MARTA transit plan includes 21 miles of light rail (Atlanta, Auburn: yard, station)

[Atlanta Scientist]

Edit: Previous post about topic posted in another thread

http://www.city-data.com/forum/52373090-post177.html

[cqholt]

As city and MARTA officials take a proposed $2.5 billion transportation plan to the public, advocates for the Atlanta Beltline want to go back to the drawing board.

The Beltline’s original architect Ryan Gravel and former city council president Cathy Woolard led a group that spoke to the MARTA board Wednesday. They want MARTA to reprioritize funding for light-rail so that transit encircles the entire 22-mile Beltline corridor, rather than just a fraction of it.

As proposed, a seven-mile, $365 million light-rail project is planned along the 22-mile Beltline, with three miles of transit from Ponce City Market to Lindbergh Station and four miles from southwest Atlanta to Oakland City Station.

But, the most expensive project coming out of months of vetting between MARTA, city and Beltline officials is four miles of light rail on the Clifton Corridor from Lindbergh Station to a new station near Emory and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Light rail along the Clifton Corridor is estimated to cost $786 million, or about 30 percent of the entire transportation improvement plan, also known as the More MARTA program.
In 2016, Atlanta voters approved a one-half cent sales tax to expand MARTA inside the city. The tax is expected to generate $2.5 billion over the next 40 years.

Beltline supporters including Gravel believe rail should run through the Clifton Corridor, and the project has been envisioned for years. But, part of DeKalb County where Emory and CDC form a large jobs cluster had not yet been annexed into the city when voters approved the one-half cent sales tax.

The annexation was completed last year.

Volunteers with a group called Beltline Rail Now held a meeting earlier this week where advocates including Gravel said the Clifton Corridor was a regional project and should not be only funded by the half-cent sales tax. It should involve regional partnerships.

“Let Atlanta focus the money on projects that will develop its vision,” Gravel told supporters Tuesday night.

In a statement, Emory said it supports extending MARTA rail and bus service throughout metro Atlanta.

“The Clifton Corridor is the largest employment center in metro Atlanta without direct connection to MARTA rail or the interstate,” according to the statement. “MARTA connects destination points for riders in metro Atlanta, and the Clifton Corridor line will provide access to thousands of jobs at Emory, the CDC, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the VA and retail establishments. It will also serve as an important option for patients and visitors.”

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/...257&j=82651971

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Triptychthree

I did a quick search, but does anyone have an explanation as to why the cross-town route along North Ave was removed? You'd think it'd be a priority to get from the residential along the Beltline, into the core where a majority of the jobs/activity is...and for the commuters that travel north to Buckhead/Dunwoody, rather than taking LRT to Lindbergh and changing there, they could take Marta from the North Ave station after taking that cross-town route in from say Virginia-Highland.

It was replaced with BRT on North Ave, a worthy alternative.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by cqholt

It was replaced with BRT on North Ave, a worthy alternative.

BRT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_rapid_transit_creep
http://beyonddc.com/log/?p=2546
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/brt-c...ndrew-collings

[demonta4]

Originally Posted by cqholt

It was replaced with BRT on North Ave, a worthy alternative.

Tell me this is a joke

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by demonta4

Tell me this is a joke

Cq loves BRT and does not see a problem with BRT Creep.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Cq loves BRT and does not see a problem with BRT Creep.

That is not true and I have brought up BRT-Creep, GS 400 Express Lanes and Bus Rapid Transit

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by cqholt

That is not true and I have brought up BRT-Creep, GS 400 Express Lanes and Bus Rapid Transit

I know--I introduced you to BRT Creep.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by aries4118

I know--I introduced you to BRT Creep.

MARTA has a very specific internal definition of what BRT is, as well as what many other bus service types are. Many of the elements that make up BRT creep actually shift the route into a different service type as per MARTA's own internal definitions.

That's why, when they say BRT, I take them at their word that they mean proper BRT.

[jsvh]

Good point by point breakdown of needed fixes to MoreMARTA plan to prioritize Beltline Rail:

Summary

• Atlantans don't only need to get TO the City of Atlanta, we need to get AROUND the City of Atlanta
• Light rail around the full BeltLine was consistently at the top of the project list to get people to vote for a $2.5B transportation tax
• MARTA says rail around the entire BeltLine will take $995M of the Atlanta $2.5B transportation tax
• The City of Atlanta owns all the land it planned to for rail on the BeltLine
• The full BeltLine will directly benefit almost every district in atlanta
• MARTA's survey showed the full BeltLine loop is Atlanta's most favorite rail project
• MARTA is downplaying the BeltLine rail project as a whole
• MARTA has prioritized three other rail projects ahead of the BeltLine
• MARTA has reduced the BeltLine to only having rail on 30% of the loop
• More people have signed a petition to get rail around the full BeltLine than have responded to MARTA's current survey
• The Clifton Corridor is at the top of MARTA's project list and its cost has more than doubled since MARTA's first survey
• MARTA ends its “outreach program” without the full BeltLine as an option and votes on October 4th

https://beltlinerailnow.com/news/201...-beltline-cost