MARTA visiting Emory/CDC area to discuss expansion (Smyrna, Decatur: neighborhoods, cost)

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by primaltech

When it comes to rail to Gwinnett, either way you design it, they are going to have to transfer somewhere- either to get to Midtown/Airport, or (if it's an extension of Gold) to ride a LRT to get over to Perimeter Center and the North Fulton jobs corridor. So yeah, you could do a really nice long LRT line that goes from Sugarloaf along the Satellite Blvd/ Brook Hollow/ 85 corridor, then goes along 285 to Dunwoody, but then there's a transfer required at Doraville (or at a new Gold line station), to continue into Atlanta.

Atlanta proper, Downtown, should be the focus point of the system, and that's what MARTA was intended for. So I think the expansion into Gwinnett should come in the form of a heavy rail extension of Gold. Then there could be a LRT line that more or less follows the top end perimeter corridor.

Especially in the future, when there's going to be a lot more office jobs in Midtown, as it continues to fill in. Gwinnett being a residential community, they should have a one-seat, no-transfer ride to Lenox/Lindbergh/Midtown/Downtown/Airport.

Originally Posted by primaltech

Actually, yeah you could have 2 different HRT color lines that serve Gwinnett's stations, one being the Gold which continues to downtown, and the other being a new color that side branches over to Perimeter (assuming the top end line is HRT).

The only downside would be waiting a little longer for the right train. High train frequency but less color/line frequency.

Assuming Gwinnett's and Cobb's inclusion in MARTA, the Gold Line would make the most sense being extended up the I-85 Corridor, a new HRT line going to Kennesaw/Marietta either up the I-75 or Cumberland Pky corridors coming away from the Arts Center lead-tunnels would likely be preferred. Then You could run HRT from Kennesaw / Marietta down to Cummberland, then across the I-285 top-end, to Doraville / a new Norcross Gold Line Station, and up to the end of the Gold Line extension.

That would give both I-75 and I-85 Corridors direct access downtown and/or the airport, while also allowing cross-county transit between major Cobb and Gwinnett business nodes. Commuter rail along existing corridors would allow further connections.

Something like this, but with the Fall Line going up north along the Grey Line:



Also, we should probably keep Gwinnett MARTA talk to here: Could MARTA serve Gwinnett County’s sprawl?

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by skbl17

*SNIP*
Oh, and just another random off-topic MARTA thing (mainly for MattCW, if he comes upon this thread); I noticed that the Red/Gold line slow zone at I-85 has been removed or at least significantly cut back. This morning I didn't notice a major slowdown at that area like usual. Improvement!

- skbl17

Yes, I've been watching this thread when I had time today. I'm glad to see lots of good information correcting some previous misconceptions about the Clifton Corridor project in here!

At 7:48 today, my NB Gold Line train still slowed for the restriction, but my SB Gold Line at ~16:40 maintained 60 through the area. I rode the head-end and saw the normal 70 speedcode just out of Lindbergh, back to 60 at the Armour wye, then 50 over I-85, then back up to 60 for the first 3/4 of the tunnel into Arts Center. I'll give MARTA this one. Though it took longer than it really should have, at least the speeds are back to normal, I don't think the 70 zone ever went all the way from I-85 to Lindbergh. Now if they would just fix the new segment of the Decatur slow zone and that irritatingly awful drop to 15 right at the platform (if you're in the second car EB approaching Avondale, when the center door is approximately even with the eastern points of the middle tracks' crossover, the speedcode suddenly drops to 15 for just a second resulting in a pretty bad lurch). Hopefully they'll get the whole Decatur slow-zone up to standard, but for now I'll settle for just getting it back to where it was before.

[skbl17]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Yes, I've been watching this thread when I had time today. I'm glad to see lots of good information correcting some previous misconceptions about the Clifton Corridor project in here!

At 7:48 today, my NB Gold Line train still slowed for the restriction, but my SB Gold Line at ~16:40 maintained 60 through the area. I rode the head-end and saw the normal 70 speedcode just out of Lindbergh, back to 60 at the Armour wye, then 50 over I-85, then back up to 60 for the first 3/4 of the tunnel into Arts Center. I'll give MARTA this one. Though it took longer than it really should have, at least the speeds are back to normal, I don't think the 70 zone ever went all the way from I-85 to Lindbergh. Now if they would just fix the new segment of the Decatur slow zone and that irritatingly awful drop to 15 right at the platform (if you're in the second car EB approaching Avondale, when the center door is approximately even with the eastern points of the middle tracks' crossover, the speedcode suddenly drops to 15 for just a second resulting in a pretty bad lurch). Hopefully they'll get the whole Decatur slow-zone up to standard, but for now I'll settle for just getting it back to where it was before.

Yeah. Just for fun, I decided to hop on the Blue Line to Indian Creek to see if anything had changed since my last ride on that line in '06, and yes...that slow zone and those sudden lurches in Decatur are both infuriating. The Red/Gold line one was just annoying, but this....it was like we were just crawling into the Decatur and Avondale stations. In fact, I've always wondered whether the slow zones were even necessary; there wasn't any single tracking, no construction, they're just...there.

Otherwise, it was pretty interesting seeing two-car trains on the Green Line, and boy, that view near King Memorial is beautiful. And for effs sake, I've been here for over a decade and I still have a hard time figuring out Five Points.

- skbl17

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Yes, I've been watching this thread when I had time today. I'm glad to see lots of good information correcting some previous misconceptions about the Clifton Corridor project in here!

At 7:48 today, my NB Gold Line train still slowed for the restriction, but my SB Gold Line at ~16:40 maintained 60 through the area. I rode the head-end and saw the normal 70 speedcode just out of Lindbergh, back to 60 at the Armour wye, then 50 over I-85, then back up to 60 for the first 3/4 of the tunnel into Arts Center. I'll give MARTA this one. Though it took longer than it really should have, at least the speeds are back to normal, I don't think the 70 zone ever went all the way from I-85 to Lindbergh. Now if they would just fix the new segment of the Decatur slow zone and that irritatingly awful drop to 15 right at the platform (if you're in the second car EB approaching Avondale, when the center door is approximately even with the eastern points of the middle tracks' crossover, the speedcode suddenly drops to 15 for just a second resulting in a pretty bad lurch). Hopefully they'll get the whole Decatur slow-zone up to standard, but for now I'll settle for just getting it back to where it was before.

The Decatur slow zone is very annoying, but they replaced those rails already.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by skbl17

Yeah. Just for fun, I decided to hop on the Blue Line to Indian Creek to see if anything had changed since my last ride on that line in '06, and yes...that slow zone and those sudden lurches in Decatur are both infuriating. The Red/Gold line one was just annoying, but this....it was like we were just crawling into the Decatur and Avondale stations. In fact, I've always wondered whether the slow zones were even necessary; there wasn't any single tracking, no construction, they're just...there.

Otherwise, it was pretty interesting seeing two-car trains on the Green Line, and boy, that view near King Memorial is beautiful. And for effs sake, I've been here for over a decade and I still have a hard time figuring out Five Points.

- skbl17

Overhead signs, they provide all the information needed.

[primaltech]

Anyone know what the plan is on the east line expansion? Will Blue be extended from Indian Creek to Stonecrest, or will Blue stay how it is and Green be extended all the way out, as per the map above? I kinda like that better.

If Blue is extended, then I think Green should extend to Avondale to meet up with the Clifton line. Avondale will be like a hub station.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Anyone know what the plan is on the east line expansion? Will Blue be extended from Indian Creek to Stonecrest, or will Blue stay how it is and Green be extended all the way out, as per the map above? I kinda like that better.

If Blue is extended, then I think Green should extend to Avondale to meet up with the Clifton line. Avondale will be like a hub station.

Green Line extended and will run a skip-stop on stations between Indian Creek and Georgia State. Also, Bankhead Station will be extended to handle 6-car trains and I hope MARTA will be start and while the Proctor Creek Line is offline, build the Boone Station.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Green Line extended and will run a skip-stop on stations between Indian Creek and Georgia State. Also, Bankhead Station will be extended to handle [b]6-car trains[b] and I hope MARTA will be start and while the Proctor Creek Line is offline, build the Boone Station.

8-car trains*

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Green Line extended and will run a skip-stop on stations between Indian Creek and Georgia State. Also, Bankhead Station will be extended to handle 6-car trains and I hope MARTA will be start and while the Proctor Creek Line is offline, build the Boone Station.

Alright, I love that plan. And I so agree about adding a cheap little basic platform station at Boone, right on the future Beltline streetcar/light rail. That combined would nicely link up most of the Westside.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Green Line extended and will run a skip-stop on stations between Indian Creek and Georgia State. Also, Bankhead Station will be extended to handle 6-car trains and I hope MARTA will be start and while the Proctor Creek Line is offline, build the Boone Station.

The LPA doc here

Page 1-4 has the operations diagram. Green line goes:

1. Bankhead
2. Ashby
3. Vine City
4. CNN / GA Dome
5. 5 Points
6. GA State
7. -
8. -
9. -
10. -
11. Decatur
12. -
13. Kensington
14. Indian Creek
15. Wesley Chapel Road
16. Panola Road
17. Lithonia Industrial Blvd
18. Mall at Stonecrest

I suspect that'll have to be adjusted to allow for transfer at Avondale for access to the Clifton Corridor.