Georgia Senate panel recommends 'path forward' for regional transit (Atlanta: college, live in)

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

There seems to be a lot of momentum in the state house for transit funding. I expect progress, not holding my breath for specifics this session though.

I expect we will see some sort of solution involving private funding / P3. Kwanza Hall mentioned in one of the mayoral debates that Atlanta has spoken with multiple foreign inventors interested in transit, I'm sure these same people have reached out to the state. Consider the Trump administration's interest in some level of private funding of infrastructure, our timing may finally be good. If Amazon becomes a certainty, expect serious investment in a comprehensive CRT solution.

I'm virtually 100% sure that county T-SPLOSTS will be extended to 20 or 30 years max, up from the current max of 5 years. Which will allow counties to apply for federal matching funds for their transit expansion projects, which require 20 years minimum. I don't see why that would be too controversial. That's probably the most low hanging fruit.

Also I think there will be a new thing set up where the state will heavily match capital for transit expansion projects. The projects will still have to be locally approved. But for example if North Fulton wanted to expand MARTA rail out to Roswell, the state potentially could pay for half, or whatever.

I don't think massive transit agency overhauls will happen (like full consolidation), but some smaller stuff might happen towards coordinating and unifying those agencies.

And I'm hoping for the thing where they're talking about smaller areas being able to pay for rail expansions, without a county-wide referendum.

I'm thinking commuter rail discussion/efforts will happen a year from now, once Cagle is elected.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by primaltech

And I'm hoping for the thing where they're talking about smaller areas being able to pay for rail expansions, without a county-wide referendum.

I do think this will be the key to success in expanding transit in the metro. Couple it with the state being a new source of funding, this model probably will work really well to expand transit throughout the metro. Rather than needing the county as a vehicle for funding, the state can be relied upon. Places like Cumberland can work with the state to expand MARTA w/o involving a county wide referendum.

[cqholt]

MARTA carries all the costs of the regional BreezeCard system. Time for Cobb Gwinnett, and GRTA/SRTA to share the costs!

Former Atlanta Republican state Rep. Ed Lindsey, who’s now a partner at law and lobbying firm Dentons, said he thinks a particular business case is changing minds in Cobb County, which has long been resistant to major transit.

“I think that whether we get Amazon or not, I think the fact that Cobb County didn’t feel like they could even be in play for something like Amazon because they didn’t have transit is starting to create a sea change in the attitude in Cobb County, going ‘Maybe we need to start taking it seriously,’” said Lindsey.

But Lindsay also said he thinks Gwinnett will go big on transit before Cobb. And he thinks the Legislature will require a rework in transit governance in metro Atlanta before any serious funding.

“Right now, we have a tower of babel in metro Atlanta when it comes to transit, you have all these different entities, and you’re going to need eventually some kind of umbrella organization over it,” he said.

There is cooperation between MARTA and its much smaller peers, Cobb County Transit and Gwinnett County Transit. For example, it’s because MARTA carries the cost of the back-office technology that Breeze Cards can be used throughout the region.

https://saportareport.com/transit-pr...ampaign=buffer

[fourthwarden]

I'll plug both the Transit for Cobb and Transit for Gwinnett campaigns here even though it's preaching to the choir.

[tikigod311]

plug away! Now more than ever these efforts can make a difference

[primaltech]

I guess this is the more recent thread on this (guess we can close the other one)

11alive.com | New app, new name? State seeks "seamless" public transit

New plan could radically transform Georgia's mass transit system | WSB-TV

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I guess this is the more recent thread on this (guess we can close the other one)

11alive.com | New app, new name? State seeks "seamless" public transit

New plan could radically transform Georgia's mass transit system | WSB-TV

Is the state going to pay for that re-branding?

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Is the state going to pay for that re-branding?

I guess? Super eager to read all the juicy details of this. And really hopeful that the assembly can come together and pass it this session.

If this happens, this is probably the biggest news in the history of transit in Metro Atlanta.

Actual UNITY. Finally. Not in the form of Cobb and Gwinnett joining MARTA (which was never gonna happen, let's be honest), but in the form of every county and agency joining every other county and agency as one, all new system.

ONE transit system for 13 counties, with one branding. Not big on Sen. Beach's proposed name 'the ATL', but it's so needed that I don't even care.

Of course, we'll have to see how all the details work out. All the fine print. But in the end, I don't think having single-county operators like CCT/GCT, makes any sense. Maybe MARTA can stay basically the same as it is except for a rebrand, and all the other, much smaller agencies get all merged together? Or something.

[arjay57]

Not to be Debbie Downer but I predict that even if we build billions of dollars in new rail lines traffic won't be much better than it is now.

Where we really could make a difference is to flood the zone with sleek modern buses, especially in areas where people are transit dependent.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Is the state going to pay for that re-branding?

I’d love to see the justification if MARTA was forced to pay for it out of capital or operation funds.

Beach is a great example of “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”