Why Did Marta Have Slow Train Service During One of Atlanta's Most Important Large Convention This Past Weekend. (live, shop)

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

CQ,

You don't need to be so defensive.

This isn't MARTA vs. WMATA

It is not driving vs MARTA either.

It doesn't matter which is better or worse in your eyes.

It is specifically about the problems around maintenance and single tracking.

Some of the other posters are right too, y'know.

I remember the work they did on the NE tracks down to Lindbergh ATLTJL is talking about. It went on for -years-. They didn't have enough to bring in large crews & hire contractors and do it all at once. It was very slow going and really hampered service. It also happened all days of the week

For the record... I will vouch in that location and instance... driving was almost always faster...by a good bit. He is right that does give some people a negative image of MARTA that actually wanted to use it.

Someone mentioned systems all over the world have these problems... Yes and no. I'm extremely well traveled. There are some places where they have put more money into it and will hire more contractors to get the work done faster. It doesn't prevent conflict, delays, single tracking, etc... but it majorly cuts back on the time spent. I'm much less likely to run into a problem in Germany than I am here or even in NYC.

To the OP, I think MARTA still has higher ridership on weekdays, despite visitors, and that influences their decisions.

I'm glad we have it and I'll defend MARTA, but we can't make it better by going... oh yea.. well WMATA is worse. (who cares we don't live there)

I am getting at that the single-tracking, rail upgrade on weekends will prevent issues that have plagued WMATA, eg: track warping in intense heat and derailments.
The single tracking is a pain, but a necessary evil to prevent accidents and keep trains running fast. To compare to road upgrades: How long did the freeing the freeway program take? Was it worth it when finished?

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by cqholt

To compare to road upgrades: How long did the freeing the freeway program take? Was it worth it when finished?

It is another scapegoat argument...

This isn't roads vs rail. Freeing the freeways was also an expansion not maintenance.

The single tracking ATLTJL is referring to in the past was pretty bad and went on for a really long time.

No amount of these other scapegoat comparisons are going to change that.

[tikigod311]

I recently moved to College Park and I was very happy that I would be so close to transit. I have used it once in the three months I have been there. I keep wanting to use it, but I can rarely justify it!

Being that most times I would use it would be the weekend... no thanks. The schedules are terrible. I have no desire to wait on a platform as long as it would take me to drive somewhere. You either need to really plan your day out or have a lot of time to waste.

It always blew my mind that after many sporting events, they would run 20 min headways. It made me, a transit lover, not want to take the train any more. If it wasn't for all the beer, I would have always opted to drive!

I think MARTA should be considered more of a commuter rail system than rapid transit. 20 min headways does not equal rapid transit.

[alco89]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Exactly and those other cities have like 30-40 lines...Atlanta has 2 main lines and a few spurs..It should be much easier to manage MARTA than it would be to manage the MTA's subway system. It's also much newer...why are there so much problems?

You have GOT to be kidding me! Are you really this dense!?

These aren't problems, single tracking is due to them replacing and maintaining the tracks so the systme won't just fall apart. They can't do it all at once because they don't have enough funding (for reasons we won't discuss here). If MARTA had just let them rust and fall apart you'd be giving them a hard time about that too!

You're so overdramatic. No rail system in the world even has "30-40 lines."

[alco89]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

It always blew my mind that after many sporting events, they would run 20 min headways. It made me, a transit lover, not want to take the train any more. If it wasn't for all the beer, I would have always opted to drive!

I think MARTA should be considered more of a commuter rail system than rapid transit. 20 min headways does not equal rapid transit.

That gets on my last nerve. I remember last year the Falcons AND Braves had a game on the same day (and both were to capacity). It was absolutely ridiculous for MARTA to have people sitting there waiting 20 minutes while packed like sardines only to finally get on a train and be packed like sardines. Not to mention the fact that the video boards are off so you'd never know how long you're waiting. MARTA really needs to get this single-tracking business over with and get those boards back up because regardless of the reason, even if justified, it critically hurts the perception of the agency...and people already think negatively of the system anyway.

Let's get moving KEITH PARKER (and the State of Georgia)

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by alco89

You have GOT to be kidding me! Are you really this dense!?

These aren't problems, single tracking is due to them replacing and maintaining the tracks so the systme won't just fall apart. They can't do it all at once because they don't have enough funding (for reasons we won't discuss here). If MARTA had just let them rust and fall apart you'd be giving them a hard time about that too!

You're so overdramatic. No rail system in the world even has "30-40 lines."

Tokyo rail: http://www.tokyotopia.com/support-fi...-train-map.pdf

Seoul rail:

London rail:

Shanghai rail:


I'm not being overdramatic. I've studied rail systems across the world. There are cities that have that much lines. All of the ones I just shown have at least 25 lines, if not more.

And why are you always replying to my posts?

[bornjacksonian]

Originally Posted by SAAN

MARTA did the same thing memorial day weekend. Jazz Festival, Caribbean Parade, Atlanta Braves and a couple more major events were in town and they were single tracking. Nothing is worse than after that extensive delay than for a 4 car train to roll up and you have to ride NYC style for 20+ minutes.

MARTA has been using "it is upgrading and replacing all miles of tracks for years now". I heard that back in 2004-2006 and they said they would be done in a couple of years and 8+ yrs later they are still replacing all tracks.

On weekends and off peak hours just drive where you need to go, its MUCH faster, but if you are going to take the train check the schedule on the web and pray there is no single tracking going on.

During Jazz Festival weekend I can bet waiting on Marta and getting around Midtown was a hell of a lot better than me driving around for over an hr looking for somewhere to parkl lol. It was very frustrating, and traffic jams wasn't any better. But I can assure you the next big event I will be taking the Kensington Station train into the city.

[waronxmas]

In a city that has a major event basically every weekend from Spring to Fall, it's a sure bet that on more than one occasion you will encounter maintenance work being performed on the public transit system during a particular event or two. The same is true for road work. The city doesn't stop just because you have some where to go.

[alco89]

Originally Posted by Ant131531

And why are you always replying to my posts?

Because you annoy the crap out of me sometimes.....sometimes. And I'm not the only one.

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Tokyo rail:

9 Lines, surprisingly (13 if you include the Toei system, 18 if you include the extras on the legend). Tokyo Metro | Subway Map

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Seoul rail:

19 Lines, of which are run by 9 different organizations, interestingly. Seoul Metropolitan Subway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by Ant131531

London rail:

11 Lines. London Underground - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by Ant131531

Shanghai rail:

13 Lines. Shanghai Metro

Originally Posted by Ant131531

I'm not being overdramatic. I've studied rail systems across the world. There are cities that have that much lines. All of the ones I just shown have at least 25 lines, if not more.

Based on the above, you are. The only way you might get 25 lines (which isn't your original exaggeration of 30-40) is by adding commuter rail lines. Those are in different systems though, and aren't included in those maps you provided. And define "study."

Anyways, we've gotten off topic here....

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by alco89

Because you annoy the crap out of me sometimes.....sometimes. And I'm not the only one.


9 Lines, surprisingly (13 if you include the Toei system, 18 if you include the extras on the legend). Tokyo Metro | Subway Map


19 Lines, of which are run by 9 different organizations, interestingly. Seoul Metropolitan Subway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


11 Lines. London Underground - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


13 Lines. Shanghai Metro


Based on the above, you are. The only way you might get 25 lines (which isn't your original exaggeration of 30-40) is by adding commuter rail lines. Those are in different systems though, and aren't included in those maps you provided. And define "study."

Anyways, we've gotten off topic here....

Because half the time you reply to my posts, I'm not the only one who said it, yet you choose to specifically address my posts.

And I really don't care if I annoy you. If you don't like my posts, then ignore me.