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.
Thursday was not Atlanta's first nightmare rush hour. Nor will it be the last.
For more than 80 years, state government has put nearly all of our transportation funding into roads alone, even though traffic repeatedly fills the space created for it. Expensive road widening projects are, at best, a temporary congestion relief measure. What Georgia needs is a solution that gives people a permanent way out of traffic. Fortunately, there are good transportation proposals out there.
Commuter rail from Athens to Atlanta to Macon would give Georgians a permanent choice about whether to sit in traffic. Gwinnett to Gainesville, and south of Atlanta to LaGrange and Senoia are also desperately needed....
An entire commuter rail system could be built for less than we currently spend on roads in Georgia over a two-year period.
Link: http://tinyurl.com/2cx7cf (broken link)
The nonprofit advocacy group Citizens for Progressive Transit is asking all of us who want better solutions than just ever-widening highways to meet at the Capitol on February 14, 2007 to show our legislators that we are tired of the same old "solutions" to Atlanta's growing traffic problems.
Want to help? Maybe you can, by joining a lobbying effort for Commuter Rail at the State Capitol this Valentines Day.
The problem, Figment, isn't the availability of commuter rail. It's the desire for commuter rail.
Folks in north Fulton, north Gwinnett, north Cobb, east Cobb, Hall, Forsyth and a few others, have long had the chance to bring commuter rail--light or otherwise--to their communities. They've rejected it. They'd just as soon commute 2 hours in to work, and 2 hours home rather than give easy suburban access to [fill in the boogeyman]. It's this kind of rebel mindset that will continue to retard Atlanta's ability to effectively manage its growth.
Well, I'm a suburbanite and I believe in commuter rail. We should have the ability to commute from Athens to Atlanta if we want.
But you know, a funny thing happens when we arrive at our nice, new East Cobb or Johns Creek neighborhood. We start thinking "ya know, I like this exclusiveness thing." Well, one of the biggest threats to exclusiveness is easy access.
Now, I can certainly understand someone who shells out $800k for a home to want it to remain as peaceful and special as possible. But to impact the rest of Atlanta is unfair. And there's gotta be a way around this politically-driven phenomenon.
The problem, Figment, isn't the availability of commuter rail. It's the desire for commuter rail.
Now, I can certainly understand someone who shells out $800k for a home to want it to remain as peaceful and special as possible. But to impact the rest of Atlanta is unfair. And there's gotta be a way around this politically-driven phenomenon.
Backfist, are you suggesting that people from other areas are likely to come in and disturb the peace in your quiet suburban neighborhood? I find in many instances that people from the suburbs are mainly responsible for the huge traffic jams most major cities experience due to a majority of the employees not living exactly or near their workplace. What I find even more appalling is people in the suburbs who want peace but yet they demand so much from another municipal government in which they do not pay taxes but yet they occupy most of the jobs.
I think the entire traffic issue would benefit both those within the city and those in the suburbs. In order for change to happen people need to get out of their comfort zones and look into the future. I wouldn't want future generations to have to deal with the crazy traffic issues of today if I can contribute to making things better now.
I read the article, wonder why there is no mention of commuter rail connecting to the north of Atlanta.....
Commuter rail is a specific kind of rail system which uses existing rail lines (which are usually still used by freight trains). The cars are heavier and more expensive to purchase, maintain and operate then your typical heavy or light rail rail systems (like Marta). The benefit is they are much cheaper to build since they only require upgrades to existing rail lines. Marta for example can cost as much as $90 million per mile to build where as commuter rail costs about $3 million per mile. There really isn't a line connecting to the northern suburbs because the rail lines don't exist (or aren't as accessible).
Backfist, are you suggesting that people from other areas are likely to come in and disturb the peace in your quiet suburban neighborhood? I find in many instances that people from the suburbs are mainly responsible for the huge traffic jams most major cities experience due to a majority of the employees not living exactly or near their workplace. What I find even more appalling is people in the suburbs who want peace but yet they demand so much from another municipal government in which they do not pay taxes but yet they occupy most of the jobs.
I think the entire traffic issue would benefit both those within the city and those in the suburbs. In order for change to happen people need to get out of their comfort zones and look into the future. I wouldn't want future generations to have to deal with the crazy traffic issues of today if I can contribute to making things better now.
Moi? Oh heavens to betsy, good gracious no, Derrick.
Seriously, though, it's true that too many suburbanites want it all at the expense of anyone but themselves. Not all feel that way, just enough to have caused the problems we're having.
Commuter rail is a specific kind of rail system which uses existing rail lines (which are usually still used by freight trains). The cars are heavier and more expensive to purchase, maintain and operate then your typical heavy or light rail rail systems (like Marta). The benefit is they are much cheaper to build since they only require upgrades to existing rail lines. Marta for example can cost as much as $90 million per mile to build where as commuter rail costs about $3 million per mile. There really isn't a line connecting to the northern suburbs because the rail lines don't exist (or aren't as accessible).
Exactly right. The expense (of extending heavy rail to the northern suburbs) is nothing compared to extending MARTA. But again, in the final analysis it has not, is not, and will not be about the cost of heavy rail. It's always going to be about too-easy access to the 'burbs. People who behave like so many of these selfish suburbanites usually can't be reasoned with.
I wouldn't be surprised if the federal government played a litte politics with transportation $$$ for Georgia. "Extend heavy rail or we withhold much of your next grant " could be the message. I'd probably support them on it. Our legislators could, in turn, negotiate a few things ourselves ... such as Amtrak having priority over all other shippers, etc.
I was reading a while back and I think I posted this somewhere else too that Georgia is one of the designated high speed train corridors - there are several across the US -- designed by the Feds. And there was some Fed money set aside but that NONE of the states with the designated corridors have gotten their acts together to come up with a plan etc. so they haven't received any of the Fed money which I think was supposed to be matching to or proportional to what a state might invest also.
In case anyone missed it, not long ago once he was reappointed, Governor Perdue pretty much said indirectly that his newly proposed budget does NOT include ANY new funds for any kind of mass transit expansion in the Atlanta metro region.
I think he's sticking in a couple billion for expanding roads, adding roads, etc., but he made it very clear he's completely uninterested in mass transit projects. On one of the news channels a [very nerdy] representative said that they, "saw no real proof the region needs more money put into mass transit projects". He didn't LOOK like he was high on crack, but that's what they think.
You can read one such quote in this report: http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=90658 (broken link)
Hey folks - you all elected him a second term. So consider *ANY* mass transit expansions on stall for four more years, and REMEMBER this next time you're stuck in traffic and the next elections roll around, ok?
Grant Will Help to Develop Strategic Transportation Plan for City
"Atlanta’s Bureau of Planning will receive $1 million in federal funding from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) to create long-term transportation development initiatives for the city.
The grant, which required a $250,000 funding match by the City, will be used to develop the City of Atlanta’s first Master Transportation Plan, which will help to responsibly manage the city’s growth. The plan will focus on transit systems, bike trails, roadways and other transportation-related systems. The City will also make suggestions for improving Atlanta’s existing transportation network.
The Master Transportation Plan will become apart of an overall Comprehensive Development Plan. The Comprehensive Development Plan is the City’s long-term approach to addressing future growth, land use, economic development, housing and the expenditure of public funds."
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.
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.
Governor says we don't need mass transit...
Grant Will Help to Develop Strategic Transportation Plan for City
