Johns Creek city council votes "full and complete opposition" to MARTA rail expansion (Atlanta: theatre, mall)

[cqholt]

We need to view MARTA, not as WMATA, but as BART serves the Bay Area. BART and MARTA are built in similar Subwya-hybrid system where the HRT serves as commuter rail system in the suburbs and a subway in the urban core. SF has BART which connects the suburbs to SF and Oakland, then MUNI has streetcar/LRT, bus lines in the city that serve as last mile connect, giving the urban core good coverage.
MARTA cannot build multiple line in the core, because the density is not there, costs are too high, and LRT is much better at serving those areas.
So instead of comparing Atlanta to DC or NYC, we need to look at SF and how their transit system is setup.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

Yes,

Its for the Half-Cent additional MARTA wants they voted on.

If JC (Or any other city in Fulton/Dekalb {Not sure about Clayton} ) do not come to a agreement all MARTA can get is .375 cents from what I understand.

So as I understand it they are not trying to get out of paying the MARTA tax they have already been paying, they just don't want to pay more.

That doesn't seem unreasonable at all to me.

Isn't the 1% we're already paying more than the transportation sales taxes in other cities? I'm thinking it's .5% in DC and San Francisco.

Put the expansion cost on development rather than sticking it on the single family suburban homeowner.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

So as I understand it they are not trying to get out of paying the MARTA tax they have already been paying, they just don't want to pay more.

That doesn't seem unreasonable at all to me.

Isn't the 1% we're already paying more than the transportation sales taxes in other cities? I'm thinking it's .5% in DC and San Francisco.

Put the expansion cost on development rather than sticking it on the single family suburban homeowner.

If they wanted to do that, it would be funded thru property taxes. Using a sales tax, allows visitors and other people who do not live in Fulton County, eg: commuters from Gwinnett, Cobb, etc. counties, to pay for the transit system.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Using a sales tax, allows visitors and other people who do not live in Fulton County, eg: commuters from Gwinnett, Cobb, etc. counties, to pay for the transit system.

They'd still be paying the sales tax like they do now.

Only the expansion cost would be funded by development.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

They'd still be paying the sales tax like they do now.

Only the expansion cost would be funded by development.

MARTA is presenting Fulton, DeKalb counties and CoA an option to get rail extensions along congested corridors, which will also serve to attract economic development, and JC wants to reject it instead of embracing it and knowing what rail transit can do.

[arjay57]

It looks like at least some people in Johns creek want MARTA to move in there.

https://johnscreekwantsmarta.wordpress.com/

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It looks like at least some people in Johns creek want MARTA to move in there.

https://johnscreekwantsmarta.wordpress.com/

Good, I hope they vote these idiots out.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It looks like at least some people in Johns creek want MARTA to move in there.

https://johnscreekwantsmarta.wordpress.com/

See, that's what happens when a city council makes a rather major decision like this without allowing time for public input. I would not be surprised if there were a group of angry citizens present at the next meeting.

Really, this is a problem even if you don't support transit, because it shows a lack of public involvement on the part of the city council.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

See, that's what happens when a city council makes a rather major decision like this without allowing time for public input. I would not be surprised if there were a group of angry citizens present at the next meeting.

Really, this is a problem even if you don't support transit, because it shows a lack of public involvement on the part of the city council.

Very similar to what happened in Cobb County, with the Braves vote.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Why in tarnation can't we leave Johns creek alone?

It is suburban and that is why its residents moved there. It is one of the most diverse parts of the ATL and is home to our largest and most affluent Asian community. The schools are outstanding, crime is low and the quality of life in general is excellent.

Johns Creek residents are already subject to the 1% MARTA tax, despite getting very little utility from it. If they don't want to increase that tax even more, why should they be forced to?

Maybe because they decided to issue an unnecessary resolution condemning any form of increase in regional public transit. Maybe if the so-called leaders there had kept their outdated and regressive opinions to themselves then people wouldn't be discussing their ineptitude that currently leading the municipality called Johns Creek. Once again, you are defending stupidity of inept public officials... #fenceriding

FYI, it is not that diverse unless you are talking about the Asian population because otherwise the community is still mostly white...