MARTA eyeing major expansion up Georgia 400 corridor (Roswell, Alpharetta: amphitheatre, costs)

[westau]

Originally Posted by BlackPeach2

6 stations seems a lil too much.
Id like to see something west of ham e holmes

They can't go much west of Hamilton E Holmes since it is close to the county boundary. If/when MARTA goes into Cobb County they would get much more added ridership going along I-75 compared to further out I-20.

Also 6 stations over roughly 10 miles doesn't seem like too much to me. Maybe just build 3 initially while designing to infill a couple more later as needed.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by westau

They can't go much west of Hamilton E Holmes since it is close to the county boundary. If/when MARTA goes into Cobb County they would get much more added ridership going along I-75 compared to further out I-20.

They could get two more stations before they hit the border, one at Fulton Industrial, then another somewhere along MLK. Running outside the "service area" isn't exactly unprecedented since MARTA does run a bus route out to Cumberland mall as well as Six Flags. Admittedly, a bus line is a little different from a rail line, but service outside Fulton and Dekalb is not unprecedented. Frankly, it makes no sense not to extend it. MARTA is already undoubtedly hosting a number of riders from Cobb especially since route 30 serves the Six Flags Park and Ride and runs express to H.E. Holmes station even 15 minutes during rush hour and 30 minutes at other times. Bringing rail out there would undoubtedly attract more riders than the bus, and put even more fare money directly into MARTA with minimal loss from running into an area that doesn't subsidize the service.

Also 6 stations over roughly 10 miles doesn't seem like too much to me. Maybe just build 3 initially while designing to infill a couple more later as needed.

It's closer to 12, so that's an average of 2 miles between stations. But going the infill route won't buy much. The stations are a small part of the costs of this project and would only serve to decrease the extension's usefulness at the beginning, then slow it down later adding fuel to local opponents.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by BlackPeach2

6 stations seems a lil too much.

With stations likely to be built at Northridge Road, GA 140 Holcomb Bridge Road, Mansell Road, North Point Mall, GA 120 Old Milton Parkway and Windward Parkway, 6 stations seems about right for a likely extension of the MARTA Red Line up the Georgia 400 North corridor.

Originally Posted by BlackPeach2

Id like to see something west of ham e holmes

I agree as I would like to see the MARTA Blue Line extended west to Six Flags by way of Adamsville and Fulton Industrial Boulevard.

I'd also eventually like to see some type of high-capacity passenger rail transit service (preferably Heavy Rail Transit) extended to Mableton, Austell, Lithia Springs and Douglasville out the I-20 West corridor and to Powder Springs, Hiram and Dallas out the US 278/GA 6 West corridor.

Originally Posted by westau

They can't go much west of Hamilton E Holmes since it is close to the county boundary. If/when MARTA goes into Cobb County they would get much more added ridership going along I-75 compared to further out I-20.

This is a good point that an extension of Heavy Rail Transit service into Cobb County along the I-75 Northwest corridor would generate much more additional ridership than an extension of HRT into Cobb County and beyond along the I-20 West corridor.

But an extension of HRT out along the I-20 West corridor would also generate much additional ridership because of the presence of the Six Flags amusement park (which would be a major ridership generator during the warm weather months) and the frequent severe peak-hour congestion along the I-20 West and US 278/GA 6 West corridors.

There really is a pressing need for high-capacity passenger rail transit to be expanded out both the I-75 Northwest and I-20 West corridors....Both corridors need the added mobility that comes with high-capacity transit service while the I-20 West corridor in particular needs the increased economic development opportunities that come with high-capacity transit service.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by MattCW

It's closer to 12, so that's an average of 2 miles between stations. But going the infill route won't buy much. The stations are a small part of the costs of this project and would only serve to decrease the extension's usefulness at the beginning, then slow it down later adding fuel to local opponents.

Really? Guess I've overestimated the costs of stations, then.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by westau

They can't go much west of Hamilton E Holmes since it is close to the county boundary. If/when MARTA goes into Cobb County they would get much more added ridership going along I-75 compared to further out I-20.

Also 6 stations over roughly 10 miles doesn't seem like too much to me. Maybe just build 3 initially while designing to infill a couple more later as needed.

They've done studies to extend it.

I think their preferred alternative was a 1 station extension and then for some odd reason building light rail beyond that. Seemed like a ridiculous waste-just part of this light rail love affair.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by bu2

They've done studies to extend it.

I think their preferred alternative was a 1 station extension and then for some odd reason building light rail beyond that. Seemed like a ridiculous waste-just part of this light rail love affair.

A lot of plans/studies have to do that as part of a required (for Fed funding) alternatives analysis.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Gulch

A lot of plans/studies have to do that as part of a required (for Fed funding) alternatives analysis.

Well that was their preferred alternative. Rather than extending the line to Charlie Brown Airport or simply improving bus service, they proposed building a light rail stub. I'm guessing the cost of crossing 285 deterred their extending heavy rail further. It was probably explained in the document, but its been several years since I've seen it. It just seemed to be the least logical alternative for the last 2 miles.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Really? Guess I've overestimated the costs of stations, then.

If you go to MARTA's I-20 East Project page, you can find a document describing the methodology of calculating station costs. The document puts the low-end of costs at $20 Million per station and the high-end of costs at $40 Million per station. So for three stations you're looking at $120 Million or $240 Million for 6 stations. Out of a ~$1.5 Billion project, that's not all that much.

Originally Posted by bu2

Well that was their preferred alternative. Rather than extending the line to Charlie Brown Airport or simply improving bus service, they proposed building a light rail stub. I'm guessing the cost of crossing 285 deterred their extending heavy rail further. It was probably explained in the document, but its been several years since I've seen it. It just seemed to be the least logical alternative for the last 2 miles.

The cost of crossing 285 by LRT is not any less than crossing it by HRT unless they are going to use an existing bridge.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by bu2

Well that was their preferred alternative. Rather than extending the line to Charlie Brown Airport or simply improving bus service, they proposed building a light rail stub. I'm guessing the cost of crossing 285 deterred their extending heavy rail further. It was probably explained in the document, but its been several years since I've seen it. It just seemed to be the least logical alternative for the last 2 miles.

I agree light rail would be heavily misguided for this corridor and probably would end up being the same cost as heavy rail.

[toll_booth]

I honestly don't see how the blue line can continue westbound west of 285. Sure they can extend it to the long-overdue MLK station, but after that, that freight rail corridor takes a sudden turn south. Now if the heavy rail line were to follow suit, it might make more sense.