Atlanta/Marietta rail line dusted off (Roswell, Alpharetta: transplants, for sale, buying)

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by gt6974a

easiest, cheapest thing to do would be HOV/Truck lanes thru all Metro counties on all interstates.

It really wouldn't do any good. Having more HOV lanes isn't going to make more people carpool so they can use them. Plus any major accidents still cause the HOV lanes to get backed up as well.

Dedicated semi-truck lanes are a nice idea, but would be too costly to put in throughout the area. Although, the top-end perimeter idea so trucks could bypass the inner city areas WAS a good idea, until it was killed.

One idea they've toyed around with are dedicated rapid bus lanes (BRT). The lanes could only be used by the BRT buses and emergency vehicles - no cars or trucks allowed. Good ideas, and they would validate the idea of express bus routes more, but, they'd cost so much in this area it would be just about the same cost to lay down light rail track and have light rail in those areas. Dedicated new lanes are $$.

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

It really wouldn't do any good. Having more HOV lanes isn't going to make more people carpool so they can use them. Plus any major accidents still cause the HOV lanes to get backed up as well.

Dedicated semi-truck lanes are a nice idea, but would be too costly to put in throughout the area. Although, the top-end perimeter idea so trucks could bypass the inner city areas WAS a good idea, until it was killed.

One idea they've toyed around with are dedicated rapid bus lanes (BRT). The lanes could only be used by the BRT buses and emergency vehicles - no cars or trucks allowed. Good ideas, and they would validate the idea of express bus routes more, but, they'd cost so much in this area it would be just about the same cost to lay down light rail track and have light rail in those areas. Dedicated new lanes are $$.

HOV lanes don't back up traffic, I'm all for BRT lanes. Lets just say I'm very familiar with the railroads and all the companies that own/lease the lanes. I work for a company in Atlanta that tracks RR. When the connector gets bad, my Express bus breezes thru it.

That being said, first step having HOV lane, you encourage people to carpool and increase revenue by policing the lanes.

Truck lanes keep them where they should be and not influence other traffic. I would be a supporter of the Northern arc if it only had exits at 20, 75, and 85. Add exits and we're back to 285 problems

[netdragon]

I think of all the new lane options, toll lanes will work better than adding more HOV lanes or anything else (aside from BRT), but toll lanes shouldn't be THE solution. It'll just provide a pressure release valve if we're in a hurry and are willing to pay to get where we need to go faster. Highway improvement dollars should be kept separate from rail dollars so that they don't interfere with each other.

Personally, I think that trucks should be removed from 285 completely and they should build truck routes far outside the metro.

[netdragon]

This is what the station near Five Points may look like. It's from a few years ago -- for the Atlanta-Lovejoy line, but I imagine they will share stations with the Marietta line as well. CAP/ADID Initiatives - Multimodal Passenger Terminal

[netdragon]

May 17: It looks like the GDOT is pushing forward hard on the Lovejoy line...
GDOT wants Lovejoy commuter rail launched (http://www.henryherald.com/Main.asp?SectionID=2&ArticleID=24635 - broken link)

At a late-April meeting, Intermodal Committee Chairman Larry Walker told the board he had visited three major, and successful, commuter rail operations around the country, and saw "no other option, but for us to move forward" with the Atlanta-area system.

As the search for the director starts, the existing staff has begun to work with Bell and others on funding solutions, and has started looking at the second-leg of the system, from Atlanta north.

Whooohooo!



May 12: Another article... Atlanta News | GDOT Board Pushes For Lovejoy Commuter Rail (http://godekalb.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8521&Ite mid=2806 - broken link)

“We only have to look at population growth, congestion and increasing gas prices to know that we have to stop talking about it and take steps to implement and operate a viable commuter rail system—the Lovejoy line is the beginning of this journey.”

Metro Atlanta voters are also coming to the same conclusion. A recent survey of registered voters in the 11-county metro Atlanta area by the Transit Planning Board proved an overwhelming majority highly favored transit and are supportive of funding strategies that will make expanded regional bus and rail service a reality in the near future.

[netdragon]

More info... http://www.atlantaregional.com/documents/T..._3_Legal_Ad.pdf (broken link) -- the Lovejoy line is on it. I guess the full details on this TIP amendment will be known in Sept.

[LoufromNewYork]

gt -

having those kinds of lanes isn't a guarantee. if there isn't a police office there to make sure people don't abuse it, they will. especially if they know they'll be able to get through traffic quicker.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by LoufromNewYork

gt -

having those kinds of lanes isn't a guarantee. if there isn't a police office there to make sure people don't abuse it, they will. especially if they know they'll be able to get through traffic quicker.

More traffic lanes are not enough. The rail is very necessary.

[green_mariner]

To all who are on this forum and all who have posted on this forum, this is what I see and I stand by it.
The regional metropolitan Atlanta area needs a commuter rail at the least. There are some people saying more HOV lanes are needed. Well, that is not enough. What is needed is to expand the current MARTA rail or bring in a private rail company to build a heavy rail throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area, all of it. Expanding a rail to Marietta is not enough. It needs to be expanded to places like Woodstock, Canton, Dallas, Hiram, Douglasville, McDonough, Conyers, Snellville, Lawrenceville, Gainesville, Athens, Rome,etc. Some people will complain about this and say it's too much. I say it needs to be done. Building more highways isn't going to solve anything. More bus lines and rails are needed. What also needs to be done is to get over whatever people are afraid of. Some people say the crime rate will go up. Like metropolitan Atlanta doesn't have issues with crime already. Don't give me that crap. The argument someone is saying is that a criminal cannot use a car to do one's dirty work. That is basically saying only people without cars can committ crimes. My own personal experience through a mugging in northern Cobb County has taught me otherwise. The crooks who came at me had a car. Do you really think keeping the rail out will keep the crime out? No it won't. People on the inside can committ crap too. Another thing to say is this. It is going to take using one's car a bit less. So many people love their cars too much and willingly spend the equivalent of a workday(and them some) per week in a car. I don't want to spend that much time driving to work. A commuter rail can make that easier. It needs to be done. Anyone scared of the "rif raf", don't give me that. I know what is really going on. Someone told me she didn't want MARTA or any public transit in her town because she was afraid of "crime" getting in. She was referring to Powder Springs,GA. I don't buy that. I want to go up to her and tell her "I don't have a car, how I am suppose to get to places? Sometimes a bicycle isn't sufficient. Sometimes I need a bus or rail to get to places." I wonder if she would care or if she would be ruthless about it. That is what I have to say.

[mike7586]

I don't understand the whole crime excuse. Statistics show suburban rail transit doesn't increase crime. For example, look at the Long Island Railroad. It is a heavily used commuter train that connects most towns on Long Island to NYC. Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties) always ranks near the top (1st or 2nd) in terms of having the lowest crime rate. If transit increased crime, then I would imagine the crime rate would not be one of the lowest in the country. Just from observing comments, a lot of the people against rail transit in Atlanta are full of **** and have no idea what they're talking about.