Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Georgia > Atlanta
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-25-2014, 07:00 PM
 
Location: Decatur, GA
7,375 posts, read 6,585,062 times
Reputation: 5214

Advertisements

It looks like the Indiana Toll Road that a lot of people on here point to as "privatized transportation works!" is going bankrupt, and it's not the only one. Another source I read was that part of the effect of the failing of this road was that maintenance wasn't being done either.

Indiana Toll Road Operator Files for Bankruptcy - WSJ

How to fund Atlanta's transit and even roads is a major issue these days. As I have mentioned numerous times in the past, passenger-transportation companies in the past were really real estate, freight, power, or some other company that ran the passenger service in exchange for the ability to run the other businesses, or to make those other businesses viable. Here we have several (read the entire article) transportation-only private companies in this country, that can't make it work. Why should we think it can work in Atlanta if it can't work elsewhere in this country in the modern day?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-25-2014, 08:42 PM
 
Location: Atlanta, Ga
2,490 posts, read 2,561,187 times
Reputation: 2057
The problem is having isolated privatization of transportation. 185 has the same problem up in Greenville SC. If ALL freeways had a toll on them then it wouldn't be a problem. If people have a reliable alternative that has no user fee then they're not out of the goodness of their heart pay for it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-25-2014, 09:05 PM
 
Location: Atlanta
7,584 posts, read 10,846,643 times
Reputation: 6597
Quote:
Originally Posted by mattee01 View Post
The problem is having isolated privatization of transportation. 185 has the same problem up in Greenville SC. If ALL freeways had a toll on them then it wouldn't be a problem. If people have a reliable alternative that has no user fee then they're not out of the goodness of their heart pay for it.
To add to this... its also a problem for the public with the private entity tries to make the government sign a contract that no other transportation options can be built in the corridor.

This is what happened to the original public-private partnership for the lane express lanes on I-75 in Cobb. A contract provision that could have stopped transit or road expansion throughout all of central Cobb.

I understand the problem for the private investor, but we can't limit ourselves like that.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-25-2014, 09:37 PM
 
10,974 posts, read 10,934,731 times
Reputation: 3435
Yeah, can't have government give away one product for free and expect the private market to then to be able to also provide it as well.

Its like complaining that "privatized soft drinks" don't work since Coke is going bankrupt when the government is giving away Pepsi for free.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-25-2014, 09:43 PM
bu2
 
24,268 posts, read 15,112,709 times
Reputation: 13136
Quote:
Originally Posted by MattCW View Post
It looks like the Indiana Toll Road that a lot of people on here point to as "privatized transportation works!" is going bankrupt, and it's not the only one. Another source I read was that part of the effect of the failing of this road was that maintenance wasn't being done either.

Indiana Toll Road Operator Files for Bankruptcy - WSJ

How to fund Atlanta's transit and even roads is a major issue these days. As I have mentioned numerous times in the past, passenger-transportation companies in the past were really real estate, freight, power, or some other company that ran the passenger service in exchange for the ability to run the other businesses, or to make those other businesses viable. Here we have several (read the entire article) transportation-only private companies in this country, that can't make it work. Why should we think it can work in Atlanta if it can't work elsewhere in this country in the modern day?

Well Indiana got $4 billion on the deal. It worked for Indiana. The operator clearly overpaid.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-25-2014, 09:44 PM
bu2
 
24,268 posts, read 15,112,709 times
Reputation: 13136
Quote:
Originally Posted by cwkimbro View Post
To add to this... its also a problem for the public with the private entity tries to make the government sign a contract that no other transportation options can be built in the corridor.

This is what happened to the original public-private partnership for the lane express lanes on I-75 in Cobb. A contract provision that could have stopped transit or road expansion throughout all of central Cobb.

I understand the problem for the private investor, but we can't limit ourselves like that.
That is a real issue. You shouldn't tie your hands like that. Especially when these are 40-50 year deals.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-25-2014, 10:14 PM
 
Location: Decatur, GA
7,375 posts, read 6,585,062 times
Reputation: 5214
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsvh View Post
Yeah, can't have government give away one product for free and expect the private market to then to be able to also provide it as well.

Its like complaining that "privatized soft drinks" don't work since Coke is going bankrupt when the government is giving away Pepsi for free.
Except soft drinks aren't necessary so very bad example.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-26-2014, 07:54 AM
 
10,974 posts, read 10,934,731 times
Reputation: 3435
Quote:
Originally Posted by MattCW View Post
Except soft drinks aren't necessary so very bad example.
Ok. Like food then.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-26-2014, 08:45 AM
 
32,063 posts, read 37,028,726 times
Reputation: 13364
Put the true cost of transportation on the user, no matter which format. Roads, bikes, transit, pedestrians, all of them. Everybody should pay their own freight.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-26-2014, 09:00 AM
 
Location: Kirkwood
23,726 posts, read 25,008,337 times
Reputation: 5703
Quote:
Originally Posted by arjay57 View Post
Put the true cost of transportation on the user, no matter which format. Roads, bikes, transit, pedestrians, all of them. Everybody should pay their own freight.
Whats the cost to cyclists and pedestrians?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2022 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Georgia > Atlanta
View detailed profiles of:

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:57 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top