Beltline route plan released (Atlanta, Alpharetta: real estate, apartments, living)

[bu2]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Streetcars encourage development, look at the current downtown corridor, east of peachtree street. There has been nearly $900M of private investment dollars since construction has started. Show me 1 bus line that has had a direct impact on a corridor to encourage that much investment. Rails on the ground are more permanent than a bus route that can easily change.

The argument is that is just moving development from one place to another. We've got a lot of area around MARTA stations (particularly E-W) that isn't densely developed.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by bu2

The argument is that is just moving development from one place to another. We've got a lot of area around MARTA stations (particularly E-W) that isn't densely developed.

Not sure where else this development was planned?

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by bu2

The argument is that is just moving development from one place to another. We've got a lot of area around MARTA stations (particularly E-W) that isn't densely developed.

The TODs that MARTA is planning around these stations is a bit different than what is, and expected to grow around the Beltline/Streetcar corridors. The TODs are MARTA trying to make money off of the property which they own, or are in control of, while simultaneously increasing demand for transit ridership.

The development around streetcar lines is, by comparison, organic. It responds to an introduced supply where there is already a demand for solid, permanent, street-level transit. The kind of development we see around the Beltline and streetcar tracks is one that would not exist without the increase in walkability.

[tikigod311]

I think it also is not going to be an instantaneous force of revitalization around the city. People are going to chime in a year into its development on the SW trail and call it a failure.

Just like MARTA was ahead of its time, the Beltline's real payoff will come in the long term. People as a whole are moving into urban environments, land ITP will become more and more valuable and this is an actual plan on how to deal with that.

Atlanta always gets accused of being a poorly (or not at all) planned city. This is planning. This isn't just for now, it's for your kids and the future of what I assume is the city you all love.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Not sure where else this development was planned?

Unless you are bringing people into the metro area, you are simply moving it around.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

I think it also is not going to be an instantaneous force of revitalization around the city. People are going to chime in a year into its development on the SW trail and call it a failure.

Just like MARTA was ahead of its time, the Beltline's real payoff will come in the long term. People as a whole are moving into urban environments, land ITP will become more and more valuable and this is an actual plan on how to deal with that.

Atlanta always gets accused of being a poorly (or not at all) planned city. This is planning. This isn't just for now, it's for your kids and the future of what I assume is the city you all love.

Fair enough. Its planning. And re-directing. But it doesn't magically generate investment that would not have occurred somewhere in the metro area.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by bu2

Unless you are bringing people into the metro area, you are simply moving it around.

It is concentrating development in higher density areas that have transit and alternative transportation available, instead of focusing the development in lower density areas that contribute to more pollution, congestion, and sprawl. Currently, most of the residents will probably drive, but once the transit line gets installed, more residents will be encouraged to use it and leave the car behind.

[ATLondoner]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

I think it also is not going to be an instantaneous force of revitalization around the city. People are going to chime in a year into its development on the SW trail and call it a failure.

Just like MARTA was ahead of its time, the Beltline's real payoff will come in the long term. People as a whole are moving into urban environments, land ITP will become more and more valuable and this is an actual plan on how to deal with that.

Atlanta always gets accused of being a poorly (or not at all) planned city. This is planning. This isn't just for now, it's for your kids and the future of what I assume is the city you all love.

What a fabulous post. BIG thumbs up.

[pollen]

Originally Posted by bu2

But it doesn't magically generate investment that would not have occurred somewhere in the metro area.

So, without the Beltline, Jamestown would have developed Ponce City Market up in Suwanee? All of the big apartment buildings around O4W park would have been built in Austell? The Beltline absolutely does generate investment that otherwise would simply not have occured.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by bu2

The good part about the Beltline is that it actually understands rail. A lot of people think rail means lines to the suburbs, "where the people are" is a common phrase you hear. But rail really needs to be in dense areas. It provides expensive, poor service in outlying areas. You have to have a lot of ridership for it to make sense. *SNIP*

You should look up terms like "Metro North" "SEPTA" "METRA" "MBTA" "Tri-Rail" and rethink this. Rail service provides BETTER service in outlying areas! What do you want to do? Run 100 buses every day from every outlying city?