The real MARTA (Atlanta, Roswell, Alpharetta: 2013, lease, neighborhoods)

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by rashadi

That's because the media is a business trying to make money so they will do anything to make the most profit. It's not even news but more about ratings. As for Iraq, this was a secular country and had schools and the hoghest standard of living in the region. No matter how much bad stuff our media covers, one thing it will never do is step to far out of line by making it seem what we did was wrong or illegal. I have yet heard a single broadcaster on any of the major media outlets oppose the sanctions that were placed on Iraq when the rest of the world was opposed to them. I don't get my news from the media because it isn't news, but entertainment/business.

I used MARTA often when I didn't have my car and never had any problems. I wasn't worried about my safety but I was more annoyed by how long it took to get to North Springs from decatur, for example. But safety wasn't my worry. I had to leave two hours early just to make it to work on time. I wish this was something MARTA could improve on but I know it doesn't have the support and funding from the metro area. There is no reason why an area with over five million people can't have efficient transportation that go throughout the metro area.

Excellent post.

[cqholt]

Admittedly though, I only have experience on a couple of bus lines that I use often, so maybe others in the city are different. On both the trains and busses, I've never felt unsafe and I think they are relatively clean for the number of people who use them.

My wife and I have taken the 66 from HE Holmes to Greenbriar and 183 to Lakewood, no problems and that was on the dreaded SW side, oh the horror! We have taken the last 2 bus, at midnight to Edgewood/Candler Park, and again no issue. The buses are clean, fast-if not in traffic, and with MARTA's website passengers can track the location of the buses.
I hate those Airport-only passengers that have no idea of MARTA edict, leaving bags in the aisle, and setting bags in seats.

[Jackalope]

The biggest thing wrong with MARTA is that is was never designed as a "Rapid Transit System".

Back in the early 70's, when MARTA was started and the plans for it were made, Atlanta didn't really even exist outside of I-285, gas was about forty cents a gallon and commutes were 20 minutes or less. Back then, the need wasn't to get cars off the highway and save gas. The need was to provide transportation to Atlanta's poor and disadvantaged. So rather than run massive rail lines to Alpharetta, they started with Hightower. Heck, they didn't (don't) even have a rail stop at Turner Field (or where the old Atlanta stadium was). Reason being, poor people didn't need to get to the baseball stadium. They needed to get to the unemployment offices.

So fast forward forty years and the biggest single taffic snarl within Fulton and Dekalb counties (who are the ones paying for it) is Ga 400....where MARTA stops just outside I285. It doesn't even go up into Roswell and Alpharetta.

So while we all talk about it being a "rapid transit system"....it's not and it was never designed to be one. That's why it doesn't pick up people where they need it to or take them where they need to go.

[ATLTJL]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This is the best description of MARTA ever!!!!!!

You know, I never really thought about it, but this is precisely right. It also explains why MARTA was voted down in Gwinnett county the last time it was on the ballot, which I think was the 70s. It's when pretty much the entire county probably looked more like Loganville than Lawrenceville and there just wasn't a need for transit.

We lived in Sandy Springs in 1980. There was not MARTA train up there at the time. I'm not sure how far the rail line went, but I don't think the North Springs line even existed yet considering 400 ended at 285 and didn't go into the city like it does now. Anyway, there was no rail, but there was the bus. However, the only people who rode the buses were the maids that rode them up to clean the houses.

It's true that the use and usefulness of MARTA has changed a ton in the past 30 years. It's too bad that the sytem, for whatever reason, hasn't kept pace with the changes in the city.

[cqholt]

Back in the early 70's, when MARTA was started and the plans for it were made, Atlanta didn't really even exist outside of I-285, gas was about forty cents a gallon and commutes were 20 minutes or less. Back then, the need wasn't to get cars off the highway and save gas. The need was to provide transportation to Atlanta's poor and disadvantaged. So rather than run massive rail lines to Alpharetta, they started with Hightower. Heck, they didn't (don't) even have a rail stop at Turner Field (or where the old Atlanta stadium was). Reason being, poor people didn't need to get to the baseball stadium. They needed to get to the unemployment offices.

So fast forward forty years and the biggest single taffic snarl within Fulton and Dekalb counties (who are the ones paying for it) is Ga 400....where MARTA stops just outside I285. It doesn't even go up into Roswell and Alpharetta.

So while we all talk about it being a "rapid transit system"....it's not and it was never designed to be one. That's why it doesn't pick up people where they need it to or take them where they need to go.

You need to go back and do your research. It was designed to transport people to Downtown quickly. It was built a hyrid commuter rail system. It was never built to transport poor people, the reason it goes to HE Holmes is that it could utilize the RR ROW. It was to extend to Ben Hill. Also the Green Line was to extend to Cobb County and Tucker. The Blue Line was designed to stop at Avondale, but was extended as the population grow eastward. MARTA is currently working on the 400 corridor, but there are environmental reports and alternative analysis studies.
Your going to tell me that Brookhaven, which was on the original plan, was built to serve poor people?

So while we all talk about it being a "rapid transit system"....it's not and it was never designed to be one. That's why it doesn't pick up people where they need it to or take them where they need to go.

You have obviously never ridden MARTA during commuting hours. All the trains are standing room only! MARTA moves more people daily than any single freeway in the metro, close to 500,000. The trains are full of students, professionals in suits, hipsters, tech workers, blue collar workers, service industry workers, etc. Don't ever say it doesn't take people where they need to go!

[Jackalope]

Yes, you're right. There wasn't MARTA rail to Sandy Springs in 1980. The North Springs Station opened in 2000.

Kinda tough to rip up all those rail lines and move MARTA stations. Once you set up the basic plan, it's really hard to correct. BUT, what they could've done and haven't is run additional lines or set up another hub (Perimeter Mall maybe?) going across to Cobb from North Fulton to Gwinett Place to Dekalb. They could've, but they didn't and that's why it languishes.

Course, it didn't much help to have a Welfare Recipient on the MARTA Board at one time. That didn't do much for public perception.

[Jackalope]

Originally Posted by cqholt

You need to go back and do your research. It was designed to transport people to Downtown quickly. It was built a hyrid commuter rail system. It was never built to transport poor people, the reason it goes to HE Holmes is that it could utilize the RR ROW. It was to extend to Ben Hill. Also the Green Line was to extend to Cobb County and Tucker. The Blue Line was designed to stop at Avondale, but was extended as the population grow eastward. MARTA is currently working on the 400 corridor, but there are environmental reports and alternative analysis studies.
Your going to tell me that Brookhaven, which was on the original plan, was built to serve poor people?

You have obviously never ridden MARTA during commuting hours. All the trains are standing room only! MARTA moves more people daily than any single freeway in the metro, close to 500,000. The trains are full of students, professionals in suits, hipsters, tech workers, blue collar workers, service industry workers, etc. Don't ever say it doesn't take people where they need to go!

Fine. Then you can explain why the first stations ever built were at Hightower, West End and the west side. Not exactly the crux of traffic congestion. Hell, it was years after it opened before they even extended it to the Airport.

And no. I never ride it during commuting hours. Only for forty years where I work two blocks from the Capitol. It's heavy then for four hours a day because it's all we have and because of the massive northside growth. A horse and wagon would be heavy when put in today's Atlanta commute.

YOU need to learn that just because you don't like what someone says, has nothing to do with their knowledge or experience.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by Jackalope

Fine. Then you can explain why the first stations ever built were at Hightower, West End and the west side. Not exactly the crux of traffic congestion. Hell, it was years after it opened before they even extended it to the Airport.

And no. I never ride it during commuting hours. Only for forty years where I work two blocks from the Capitol.

YOU need to learn that just because you don't like what someone says, has nothing to do with their knowledge or experience.

It was the cheapest and easiest to build, using existing RR ROW. That's why it was built first!
If you would do some research before you start running your mouth. You would know why the east-west line was opened first because it was easier and fares could start being collected for revenue. The N-S line took time because a TBM had to bore through hard granite, see the Peachtree Center Station walls.\
The Airport Station was opened when the new terminal was built, doesn't make sense to build a station before the new terminal, which was relocated, is built and in service. Several other stations were built at the same time as office towers. North Ave was built while the ATT Center was being built so the station could be integrated into the lobby. Civic Center was built at the same time of Freeing the Freeways program. Peachtree Center was built while the Peachtree Center mall was being built.
Can't rush building a transit system.

[AcidSnake]

Great post.

Originally Posted by cqholt

It was the cheapest and easiest to build, using existing RR ROW. That's why it was built first!
If you would do some research before you start running your mouth. You would know why the east-west line was opened first because it was easier and fares could start being collected for revenue. The N-S line took time because a TBM had to bore through hard granite, see the Peachtree Center Station walls.\
The Airport Station was opened when the new terminal was built, doesn't make sense to build a station before the new terminal, which was relocated, is built and in service. Several other stations were built at the same time as office towers. North Ave was built while the ATT Center was being built so the station could be integrated into the lobby. Civic Center was built at the same time of Freeing the Freeways program. Peachtree Center was built while the Peachtree Center mall was being built.
Can't rush building a transit system.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

Great post.

Gotta school these fools!