2012 Atlanta Region Transportation Referendum (Dallas: downtown, freeways, free)

[Oeldos]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

We still are better than those cities listed….

- We are more accessible than all of those cities

- Our rail system transport more people daily than our "competing" cities rail system

- We have more educated people than our competing cities. Corporations are drawn to Atlanta on account of our educated workforce; as of 2010, nearly 43% of adults in the city of Atlanta have college degrees, compared to 27% in the nation as a whole and 41% in Boston.

- etc etc etc

If traffic was the main issue with regards to a company moving here then every new job would go to rural areas of the country like Nebraska or North Dakota. When businesses decide to move to a city they look at the overall benefits of that city. We have more positives than negatives. They will say "Atlanta has bad traffic but they have the most number of educated people, Atlanta has a large airport, cheap cost of living, decent weather, etc." Those other cities have less traffic because their city is smaller but they still can't compete with Atlanta in those other areas that I listed above.

You must not travel much. The economies of many cities in the nation are stronger and further ahead than Atlanta. I mean even Pheonix, the poster child of the housing bust is seeing some improvement while Atlanta is still at the bottom of price decline.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by Oeldos

You must not travel much. The economies of many cities in the nation are stronger and further ahead than Atlanta. I mean even Pheonix, the poster child of the housing bust is seeing some improvement while Atlanta is still at the bottom of price decline.

We have better universities, more educated people, our rail system is better, we are closer to more important cities, etc, etc, etc, than Phoenix. I never said Atlanta had the best economy in the nation. I said that we still have what most companies are looking for when deciding to move to another city

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/job...-america/2312/

http://www.ajc.com/business/business...a-1391027.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/p....html?page=all

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/n...ob-growth.html

[RandyWatson13]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

Not really. If it was a real list that would fix our traffic problems that was defeated then it would be a defeat.

Like I said, that same bill would have not passed in most large cities.

They just need to polish this up next time and do it the right way. It kinda like if I gave my future wife a wedding ring from Walmart and she said no thanks. In the next two years I save my money and get her a ring from Tiffany's and she say's yes. I just didnt do it right the first time but now I know how to win her over the next time

The list was garbage, vague and people DO NOT TRUST these ASSHATS with our MONEY!!! They want MORE MONEY!!! They already WASTE MONEY!! They add TOLL ROADS to EXISTING ROADS!! They DO NOT TAKE TOLLS off roads they they are SUPPOSED to.

They refuse to expand rail. Marta is way to limited!!! The majority should have went to Marta not more ****ing roads.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by RandyWatson13

The list was garbage, vague and people DO NOT TRUST these ASSHATS with our MONEY!!! They want MORE MONEY!!! They already WASTE MONEY!! They add TOLL ROADS to EXISTING ROADS!! They DO NOT TAKE TOLLS off roads they they are SUPPOSED to.

They refuse to expand rail. Marta is way to limited!!! The majority should have went to Marta not more ****ing roads.

I agree 100%.

[PKCorey]

Looks like the Governor is not on board for Plan B.

Gov. Nathan Deal's office told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he would now take a central role in transportation planning for the state's metro areas, and he would not support a sequel to Tuesday's referendum.

Voters reject transportation tax *| ajc.com

[MDAllstar]

Guys, stop fighting! Atlanta will be fine. These things take time and sometimes there are setbacks in urban planning. Does Atlanta need to drop its single ocupancy automobile share? Yes. However, that will happen as the core becomes more walkable with development. There is plenty of land in the core to develop still. Traffic in the suburbs is at an all-time high which should slow down exurban sprawl by default. With traffic being so bad, people will begin to switch mode share to non-auto commuting and choose to move into the core where its possible. Those are the areas that benefit from transit anyway. You need density and that is coming around current Marta stations. I don't know if a regional plan will ever pass in Atlanta but a plan just taxing the core counties is definetly feasible. For now, pick your head up Atlanta, you will be fine. Progress can be slowed, but never stopped!

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by RandyWatson13

I'm all for better traffic but it MUST include MARTA and more trains/transit/light rail. Not more ****ing roads.

While I agree with this, I think if it had all gone to transit it would have lost by even more.

[ehoez]

[kayrob]

Originally Posted by atltechdude

While I agree with this, I think if it had all gone to transit it would have lost by even more.

Probably right; because the racial and class politics that scuttle any real expansion of Marta rail still would have prevailed.

[arjay57]

Well, if I'm reading this right, the TSPLOST passed in Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton. That's roughly 2,000,000 people, or about 35% of the metro area.

If you take 35% of the projected $8.4 billion in revenues, that would yield $3 billion for those three counties to share. With that they could take care of MARTA, the Beltline, the Clifton Corridor and still have money left for South DeKalb or other projects.

Maybe that's the way to go. Let the other counties handle the road improvements as they see fit.