DOT Returns Revised Transportation Wish List to Atlanta Region (Buford: fit in, how much)

[PeteyNice]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Has the issue of the existing MARTA tax been resolved? Or will Fulton and DeKalb residents be asked to pay an additional 1% for transportation on top of the 1% they're paying now?

I think we would have to. None of the projects fund MARTA as a day to day enterprise. This is one of the reasons I am against it. I don't mind having to pay twice, but only if we are getting value. I just don't see Atlanta/Fulton/DeKalb getting great value from this.

-A major extension of the Red line to North Fulton

Where are you seeing that? I see that project getting $37M out of the $903M it needs. I doubt that's enough to extend the North Line out of the North Springs Station parking lot.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by PeteyNice

I think we would have to. None of the projects fund MARTA as a day to day enterprise. This is one of the reasons I am against it. I don't mind having to pay twice, but only if we are getting value. I just don't see Atlanta/Fulton/DeKalb getting great value from this.

This tax would not work for day to day operations. Remember, it is only for 10 years. At the end of that 10 years, the whole operation would be in jeopardy.

What is great about this tax though is that relieves MARTA from the burden of having to pay for expansion with the current sales tax. This in tandem with removing the ridiculous 50/50 rule will provide more than enough money to operate MARTA at a higher service level than what they can currently afford.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by PeteyNice

Where are you seeing that? I see that project getting $37M out of the $903M it needs. I doubt that's enough to extend the North Line out of the North Springs Station parking lot.

Forgot to address this:

The amount allocated to this project from the transit tax maybe for funding a study on how to build the project. MARTA itself might kick in the funds to build it because it actually has a structure in place (unlike every other transit agency/local government in the metro) to do these sort of things with the current funding model and will be relieved from using that money for repair, the Clifton line, Buford highway BRT, Memorial Drive BRT, I-20 brt and the Blue line extensions because those are all near fully funded by the tax.

[Cameron H]

Originally Posted by PeteyNice

Where are you seeing that? I see that project getting $37M out of the $903M it needs. I doubt that's enough to extend the North Line out of the North Springs Station parking lot.

Yeah, that's the kind of thing I was getting at, and it seems to be true of all of the big transit projects. Is there an established source for the other $866 million, or is it speculative/wishful?

[K-SawDude]

Originally Posted by Cameron H

Yeah, that's the kind of thing I was getting at, and it seems to be true of all of the big transit projects. Is there an established source for the other $866 million, or is it speculative/wishful?

They're going to have to explain this, I think. I encourage everyone who's doubtful about this bill but not anti-transit (i.e., you're not a Tea Party nutjob) to contact the Roundtable with your concerns and questions. It will help them make a better bill in the short term, and to anticipate public criticism during the marketing phase leading up to the vote.

You may be able to email them comments, but there are also a series of public meetings about the final draft list over the next few weeks:

Georgia Transportation Investment Act - Atlanta Regional Roundtable (http://www.atlantaregionalroundtable.com/public_outreach.html - broken link)

[K-SawDude]

A really interesting summary of a focus group on this transportation initiative can be found here: http://www.atlantaregionalroundtable.com/docs/focus_group_results_Mar-Apr.pdf (broken link)

Some highlights to whet your appetite...

A South Fulton citizen:

I think Atlanta has plenty of roads. I work downtown. I could remember when the downtown
connector was three lanes going through town. Now, it’s like seven lanes and it’s still congested.
I don’t think building any roads eases congestions. The more roads you build, the more people
use them. You got to get people off the road. Building new roads just doesn’t work because the
more road you’re building, the more congestion you get.

A Cherokee County citizen:

“I don’t want to pay for someone else’s trains,” said one participant in the Cherokee session; this
comment was indicative of the entire conversation. The Cherokee participants were unanimous in their
view that the ideal form of transportation must include personal control. Essentially, they unwaveringly
expressed a preference for personal automobiles. In the words of another participant, the ideal
includes, “The personal control of whatever I’m doing so I can leave when I want to leave. I don’t have
to wait for anything … just come and go at my own pace.”

For those opposing this tax, keep in mind that THIS is the type of electorate the Roundtable is dealing with. (I'm biased here, but I want to give a major to the Cherokee County attitude. So me-me-me it's almost ridiculous.)

[Cameron H]

In the words of another participant, the ideal includes, “The personal control of whatever I’m doing so I can leave when I want to leave. I don’t have to wait for anything … just come and go at my own pace.

Totally! I don't want to wait for anything (except the car in front of me to pull forward another foot), and I want to come and go at my own pace (as long as my pace is stop-and-go averaging about 10 mph).

Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeedoooooommmmmmmm!!!!

[AnsleyPark]

You cab still have your car and roads. No one is suggesting that those be relegated to the garbage bin. Simply that they be augmented.

[koko339]

Originally Posted by Cameron H

Totally! I don't want to wait for anything (except the car in front of me to pull forward another foot), and I want to come and go at my own pace (as long as my pace is stop-and-go averaging about 10 mph).

Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeedoooooommmmmmmm!!!!

Exactly! Cars aren't exactly freeing when they're bumper to bumper for miles and miles. How embarrassing.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

This tax would not work for day to day operations.

However, one of the biggest MARTA funding requests is $600 million for what they call "MARTA State of Good Repair." That money is for maintenance to the existing system, not any expansions.

So while it's not strictly day to day operations in terms of salaries and benefits, it is for previously deferred maintenance.

It's my understanding that "state of good repair" funding is a high priority with MARTA.