Does Atlanta Have the worst big city downtown in the South? (Dallas: dorms, job market)

[bryantm3]

here's the city vs. city thread:

//www.city-data.com/forum/city-...t-atlanta.html

[Staysean23]

I think that Marta transit just goes to more important places. It's the reason why it's ridership is higher than Dallas. Even doing sporting events, I find that more people ride Marta to Falcons games and Hawks games than those who are taking Dallas transit to Arlington.

Even though Dallas may have more light rail lines it seems to be not as effective as Marta is

[LovelySummer]

Great.

Originally Posted by afonega1

Oh wow look what just came up
http:// http://m.bizjournals.com/atl...age=all&r=full
So a grocery store chain is in talks to come to underground. I'm telling you guys now like I said before. Atlanta's downtown is about to blow up.
That grocery store opening will bring immediate residential building..In 5 years Atlanta will be so much more vibrant.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by Staysean23

I think that Marta transit just goes to more important places. It's the reason why it's ridership is higher than Dallas. Even doing sporting events, I find that more people ride Marta to Falcons games and Hawks games than those who are taking Dallas transit to Arlington.

Even though Dallas may have more light rail lines it seems to be not as effective as Marta is

Could be some truth to that, given that both the Rangers and Cowboys stadiums are in the burbs.

However, the bus I mentioned above in Arlington serves both stadiums and you can connect from DART to the TRE to get to the bus. You can also get to the DFW airport from the TRE and the DART now goes to Love Field airport.

The TRE stop that I take the train at is also a Greyhound stop now.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by JMatl

How nice. My point stands, as Centreport isn't IN Arlington, and Arlington is extremely transit poor. It is in fact THE largest city in the U.S. without transit service for its citizens.

I assume you are referring to this very controversial bus route that was just instituted last year. And nobody is calling you a liar, by the way. You just seem to be on a constant bash Atlanta crusade, and constantly play fast and loose with opinion presented as fact.

An excerpt from the local College paper:
Transit system will connect Metroplex to UTA - The Shorthorn : News

"Known as the largest city in the United States without public transportation, Arlington provides options for certain residents such as the Handitran and the Ride2Work programs. The Handitran buses transport elderly and handicapped citizens, while the Ride2Work provides rides to work, job interviews and childcare for qualified people.
Wolff said the last time a public transportation initiative was introduced, in 2002, it was shut down because voters did not want to fund the program through taxpayer money. The MAX buses will be a lot different this time around, she said.
“You need public transportation,” Wolff said. “Any time we’ve tried to spend taxpayer’s money on public transportation, it’s failed. This will be a be a pilot program for the city, UTA and The T and DART.”

This is about ONE bus route to connect a commuter rail station to a suburb of 380,000? This is pathetic.

I never said it was in Arlington. It is in Fort Worth. I said I can get to it from Arlington easily because of where I live and that's a fact. I live near the TRE side of Fort Worth.

You are the one who started this silly debate when that wasn't my point to begin with. I like downtown Dallas better. So what? And what exactly does my preference
for downtown Dallas have to do with Arlington's lack of transit? You are grasping for straws.

Quite frankly, being from Chicago, I am not super impressed with either city's downtown, but if I had to choose I would choose downtown Dallas. As a matter of fact, I almost rented an apartment in downtown Dallas. I never had any desire to live in downtown Atlanta even though I worked down there for 10 years straight.

And what about metro Atlanta's commuter railroad that goes downtown? Oh wait, it doesn't have one. And I am sure that people who have to commute to work from the suburbs are dying to ride the 2 mile street car to get to work.

I am not claiming by any stretch that the Dallas area is perfect. There are some things that I miss about Atlanta and there are some things that I don't like about Dallas-Fort Worth. However, the big difference I notice about being here is that if there is any sort of demand or need for something in the Dallas area, they try to fulfill it.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

And what about metro Atlanta's commuter railroad that goes downtown? Oh wait, it doesn't have one. And I am sure that people who have to commute to work from the suburbs are dying to ride the 2 mile street car to get to work.

How funny! You continue to portray yourself as the innocent, yet you keep throwing out snarky comments like the above.

Lets look at facts, shall we?

DART Light Rail
90 miles of track
Daily riders - 101,00

TRE Commuter Rail
35 miles of track
Daily riders - 8,300

MARTA Heavy Rail
48 miles of track
Daily riders - 247,000

http://www.apta.com/resources/statis...rship-APTA.pdf

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

i just wanted to say that i have not seen people this aggressive in this forum since they shut out the racists a couple of years ago (and i will admit to being one of the aggressive ones at that time). i really don't know where this thread is going or why everyone is so angry.

Not angry but when people say untrue things and constantly try to act like you are somehow devoid of logical and analytical thinking after and it's the same people time after time it just gets frustrating.
Especially when all they do in spite of ALL kinds of evidence again their remarks the best they can do is call everybody W Ho does not agree "a booster: even when some people are om record as being anything such.
On other words the B.S.just gets so old.

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

Now you are knit picking. I'm not exactly sure what Arlington not having transit has to do with me liking downtown Dallas better than Atlanta. I say I think downtown Dallas had better transit options, you bring up Arlington. Arlington is not Dallas. It is a different city in a completely different county. I say I can easily get to downtown from Arlington by commuter rail, you try to discredit this FACT by bringing up Alington's lack of transit. I know what it doesn't have. I live here. But I also know that where I live in Arlington, I have access to a commuter rail by bus or a very short drive. Does Atlanta have a commuter rail that goes from the burbs into downtown? No if does not. Dallas does though.

Despite the claims that MARTA is better, all I know is this: when I lived in Atlanta and had to commute to work by transit from the burbs into the city and vice versa, it would take me 3-4 hours after taking two buses, two trains AND a taxi. Even though DFW is much bigger, I can get to downtown Dallas on the TRE in 30 minutes from Arlington. Who cares where the line originates? Point is, I can easily get to it.

Say what you want. It doesn't change the fact that I live near the TRE and can easily get to downtown Dallas from Arlington, much easier than I could get around in metro Atlanta. Just because you like to try to get technical and say the TRE isn't in Arlington, that doesn't change that I still live close to it. People do live close to the borders of other cities, you know.

There are no trains but there are commuter busses and Gwinnett Cobb and now Clayton(with MARTA) ALL have their own sytems.

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by Staysean23

I think that Marta transit just goes to more important places. It's the reason why it's ridership is higher than Dallas. Even doing sporting events, I find that more people ride Marta to Falcons games and Hawks games than those who are taking Dallas transit to Arlington.

Even though Dallas may have more light rail lines it seems to be not as effective as Marta is

FACT does not even go to the airport

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by JMatl

How funny! You continue to portray yourself as the innocent, yet you keep throwing out snarky comments like the above.

Lets look at facts, shall we?

DART Light Rail
90 miles of track
Daily riders - 101,00

TRE Commuter Rail
35 miles of track
Daily riders - 8,300

MARTA Heavy Rail
48 miles of track
Daily riders - 247,000

http://www.apta.com/resources/statis...rship-APTA.pdf

Well, when people try to discredit me I will defend myself. Don't be snarky if you don't snarkiness in return. People on here may not like my directness but I have never resorted to personal attacks and name-calling, yet I've been called an idiot and obtuse on here simply because I express a preference for downtown Dallas over Atlanta. I'm not speaking in absolutes here. I'm only sharing my personal experiences, which so far have been much more postive in Dallas.

I could care less about ridership numbers. I only care that I personally can easily catch the commuter rail from my home in Arlington to my job in downtown Dallas in 45 minuts or less--something I was't able to do in Atlanta. And despite claims that MARTA is better, my suburb-to-city commutes in Atlanta on transit were hellish at best. So far that's not my experience in DFW. It took me 3-4 hours (really 5) to get to work at my last job in Atlanta on MARTA, which was 19 miles from my home. My current job is 18 miles from my home in Arlington and I get to downtown Dallas by taking the TRE in less than an hour.