Why is MARTA ignoring the need for transit in west midtown and buckhead?

[LovelySummer]

I meant the ppl living in Buckhead don't use it (I am thinking of transit as a way of life buses, trains and rail 24/7 not just for a few hours around the time ppl go to work and leave work). I understood the 24/7 approach to be the focus of the thread. If we are just talking about adding more frequent turnaround between say 7-9 and 4-6 M-F and right around Lenox, no big deal. Who cares? I thought we were talking about infringing on th he REST of the neighborhood with all of that. Yes, I've had the displeasure of seeing Lenox on just a typical Sat afternoon. No need to wait for Christmas. It's bad. I go to Cumberland during peak times. I may be wrong but it's hard for me to believe that tons of ppl are going to start being inconvenienced to take the mass transit.

The dirty little secret is the main motivator for taking mass transit up north is the weather (15 below outside while awaiting Chicago CTA, anyone) and the EXHORBITANT price to park (18-25 dollars for the first hour in downtown Chicago, anyone)? Until you start seeing those conditions, ppl are not going to leave their cars readily.

I suspect you would not either if you lived a hop, skip and jump from Lenox. Why bother?

Originally Posted by MattCW

What? Buckhead transit is "fine?" People don't USE IT? I guess you've never seen the masses of people on MARTA, the masses of people at the Lenox and Buckhead stations. The problem is that there isn't enough transit to meet the demand. 110 runs 15 minute headways at best and only at rush hour. It's frequently late northbound due to the very long ride through traffic from Arts Center or Five Points. There's plenty of room for improvement.

It would seem that many are.

Then perhaps the people that live there shouldn't have allowed the growth to happen.

No one is proposing transit just to show off, maybe someone is, but they don't post here, and I sure haven't seen them. Just about every proposal I've seen put forth both professionally and here have been for useful transit.

You'd prefer to be overrun with cars? Let me let you in on a little secret, the people are already there, and aren't going away any time soon. Right now, most don't have a choice, or the transit choices for them are terrible, so they use cars. I guess you've never seen Lenox Square mall and the roads around it just before Christmas.

You do realize that a good transit system can help that street congestion right? Why do you see it as the worst of both worlds? Why do you think transit will add to problems instead of help them?

I can't speak for the person you're responding to, but as someone who now works in Buckhead, and uses transit for all but the short drive from his house to the train station, my answer is yes. Yes, and "I do." This week, when the temperature won't climb above freezing, I'll be standing on the platform waiting for my train, then I'll make the short walk to my building from the bus stop, then I'll walk all the way back to the station in the afternoon, just like I do every single weekday now; rain or shine, hot or cold. While I may be alone in my exact commute, I'm not alone in this kind of commute, and I and many of the others that do it are not the less fortunate that have no choice. I have a choice, and I choose transit!

Well obviously there are trips that it doesn't make sense for. No one is going to force anyone to ride transit, but just because a few people can't or won't use it, doesn't mean we shouldn't make it available for those it works for.

[demonta4]

Nobody's proposing to run streetcars down every street, and banning cars from the road. But putting transit where it makes sense isn't gonna hurt your trip to the grocery store.

[bryantm3]

i'm not talking about ramming raised rail lines through buckhead. i did suggest that for west midtown, simply because i thought it might appeal to the sort of industrial style of the area. i'm talking about subway stations along peachtree to make travel more reliable and not dependent on traffic. an expensive proposition, sure, but i really don't know what you're talking about, LovelySummer, when you think it's going to ruin the neighbourhood.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by LovelySummer

Well, there you have it. I guess there are some of us Buckhead residents that want more public transit in addition to all the other congestion already on the streets of Buckhead. Do you actually plan to use these as your primary mode of operation or do you just want more transit for the sake of having more transit? And are you planning to do it in January when it is freezing as well as August when it is burning up outside?

I personally cannot be bothered as it makes absolutely no sense to walk PAST my car, go stand out in the elements just to go across or down the street to Publix or Lenox or the library, have to walk back to the bus/train stop WITH the purchased goods, ride back to the stop, walk back PAST my car again and into the house...oh and with a preschooler in tow. I also just don't have that kind of excess time in my schedule to basically waste. Interesting to know someone else from Buckhead actually wants more transit, however.

Lower income people do it all the time, so it is possible. There are apps that will tell you when the bus will arrive so you can minimize the time outside, waiting or wasting time.
Let's not forget the aging population and them behind the wheel. It would be safer foe all of us if they had a safe alternative to get around.

[LovelySummer]

Well, I know it is possible. I did it daily when I lived in Chicago. Born and raised Chicagoan. Even when you time it right (which you do when you take the bus and train regularly to work, the mall, walk to your restaurants, etc as I did - and, of course, I carried paper schedules with me everywhere) it still takes longer than getting in the car and going to wherever you are going. I don't have the luxury of spending time to take mass transit to a loc, back and plus the time for wherever you are going in the first place. When I was an unmarried student with no kids, I had alot more time on my hands. Not so much nowadays.

Originally Posted by cqholt

Lower income people do it all the time, so it is possible. There are apps that will tell you when the bus will arrive so you can minimize the time outside, waiting or wasting time.
Let's not forget the aging population and them behind the wheel. It would be safer foe all of us if they had a safe alternative to get around.

[LovelySummer]

I see. Isn't the Peachtree streetcar basically akin to a rail line/system? I think it would ruin the more slow pace and reduced congestion I see in Buckhead and turn it more into what I left behind in Chicago. That, to me, would be ruining it. I actually like that Buckhead is kind of slow. At least, it's slow to me relative to what I'm accustomed to. I think it's fairly nice and quiet in Buckhead. I know. Crazy, right?

Originally Posted by bryantm3

i'm not talking about ramming raised rail lines through buckhead. i did suggest that for west midtown, simply because i thought it might appeal to the sort of industrial style of the area. i'm talking about subway stations along peachtree to make travel more reliable and not dependent on traffic. an expensive proposition, sure, but i really don't know what you're talking about, LovelySummer, when you think it's going to ruin the neighbourhood.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by LovelySummer

I see. Isn't the Peachtree streetcar basically akin to a rail line/system? I think it would ruin the more slow pace and reduced congestion I see in Buckhead and turn it more into what I left behind in Chicago. That, to me, would be ruining it. I actually like that Buckhead is kind of slow. At least, it's slow to me relative to what I'm accustomed to. I think it's fairly nice and quiet in Buckhead. I know. Crazy, right?

Chicago doesn't have any streetcars. Streetcars follow all traffic laws, stops at red lights, stop signs, and speed limits. The L in Chicago is similar to MARTA rail, with grade separated tracks and higher speeds.

[fzx]

Originally Posted by LovelySummer

Well, I know it is possible. I did it daily when I lived in Chicago. Born and raised Chicagoan. Even when you time it right (which you do when you take the bus and train regularly to work, the mall, walk to your restaurants, etc as I did - and, of course, I carried paper schedules with me everywhere) it still takes longer than getting in the car and going to wherever you are going. I don't have the luxury of spending time to take mass transit to a loc, back and plus the time for wherever you are going in the first place. When I was an unmarried student with no kids, I had alot more time on my hands. Not so much nowadays.

LovelySummer, I am not sure about which part of Buckhead and what type of home you are living in. If you are in the wealthy part of Buckhead with large lots or in a SFH/townhome with young kids, you probably do not need the public transportation anyway. However, as young people or empty nesters moving towards the Ptree Buckhead/commercial area, some public transportation is needed as the area grows more dense. For example, there are 10k apt units proposed in Buckhead around two subway stations and additional couple of thousands in Midtowon and Brookhaven combined. Many ppl living there in the future will use some types of public transportation.