Why is MARTA so controversial? (Atlanta: landscaping, movie theater, safety)

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Here's a study that says most people would prefer to drive, even if they have lots of transit and are accustomed to using it.

It's hard to beat the convenience and flexibility of that personal transportation pod we call the automobile.

Big European Cities Use Cars Less, But They Still Have a Long Way to Go

Driving is just simply more convenient in many situations, and in Atlanta it's usually faster and easier than transit. I lived in London and got really tired of totally depending on transit even though it was fairly easy and convenient. It was heaven coming home and using my car again after a year in London.

Like someone else said, the best thing about public transit is having the option of using it and not necessarily being completely dependent on it. It's surprisingly common, even in cities like New York and London, to combine transit with driving - depending on which may be more convenient.

[arjay57]

Imagine if we doubled the size of the ATL bus fleet in 5 years. That would give a lot more penetration into neighborhoods and you could have better routes and shorter wait times.

[0nyxStation]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Imagine if we doubled the size of the ATL bus fleet in 5 years. That would give a lot more penetration into neighborhoods and you could have better routes and shorter wait times.

The biggest problem I see is Marta buses seem to do just fine with their riders in Fulton and Dekalb. Its just too many people in Cobb that are under served by bus, especially on Sundays.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Imagine if we doubled the size of the ATL bus fleet in 5 years. That would give a lot more penetration into neighborhoods and you could have better routes and shorter wait times.

Somebody around here recently suggested that MARTA maps should include high-frequency bus routes. I think that this easy-to-implement change alone would increase system ridership by a measurable amount. (And even if it didn't, we're talking a tiny cost of implementation here.)

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Somebody around here recently suggested that MARTA maps should include high-frequency bus routes. I think that this easy-to-implement change alone would increase system ridership by a measurable amount. (And even if it didn't, we're talking a tiny cost of implementation here.)

Yeah, I just brought it up because I think people want to see some more lines and stops with names on the main rail map, so that at glance it looks like a nice system with more places to go. Whether it's a train or a (much much cheaper) bus, is to me less important than the permanence and quality of the transit station itself, and the limited stop, rapid transit nature of the line. Even if it's not as fast or as very high capacity as heavy rail.

I say get rid of the current huge convoluted confusing bus route map. Just take the existing bus routes, combine and consolidate and cut the number of stops in half or so, and make all of those formal stations, with names, kinda like the streetcar stops, or maybe a little bigger. And maybe with bike racks at some of them.

Then you can just have one official MARTA map, with the trains represented by thick lines, and with BRT lines and stops represented by thinner lines with smaller dots and a smaller font. I think just doing that alone would look great and attract all kinds of new riders. Because it would simplify the whole mess and people would understand it better at a glance.

[glovenyc]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

When someone can make an insult out of the MARTA acronym, it's a sure sign that they can no longer lay claim to being enlightened on Atlanta's transportation and infrastructure issues.

It seems that the vicious Tea-Party Dixie spirit has subtly taken hold of people that I normally thought were sensible, non-partisan, and level-headed on these issues.

Very disappointing.

very disappointing, but still not surprising

[Sualpine]

Cars are unhealthy and stressful.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Yeah, I just brought it up because I think people want to see some more lines and stops with names on the main rail map, so that at glance it looks like a nice system with more places to go. Whether it's a train or a (much much cheaper) bus, is to me less important than the permanence and quality of the transit station itself, and the limited stop, rapid transit nature of the line. Even if it's not as fast or as very high capacity as heavy rail.

I say get rid of the current huge convoluted confusing bus route map. Just take the existing bus routes, combine and consolidate and cut the number of stops in half or so, and make all of those formal stations, with names, kinda like the streetcar stops, or maybe a little bigger. And maybe with bike racks at some of them.

Then you can just have one official MARTA map, with the trains represented by thick lines, and with BRT lines and stops represented by thinner lines with smaller dots and a smaller font. I think just doing that alone would look great and attract all kinds of new riders. Because it would simplify the whole mess and people would understand it better at a glance.

If the bus-route audit ends up anything like it did in Huston, there will be a fair amount of high-frequency routes added to the network, either replacing or augmenting existing routes. Those high-frequency routes could probably show up on the rail maps until BRT is implemented.

I think that's what you're getting at, yeah?

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

If the bus-route audit ends up anything like it did in Huston, there will be a fair amount of high-frequency routes added to the network, either replacing or augmenting existing routes. Those high-frequency routes could probably show up on the rail maps until BRT is implemented.

I think that's what you're getting at, yeah?

Yeah. I mean, dedicated bus lane for most of these routes is a pipe dream, but signal prioritization could be possible maybe, to at least minimize traffic delays. But even with normal traffic delays, you can still run high frequency, high impact routes, and with far fewer, more meaningful stops. And people can track where the next bus is with a live updating app.

Like look at #37, which I think is a mostly solid route:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/No...bff03573ff3ad7

Imagine if the stops (in both directions) were simplified to:

-Arts Center Station
-Atlantic Station/Market
-Atlantic Station/Village
-Loring Heights
-Berkeley Park
-Howell Mill/Bellmeade
-Underwood Hills
-Cross Creek
-Fernleaf
-Bolton

Just 10 key stops on the whole line, including the connection at Arts Center. And imagine if each of those 9 fixed bus stops looked something like a double sized version of the streetcar stops, with lighting and plenty of shelter and a Breeze card kiosk. With a sign with an official name, and numbers representing which BRT routes/lines it serves. For half of those listed it would just be #37, but for a few of the inner ones along Atlantic Station and Northside, they would serve multiple routes (such as the one that goes to Cumberland). That would increase stop frequency in a logical and useful way. Spoke/hub style.

Then you take your outdated, boring MARTA rail map that we all know, and you redesign it so that the BRT routes, with their station names are all on there. You see what I'm getting at. Other existing routes make so much sense to be converted to limited stop express BRT service, like this one, #19:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cl...1d316f05ca6f4a

It's just a simple loop along one road, from Chamblee station to Decatur station. The BRT stops could be called like, North Decatur, Emory Clairmont, N Druid Hills, Lavista, Briarcliff, Buford Hwy. The stop at Lavista would be a connection point with the #30 BRT line which goes from Tucker to Lindbergh station.

Imagine all those BRT lines represented along with the HRT on a map that looks very similar to the existing official map, just larger and more detailed. I bet for very little cost, you could suddenly double the entire system's ridership. Huge benefit for the cost. I bet even TOD's would pop up, if the bus stations were solid and permanent feeling enough. The map would also help with that.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Somebody around here recently suggested that MARTA maps should include high-frequency bus routes. I think that this easy-to-implement change alone would increase system ridership by a measurable amount. (And even if it didn't, we're talking a tiny cost of implementation here.)

The more frequent bus routes would be nice to be added to the map, but creating a nice map that easily conveys info to event the newest rider is difficult and takes research. We don't want to end up confusing like MTA's map with overlapping labels, lines, etc.