Design Your Own MARTA Expansion (Atlanta, Alpharetta: radio, sold, timetable)

[fourthwarden]

Full Imgur Album: Here

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

One suggestion to help get track maintenance done within a shorter period of time is to run "bus trains" (or shuttle buses in place of HRT service) during the periods (preferably overnight) along the portions of the HRT system where track maintenance is in progress.

The Chicago Transit Authority had to operate "bus trains" or extensive shuttle bus service in place of HRT service along the geographic footprint of the CTA Red Line for 5 months while the CTA Red Line was shutdown during a complete reconstruction of the entire south portion of the HRT line from May to October of 2013.
About the CTA Red Line South Reconstruction Project

CTA Red Line South Reconstruction: Service Alternatives (Shuttles, Rerouted Trains, etc.)

I am well aware of the Dan Ryan line reconstruction. People already complain about transferring to a bus, it's even worse during times MARTA has to implement bus bridges. At this point Atlanta does not have the density to support 24/7 transit, even buses. Having Night Owl bus service would be easy since much of the rail lines run along major road corridors.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Full Imgur Album: Here

What about the BRT line along I-20, ITP?

[alco89]

MARTA will lobby for a sales tax increase | Route 666

"MARTA’s expansion plans include three major projects: a $2.4 billion heavy rail extension along Ga. 400 to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta; a $1-to-$2 billion light rail system along the Emory/Clifton Corridor; and a $2.5 billion heavy rail extension along I-20 East to Stonecrest Mall.

Daily ridership estimates for the three projects are 23,700, 24,000 and 55,000 respectively.

In Fulton and DeKalb alone, a half-cent sales tax increase would generate enough money to fund all three expansion projects, and possibly even help jump-start transit along the Beltline, Ashe said."



Hopefully this is the start of making some of our dreams come true.

[afdinatl]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Full Imgur Album: Here

Wow. Looking at this is better than going to the strip club

[0nyxStation]

Originally Posted by alco89

MARTA will lobby for a sales tax increase | Route 666

"MARTA’s expansion plans include three major projects: a $2.4 billion heavy rail extension along Ga. 400 to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta; a $1-to-$2 billion light rail system along the Emory/Clifton Corridor; and a $2.5 billion heavy rail extension along I-20 East to Stonecrest Mall.

Daily ridership estimates for the three projects are 23,700, 24,000 and 55,000 respectively.

In Fulton and DeKalb alone, a half-cent sales tax increase would generate enough money to fund all three expansion projects, and possibly even help jump-start transit along the Beltline, Ashe said."



Hopefully this is the start of making some of our dreams come true.

Im all for expansion of Marta, but I think they should go for making every station on TOD on the line. Start trying to get more development on top and around the existing stations. Again Im not against growth, just better growth.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by alco89

MARTA will lobby for a sales tax increase | Route 666

"MARTA’s expansion plans include three major projects: a $2.4 billion heavy rail extension along Ga. 400 to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta; a $1-to-$2 billion light rail system along the Emory/Clifton Corridor; and a $2.5 billion heavy rail extension along I-20 East to Stonecrest Mall.

Daily ridership estimates for the three projects are 23,700, 24,000 and 55,000 respectively.

In Fulton and DeKalb alone, a half-cent sales tax increase would generate enough money to fund all three expansion projects, and possibly even help jump-start transit along the Beltline, Ashe said."



Hopefully this is the start of making some of our dreams come true.

It needs to be temporary.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by alco89

MARTA will lobby for a sales tax increase | Route 666

"MARTA’s expansion plans include three major projects: a $2.4 billion heavy rail extension along Ga. 400 to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta; a $1-to-$2 billion light rail system along the Emory/Clifton Corridor; and a $2.5 billion heavy rail extension along I-20 East to Stonecrest Mall.

Daily ridership estimates for the three projects are 23,700, 24,000 and 55,000 respectively.

In Fulton and DeKalb alone, a half-cent sales tax increase would generate enough money to fund all three expansion projects, and possibly even help jump-start transit along the Beltline, Ashe said."



Hopefully this is the start of making some of our dreams come true.

The South DeKalb expansion is expected to bring more than twice as many new riders as the North Fulton expansion?

Wow. That alone shows that the former should be built first. But for various reasons, I don't see that happening.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by cqholt

I am well aware of the Dan Ryan line reconstruction. People already complain about transferring to a bus, it's even worse during times MARTA has to implement bus bridges.

People are always going to complain about transferring to buses.

But people also understand that the transit system that they utilize has to be properly maintained so that safety and efficiency can be kept at high levels.

If handled properly, with public notifications weeks in advance of routine maintenance projects and public notifications months in advance of major maintenance projects when necessary, operating bus service in place of high-capacity rail service should not be a problem.

The CTA Red Line (Dan Ryan Line) reconstruction is an excellent example of how a major transit maintenance project should be handled because the public was notified months in advance that the CTA Red HRT line (one of only two 24-hour HRT lines in the CTA system) would be shutting down for an extended period of time so that the line could be modernized.

Operating bus trains or bus bridges in place of train service is not preferable or desirable but sometimes is absolutely necessary when important maintenance projects are in progress and when high-capacity rail transit lines have to be shut down.

Just because maintenance has to be performed on HRT lines during the overnight hours does not mean that we should not seek to operate HRT lines during overnight hours....It just means that we should be extremely vigilant in notifying the public well in advance of when major scheduled maintenance projects will have to be performed....It also means that we should be extremely vigilant in properly accommodating the public while routine and major maintenance projects are in progress.

Instead of waiting to notify the public that maintenance procedures that require single-tracking will be in progress on the day of the single-tracking itself, large major transit agencies like MARTA should take great care to either notify their customers days and/or even weeks in advance that single-tracking will be in progress and/or arrange high-frequency "bus trains" or "bus bridges" to operate in place of HRT service along the corridors where HRT service is being disrupted by routine track maintenance projects during daylight hours.

(...Significant disruptions in HRT service caused by single-tracking caused by routine track maintenance projects during daylight hours on weekends (particularly on Saturdays when quite a few people might be using transit even though it is not a work day for most customers) has been and continues to be one of the biggest complaints for transit customers.)

Originally Posted by cqholt

At this point Atlanta does not have the density to support 24/7 transit, even buses. Having Night Owl bus service would be easy since much of the rail lines run along major road corridors.

Atlanta may not have the high densities of transit-intensive areas like New York, D.C. and Chicago....But Atlanta does have an exceptionally valuable asset in its massive airport which has been recognized as the world's busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic (and airline traffic much of the time) for the last 17 years AND is the largest single employer in the state of Georgia.

Just the fact that a large major metro region like Atlanta is home to the busiest airport on the entire planet means that 24-hour HRT service is warranted, particularly on the HRT lines that operate to and from that world-leading airport that never closes.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is Atlanta's and Georgia's number-one economic and logistical asset and should be treated as such with 24-hour regional transit service.

[cqholt]

Instead of waiting to notify the public that maintenance procedures that require single-tracking will be in progress on the day of the single-tracking itself, large major transit agencies like MARTA should take great care to either notify their customers days and/or even weeks in advance that single-tracking will be in progress and/or arrange high-frequency "bus trains" or "bus bridges" to operate in place of HRT service along the corridors where HRT service is being disrupted by routine track maintenance projects during daylight hours.

MARTA sends out an email and posts to social media about upcoming single tracking usually on Thursdays. Plenty of time for riders to adjust their schedules and plan around it. Majority of the complaining comes from infrequent riders (Alpharetta Unicorns) that do not have the app, subscribed to the emails, or follow them on social media.

Atlanta may not have the high densities of transit-intensive areas like New York, D.C. and Chicago....But Atlanta does have an exceptionally valuable asset in its massive airport which has been recognized as the world's busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic (and airline traffic much of the time) for the last 17 years AND is the largest single employer in the state of Georgia.

Just the fact that a large major metro region like Atlanta is home to the busiest airport on the entire planet means that 24-hour HRT service is warranted, particularly on the HRT lines that operate to and from that world-leading airport that never closes.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is Atlanta's and Georgia's number-one economic and logistical asset and should be treated as such with 24-hour regional transit service.

If HJIA/City of Atlanta want to help fund the late night service, because they would directly benefit from it.