MARTA's (quite modest) wish-list to the State (Atlanta: maintenance, buses)

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Gwinnett and Cobb have been paying into MARTA for years. The sales tax hits everybody who spends money in Fulton or DeKalb, regardless of where they live.

They also pay federal taxes, which provide a lot of MARTA's funding.

They may have paid less than Fulton and DeKalb but it's not like they've gotten off scot-free.

If paying 1/2 of 1 percent is a way to ease them into the process I don't see a huge problem. Even if they joined up now it would be decades before they ever get rail service.

No one forces the residents to spend money here, you're reaching for straws there old timer. We are all responsible for funding infrastructure, you don't hear me complaining about my tax dollars being spent on developmental freeways, eg: 575 & 985.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by cqholt

You make great points, I just feel that everyone should pay the same.

Even if they don't receive the same service? Let's say Rockdale was willing to accept a 2 mile extension of I-20 East to Sigman road but nothing else. The impact would be huge, it would cut 10-15 minutes off of its citizens commutes over a Stonecrest station, but if Rockdale is only paying for a short extension of the cheaper service, why should they be stuck paying full price?

Originally Posted by arjay57

Gwinnett and Cobb have been paying into MARTA for years. The sales tax hits everybody who spends money in Fulton or DeKalb, regardless of where they live.

By that measure, everyone in the world pays into MARTA since we get visitors from all over, passing through the airport, etc. That's very bad logic when evaluating funding decisions.

They also pay federal taxes, which provide a lot of MARTA's funding.

The most Federal Funding pays for is a part of specific projects, such as service expansion projects.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by MattCW

By that measure, everyone in the world pays into MARTA since we get visitors from all over, passing through the airport, etc. That's very bad logic when evaluating funding decisions.

Well, I forget the numbers but they say about 40% of the sales tax is paid by people who don't live in Fulton or DeKalb. Why is it bad logic to include that source of revenue? MARTA certainly does.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

No one forces the residents to spend money here, you're reaching for straws there old timer. We are all responsible for funding infrastructure, you don't hear me complaining about my tax dollars being spent on developmental freeways, eg: 575 & 985.

Old timer, eh? I haven't kicked the bucket yet, although many probably wish I would.

Don't worry though. I have been supporting MARTA for half a century and I still do.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, I forget the numbers but they say about 40% of the sales tax is paid by people who don't live in Fulton or DeKalb. Why is it bad logic to include that source of revenue? MARTA certainly does.

It does serve many of the largest employment centers so it will naturally get a lot of out of MARTA service. Does the airport fall under MARTA sales tax?

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by arjay57

South DeKalb, North fulton and South fulton have been paying in the full amount for 50 years but they never got any rail.

So I am not sure the equivalency argument is all that strong.

Exploring the real reasons for that would open quite the can of worms. I think that South DeKalb and North Fulton could give each other a run for the money in terms of ridership numbers, were HRT to be expanded to both (and it had better).

Originally Posted by cqholt

Of those, only North Fulton has the density to support HRT. Let's not forget the great recession derailed a lot of expensive projects for MARTA because of their sales tax funding mechanism is effected by an economic downturn. MARTA was expanding until 2000 and then just stopped. The question is why?

Good question. But don't write off South DeKalb. I guarantee you that if the east-west line were extended down 285 and east on 20 towards Stonecrest mall, the trains would fill up the day that extension opened.

[Clayton white guy]

People definitely pay inside the airport because it is the City of Atlanta. When you leave the airport, you are in Fulton or now Clayton County; also within the MARTA sales tax zone.

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Old timer, eh? I haven't kicked the bucket yet, although many probably wish I would.

Don't worry though. I have been supporting MARTA for half a century and I still do.

...the MARTA tax hasn't been in effect for half a century?

[skbl17]

Originally Posted by magnetar

...the MARTA tax hasn't been in effect for half a century?

It's close enough. MARTA itself was established by legislation (the MARTA Act) in 1965, exactly fifty years ago. However, it wasn't until 1971 that Fulton and DeKalb agreed to pay the sales tax.

- skbl17

[AcidSnake]

I read somewhere long ago that this situation might have to do with former Governor Roy Barnes trying to tie all public transportation under his creation, GRTA.

Maybe there was some sort of pushback when he made those attempts. And part of that pushback helped killed rail for South Dekalb.

The reporting in this area is so scant to practically non-existent. Typical for the mainstream press here.

Originally Posted by cqholt

Of those, only North Fulton has the density to support HRT. Let's not forget the great recession derailed a lot of expensive projects for MARTA because of their sales tax funding mechanism is effected by an economic downturn. MARTA was expanding until 2000 and then just stopped. The question is why?