Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Georgia > Atlanta
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-16-2017, 05:58 AM
 
16,174 posts, read 32,368,987 times
Reputation: 20577

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pan21 View Post
Same, I honestly thought this was a troll thread until I read the replies
LOL. There are trolls and then there are trolls.

I'm learning a lot about things. Good thread.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-18-2017, 05:42 AM
 
Location: Duluth, GA
1,383 posts, read 1,549,158 times
Reputation: 1451
Quote:
Originally Posted by cwkimbro View Post
It might be easier to get to Peacthree Industrial, though. I haven't ever been that way.
Actually, its extremely difficult to get from PIB to Doraville station, largely because so few roads in that area go over/under the rail lines. Motors Industrial Rd passes under New Peachtree before intersecting at Buford Hwy. Chamblee-Dunwoody is a little over a mile down the road, but then, you might as well go to Chamblee station. If you're coming in on PIB from Gwinnett, as I have done any time I used MARTA, you go down Winters Chapel/Oakcliff.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-18-2017, 06:58 AM
 
Location: Atlanta
149 posts, read 181,169 times
Reputation: 203
Urine is a given for any public transportation elevator. Atlanta, D.C., San Francisco, New York, Stockholm, Taipei, doesn't matter. Only take the elevator if you have a stroller or a wheel chair. As a homeless person, it's better to pee in an elevator than risk being arrested and registered as a sex offender because you urinated on a tree in a park.

As far a cussing and what not, that's just GenPop being GenPop. I could write a book on my one week trial of riding the bus to work. I think the story that takes the cake is that guy that sat in front of me. Watching porn. Without headphones.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-18-2017, 01:09 PM
 
Location: DMV Area
1,296 posts, read 1,207,054 times
Reputation: 2615
Quote:
Originally Posted by cwkimbro View Post
I feel stuck in the middle on this one.

I think there are some good points here.

I use this station sometimes when I am getting picked up by certain people and this station does have its failing points compared to others, particularly end of line stations.

Doraville isn't the 'hood. It isn't particularly nice and well off either. It is just an industrial working class suburban community

Beyond that I agree with most things. The elevator always smells of urine. Yes, I know this is common of all MARTA stations and many subways, however its a legit complaint for someone to make seeing it for the first time. That elevator, in particular, is always bad. I always wished there was an escalator going down, so I could easily bring my luggage with me.

The thing that greatly affected the look and feel of this station for me was back when they put in the new fare-gate system. The extra fencing around the bus bays, so people would tap into the rail station, made things feel much more closed in. I think this is, partly, why you will find some more complaints on people loitering or misbehaving. It is harder to spread out a small bit on the lower level and feels more caged off and enclosed. When that station and bus bay was originally designed, they were not leaving room for something like that from an aesthetic view.

I also find the walk to the kiss and ride lot/pick up location to be slightly long and uphill. At Kensington I can just wait at the curb.

I tend to like the feel of Kensington and Dunwoody stations slightly better. While they have a similar problem, the stations are double-sided and multi-level. It creates more space and openness.

Now the type of people you see at this station depends on the time of day a bit. There are some white collar commuters during commute hours only. However, this station is not conveniently directly tied to a freeway. I would say there are more local bus and people that live in the immediate area compared to North Springs. Although, both have a large AT&T parking deck aimed at collecting white collar commuters.

One flaw Doraville has for it picking up commuters is the freeway access isn't great. I'm sure it was originally intended to be. You have to navigate a couple local streets, but the big flaw is the on/off ramp to I-85 north dumps you into the cars going from I-285 E to I-85N and that bottlenecks particularly bad. It also tends to dump commuters where the traffic really starts, so there isn't much benefit for most auto-commuters using the station. It might be easier to get to Peacthree Industrial, though. I haven't ever been that way.

Had the NE line had one last station that curved towards I-85 and had a better direct on/off connection to I-85N, you'd probably see far more white collar professionals. I know some people that prefer to go down to Chamblee, although that station has its own series of pros cons.

There should be interstate access from 285 to the Doraville station, but I guess the lack of it is due to the fact that GM Doraville Assembly used to be right there off Motors Industrial Way. It would be nice if an offramp to provide access to the station would be built, but I'm not holding my breath.

Doraville certainly is not the worst station in the MARTA system, but it isn't the best either. I wish there were better lighting in the parking lot at night, for one. I wouldn't call Doraville the "hood," it's solidly working class with a large immigrant population.

The smell of urine in an elevator is unfortunately, par for the course in public transportation. At least it isn't like BART (in the SF Bay Area) where escalators had to be shut down due to the high amount of fecal matter in them. People cursing and acting obnoxious is more of an overall societal thing rather than a symptom of MARTA itself, but I can see how someone highly sheltered from the Atlanta suburbs would think that hearing people say bad words was the end of the world. I tend to ignore people and provide my best RBF/DFWM face when I'm riding the train, or wear my sunglasses. Some people don't have any home training and need to be the center of attention. The people who loudly play music on their phones and don't have headphones are more of a nuisance to me...I've had to catch myself from wishing someone would push them off a platform as a train approaches for being such inconsiderate jackasses.

I was in Atlanta a few weeks ago for the first time in years after moving from there and marveled at just how clean the trains themselves are. Whoever decided to rip the carpet out of the trains deserves a medal. Quite a few of the trains here in the DC metro system still have worn, nearly threadbare carpet and due to the heavy foot traffic and often standing room only conditions during rush hour, it really shows.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-18-2017, 05:04 PM
 
9,008 posts, read 13,985,831 times
Reputation: 7638
Quote:
I can see how someone highly sheltered from the Atlanta suburbs would think that hearing people say bad words was the end of the world.
I could see that too.

But let me tell you....I felt threatened at this MARTA station. And I have ridden mass transit in New York, Chicago, Miami, Washington, Rome and Tokyo among other places. And I just think it's sad that Doraville at 8am on a Tuesday morning felt creepier to me than MTA in Queens late at night.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-18-2017, 06:52 PM
 
Location: Georgia
5,845 posts, read 6,123,752 times
Reputation: 3573
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATLTJL View Post
I could see that too.

But let me tell you....I felt threatened at this MARTA station. And I have ridden mass transit in New York, Chicago, Miami, Washington, Rome and Tokyo among other places. And I just think it's sad that Doraville at 8am on a Tuesday morning felt creepier to me than MTA in Queens late at night.
You know that if you want, you can concealed carry on MARTA, right? Of course, I don't know what the restrictions are at your destination.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-18-2017, 07:52 PM
 
9,008 posts, read 13,985,831 times
Reputation: 7638
I don't own a gun and I don't want to. Instead, I think I'll just stick to areas where you don't need one.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-18-2017, 09:40 PM
 
Location: DMV Area
1,296 posts, read 1,207,054 times
Reputation: 2615
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATLTJL View Post
I could see that too.

But let me tell you....I felt threatened at this MARTA station. And I have ridden mass transit in New York, Chicago, Miami, Washington, Rome and Tokyo among other places. And I just think it's sad that Doraville at 8am on a Tuesday morning felt creepier to me than MTA in Queens late at night.
Sure you did...I'd love to see you at the Five Points, Bankhead, or Vine City stations. If you felt threatened and thought the Doraville Station was creepy in broad daylight, you'd probably be ready to urinate in an elevator or in your pants at those stations.

Last edited by biscuit_head; 09-18-2017 at 10:31 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-18-2017, 10:20 PM
 
9,008 posts, read 13,985,831 times
Reputation: 7638
Please, I've walked to Five Points MARTA station at midnight from Centennial Olympic Park before. And not after a concert or at another time when the streets were swarming with people.

But i've never been to Bankhead or Vine City stations. Because i'm not an idiot.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-18-2017, 11:34 PM
 
Location: In your feelings
2,197 posts, read 2,248,526 times
Reputation: 2180
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beretta View Post
Good thread.
It really isn't. These are the same tired gripes about Atlanta and its public transportation system that we've read a thousand times before.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Georgia > Atlanta

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top