The ATL: new regional transit system (Atlanta, Alpharetta: tech jobs, beach, transportation)

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I think things will come down to meeting the conservatives halfway. Striking a deal, of sorts.

We say, hey, it's no longer acceptable for Metro Atlanta to be transit-averse, and we need our transit system to be able to go where it needs to go, and be well-funded. But in return, we'll make it not MARTA, and with more Republican governance.

To me, that's a good deal. I want to see GRTA acquire MARTA and become this massive and far-reaching transit authority, and we can finally get down to the business of actually building rail lines.

Maybe as part of the deal, we'll get to put Keith T. Parker as the man in charge of it. God, I hope that happens.

Just let GRTA be GRTA, and let that be the conservative's controlled agency.

[magnetar]

I bet Keith Parker would juuuump at the chance to deal with 10 counties worth of political infighting and the Republican legislature breathing down his neck.

When he leaves MARTA, his promotion is going to be to another city.

If you consolidate, the new director is going to be the UGA-grad nephew of some state senator from Hillbilly Hills.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by magnetar

I'd caution against being condescending toward B2R; he knows more about these issues than most and I have a feeling he's been paying closer attention than anyone here has.

I think it is hilarious that people think GRTA should take over MARTA and I imagine Keith Parker would, too. Y'all are talking about an agency with a $5 million budget (I'm being generous) taking over one with a $900 million budget.

That is funny as hell.

Can any of you name the executive director of GRTA without using Google? Here's a hint: he also runs the State Road and Tollway Authority. GRTA isn't even its CEO's full time job.

Chris Tomlinson. To be fair, I only knew that off the top of my head because I work in the transportation field.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by bu2

Sorry B2R. You weren't paying attention here. There were several articles in the AJC a couple of years ago showing how North Fulton was getting ignored by the county government. They did get the legislature to redistrict so that they got a fair share of governance and got a more responsive Fulton County.

They simply got the county government to do its job and represent all the county instead of just the areas from downtown south. That was what was driving the Milton County effort.

I'm not saying that North Fulton County factions were wrong or right either way about wanting to impose their political will on the rest of Fulton County as there have obviously been some significant issues concerning Fulton County government over the years and decades (from slow 911 response times, to the dysfunction of operating the Fulton County Jail, to the past issues with Grady Hospital, to the past issues with county-level zoning and governance, etc, etc) that motivated the cityhood movement in North Fulton back in the 2000's.

...I'm just illustrating some of the motivations for why North Fulton politicians might not be jumping on the opportunity to extend the MARTA Red Line farther up into the county under the MARTA banner, despite the worsening traffic congestion on a major commuter route like Georgia 400.

The desire by North Fulton political factions to compensate for not being able to recreate Milton County out of North Fulton County by dominating the public institutions of Fulton County as a whole (both for better and for worse), including MARTA, are playing a direct role in the decision of North Fulton political leaders to not fully embrace the MARTA Red Line extension, despite the apparent positives of doing so.

It appears that North Fulton political factions would likely be much more willing to quickly embrace an expansion of high-capacity rail transit up the GA 400 corridor if that rail transit expansion is executed by a regional transit agency controlled and dominated by Republicans in outer-suburban areas like North Fulton (and Cobb and Gwinnett counties).

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Just let GRTA be GRTA, and let that be the conservative's controlled agency.

To some degree, I'd I guess be fine with any new status quo that eliminates CCT/CobbLinc, and hopefully brings MARTA to Cobb within a few years.

But being realistic and knowing how this state works, I'm now doubtful that MARTA will ever make it to Cobb or Gwinnett. Its direct successor entity surely will, though. And/or GRTA will take over MARTA.

MARTA has probably 3 years left to live. I'd guess. But its lines and stations and buses and people will still be here, and transit expansion at least will be in a renaissance like never before in this region, for years to come. That's my guess.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by magnetar

I think it is hilarious that people think GRTA should take over MARTA and I imagine Keith Parker would, too. Y'all are talking about an agency with a $5 million budget (I'm being generous) taking over one with a $900 million budget. Can any of you name the executive director of GRTA without using Google? Here's a hint: he also runs the State Road and Tollway Authority. GRTA isn't even its CEO's full time job.

I guess that one could say that GRTA would be taking over MARTA on the surface under the scenario that appears to be play.

But the actual technical moves of the action would appear to be that the state takes over MARTA and folds it into GRTA creating a much larger state-run regional transit agency that would serve metro Atlanta and North Georgia and operates presumably under the GRTA name and banner.

Your comment about an agency with a $5 million budget (GRTA) taking over an agency with a $900 million budget also touches on an important point....That it is MARTA's $900 million budget (along with the prime real estate assets that MARTA both possesses and provides direct access to, particularly along MARTA's Red and Gold HRT lines) that is a major motivator why the business community seems to be pushing increasingly hard for the state to takeover and overhaul MARTA into a Northside Republican-dominated state-level regional transit agency.

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Just let GRTA be GRTA, and let that be the conservative's controlled agency.

Originally Posted by primaltech

I think things will come down to meeting the conservatives halfway. Striking a deal, of sorts.

We say, hey, it's no longer acceptable for Metro Atlanta to be transit-averse, and we need our transit system to be able to go where it needs to go, and be well-funded. But in return, we'll make it not MARTA, and with more Republican governance.

To me, that's a good deal. I want to see GRTA acquire MARTA and become this massive and far-reaching transit authority, and we can finally get down to the business of actually building rail lines.

I think that heavily populated areas like North Fulton, Cobb and Gwinnett will likely get an increase in transit service, particularly with the likely introduction of high-capacity rail transit into those heavily-populated areas.

I also think that areas along both the existing and future Red Line and Gold Line corridors (like Perimeter Center, Buckhead, Midtown, Downtown and the Airport) will most likely see an increase in rail transit service, particularly in terms of service between the Airport and the Northern suburbs by way of Central Atlanta.

But outside of those notable probable significant service increases, I don't think there might be too much compromise on the part of Northside conservatives. That's because with the current total domination of Georgia state government by the GOP, the Northsiders (by way of the state) will be holding almost all of the cards, particularly if the GOP again dominates the results of the next statewide election in 2018, which they are currently expected to do.

The continuing increases in population and traffic congestion in the Atlanta suburbs and exurbs along with continued growing pressure from the business community to do something major about traffic and transit likely means that the day is fast approaching when the state will execute a major takeover and overhaul of MARTA from a three-county core metro transit agency to a state-level regional transit agency.

Originally Posted by magnetar

I bet Keith Parker would juuuump at the chance to deal with 10 counties worth of political infighting and the Republican legislature breathing down his neck.

When he leaves MARTA, his promotion is going to be to another city.

If you consolidate, the new director is going to be the UGA-grad nephew of some state senator from Hillbilly Hills.

Originally Posted by primaltech

Maybe as part of the deal, we'll get to put Keith T. Parker as the man in charge of it. God, I hope that happens.

From what I've heard (unofficially) in, from and around some key political circles over the past few years, one of the major motivations for the desire of the business community to move on a major overhaul of MARTA sooner rather than later is Keith Parker's leadership of MARTA.

Many key regional and state politicians seem to be very impressed with the job that Keith Parker has done during his time as CEO of MARTA.

Many key regional and state politicians at both the local and (particularly) at the state levels of government along with many of the Atlanta region's most powerful business leaders are particularly impressed with how Parker has turned around the agency financially and many of them seem to be desiring to keep Parker on in a similar capacity with a future regional transit agency created out of a state overhaul and merger of MARTA into GRTA.

Atlanta's regional business leaders and suburban and exurbanites seem to really like Keith Parker and they seem to strongly desire for him to lead an expanded regional transit agency, if possible.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Gulch

That is funny as hell.



Chris Tomlinson. To be fair, I only knew that off the top of my head because I work in the transportation field.

He has no degree in planning, transportation, etc. He was a lawyer for GDOT. He is a Yes Man for the state government.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christop...inson-321b905/

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

To some degree, I'd I guess be fine with any new status quo that eliminates CCT/CobbLinc, and hopefully brings MARTA to Cobb within a few years.

But being realistic and knowing how this state works, I'm now doubtful that MARTA will ever make it to Cobb or Gwinnett. Its direct successor entity surely will, though. And/or GRTA will take over MARTA.

MARTA has probably 3 years left to live. I'd guess. But its lines and stations and buses and people will still be here, and transit expansion at least will be in a renaissance like never before in this region, for years to come. That's my guess.

Everyone, mark this day. In February 2020, MARTA will cease to exist and Breeze will be running the show

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Everyone, mark this day. In February 2020, MARTA will cease to exist and Breeze will be running the show

I don't mean that MARTA the entity will necessarily cease to exist, but I'm betting at least that name will be phased out around that time, one way or the other. But in general there will be good things going on.

It's possible that I'm wrong, and I'd be happy to be wrong. Unless we still have this same Balkanized status quo in 2020, in which case I won't be happy.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I don't mean that MARTA the entity will necessarily cease to exist, but I'm betting at least that name will be phased out around that time, one way or the other. But in general there will be good things going on.

It's possible that I'm wrong, and I'd be happy to be wrong. Unless we still have this same Balkanized status quo in 2020, in which case I won't be happy.

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