Atlanta Braves moving? (Summerville: houses, to buy, market)

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by Cameron H

Overall tax level is lower in Cobb County than Fulton County. Are you denying this?

As of today and on a whole I agree, but I think they are comparable and some places within Fulton have lower tax rates than some place in Cobb.

Originally Posted by Cameron H

Heh. I actually would prefer that Cobb County increase taxes and spending from current levels (noting that the devil is always in the details, of course). However, I think the danger of this becoming an "attitude" in Cobb County government and leading to unsustainable tax rates is nonexistent.

I don't know. I think Cobb is moving away from it's fiscal-conservative Libertarian roots and shifting towards a more neo-con government where heavier taxes go to pet projects that will "boost business" but often don't pan out and really just benefit a few already wealthy people.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by Humanista

I love rail-based transit. I used it extensively when I lived in Cambridge/Boston. I have used in in NY although there I prefer walking. I loved it when I was in London. That being said, I don't see myself using transit as it is today in metro Atlanta. There are not enough stops. Based on where I've needed to go (Vinings to Buckhead/Brookhaven), by the time I parked at a station, got on a train, and walked to my destination I could have driven there in less time. Maybe it's me, but I don't see myself getting up early just to give myself enough time to take Marta and get to work on time.

Well no, that's the point in expanding it, make it available to more people. MARTA doesn't do halfbad today being 8th in the nation in...almost every metric somehow (ridership, riders per mile, etc.). MARTA works great where the trains run, but most of the bus lines are utter crap. I measured just one bus route this evening, route 116 Stonecrest to Indian Creek. It's timetabled for 41 minutes when driving takes 31 minutes if you follow the route exactly, and 20 minutes by the fastest route. Part of the problem is it has to orbit downtown Lithonia (literally), the other issue is the stop spacing. I found stops on that route that were maybe 800 feet apart, and on another route, they were only 300 feet apart. Buses do not have to stop at every other driveway for goodness sake.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Well no, that's the point in expanding it, make it available to more people. MARTA doesn't do halfbad today being 8th in the nation in...almost every metric somehow (ridership, riders per mile, etc.). MARTA works great where the trains run, but most of the bus lines are utter crap. I measured just one bus route this evening, route 116 Stonecrest to Indian Creek. It's timetabled for 41 minutes when driving takes 31 minutes if you follow the route exactly, and 20 minutes by the fastest route. Part of the problem is it has to orbit downtown Lithonia (literally), the other issue is the stop spacing. I found stops on that route that were maybe 800 feet apart, and on another route, they were only 300 feet apart. Buses do not have to stop at every other driveway for goodness sake.

Have you reported this issue to MARTA? Without feedback from great customers like yourself, they may not know stops are spaced too close.
I agree some of MARTA's bus routes are terrible. They weave along residential streets, instead of providing frequent service on major corridors.

[MattCW]

Would MARTA even listen though? I'm not a regular rider of the bus service, and the only buses I ride are 110 and the GA-400 routes, and I'm just using Google Earth to measure distances between the icons.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Would MARTA even listen though? I'm not a regular rider of the bus service, and the only buses I ride are 110 and the GA-400 routes, and I'm just using Google Earth to measure distances between the icons.

I doubt they will restructure their entire bus system because of one comment, however, their new CEO does seem to be making a lot of improvements and could use a collection of comments as evidence and inspiration to support getting the routes streamlined.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Would MARTA even listen though? I'm not a regular rider of the bus service, and the only buses I ride are 110 and the GA-400 routes, and I'm just using Google Earth to measure distances between the icons.

Every opinion counts. If no one starts the conversation, how is MARTA to know. I have spoken to them several times about issues and they were very recpetive to what I had to say and worked with me in getting a bus rerouted for an event that involved a street closure. It all matters in how you talk to them as well.

[jsvh]

Here, here: Good Riddance: Summerhill residents don?t want Braves back - Atlanta Business Chronicle

“They don’t add any value to my property,” said one resident at the Dec. 2 meeting.

Another citizen chimed in, “Let them go… They have not enhanced our neighborhood.”

...

At the least, the Braves announcement has brought a lot of attention to the neighborhood, said Suzanne Mitchell, president of the Organized Neighbors of Summerhill.

“We are going to be the most important place to redevelop,” she said. “This has been a great thing for our community."

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Here, here: Good Riddance: Summerhill residents don?t want Braves back - Atlanta Business Chronicle

"Get that sorry son of a gun out of my house! I don't know what I ever saw in him in the first place!"

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by arjay57

"Get that sorry son of a gun out of my house! I don't know what I ever saw in him in the first place!"

Are you suggesting that Summerhill residents used to rave about how great the Braves were for their neighborhood?

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Are you suggesting that Summerhill residents used to rave about how great the Braves were for their neighborhood?

From their website, touting the virtues of living next to the Ted:

You can walk to Turner Field
Baseball fans laugh at their good luck to be so close to Turner Field. Your extended family will beg to use your driveway for parking. Your kids will get free firework shows on a regular basis. Summerhill residents get an allotment of free Braves tickets every year. If you aren't a fan, you'll have trouble not being caught up in the excitement. Go Braves!

http://onsummerhill.org/living-in-summerhill/