTA in the state's budget. GRTA was merged with SRTA, in which Xpress buses would use future HOT lanes, so planning of infrastructure and transit routes could be combined. Now we have a another state-level authority, with new districts that will plan and coordinate transit projects throughout the 13-county metro area.

[autolycus25]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The fact that there is $0 dedicated, yearly funding for transit makes me question it.
MARTA was created to be the 5 core counties transit authority, but it had to be approved by county commissioners and then a 1% sales tax referendum. GRTA was created to be the 13-county transit authority without needing county-wide approval or referendums, when funding began to dry up the Xpress Bus network was threatened to be shut down, Deal added funding for GRTA in the state's budget. GRTA was merged with SRTA, in which Xpress buses would use future HOT lanes, so planning of infrastructure and transit routes could be combined. Now we have a another state-level authority, with new districts that will plan and coordinate transit projects throughout the 13-county metro area.

To be fair though, the ATL authority is an arm of GRTA, not a whole new level of bureaucracy. And the intent is clearly for them to function as one entity.

The ideal would obviously be 1 entity making all decisions and operating all transit throughout the 13-county region. That isn't politically practical at this time. The ATL is a compromise to allow more options to areas with little or no transit. It is a first step. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

[primaltech]

GRTA now basically seems irrelevant and I'm thinking will probably be formally eliminated/consolidated later on. And CCT and GCT and most other small transit systems now surely have their days numbered, as most counties will probably prefer to contract with MARTA and let them take care of everything (regardless of funding levels), especially since it's all going to be the ATL system and branding anyway. A lot of that will probably depend on what direction the branding stuff goes.

So, if anything I'm counting fewer agencies as an indirect result of this, not more.

And of the entities that will still exist, each will be doing a different thing. ATL commission will do governance and macro-level planning. MARTA will focus on operations.

[whodean]

Cobb should just set up commuter rail on the existing CSX rail line, with bus service to a few stations along the way.