MARTA CEO: Days of transit agency going on 'bended knee' to other counties are over (Atlanta: sales tax, live)

[fourthwarden]

I will say that, while I really do love this statement (go get 'em Kieth!), I don't think it should be the end all mentality. MARTA certainly shouldn't go begging to the counties to join, but I would like to see a bit more proactive push as to what MARTA could bring the region.

Some more simple county plans put up in public places / forums could go a long way to having the counties come to MARTA.

Say: "Here's how much 1% would bring in, and here's what we would do with it" in much the unofficial ways that we do here, with limited investment. Having a 3-4 page fact sheet for each county on what MARTA would do with the fresh 1%, or an additional .5% in the counties would really solidify why and how MARTA would be a good business partner. It would also shut down any of the 'oh, we want a regional planner with vision, not MARTA', since the agency could just point to the regional plans and say 'welp, we have plans and vision, now it's up to those other counties. We won't force or beg them to join, but when they're ready, we are.'

[toll_booth]

I saw this. It's easy for me to have been saying that as an armchair quarterback, but it's a much bigger of deal when the CEO himself notes that MARTA expansion is in a seller's market.

And he's right. I'm guessing that heavy rail isn't going to expand at least for a few more years and Clayton will be fortunate to get commuter rail by 2018. This is a major reason I do not want to see Gwinnett MARTA expansion on the ballot this year. Let it wait for at least a few years before pulling the trigger.

[hautemomma]

I really don't think the other, non-MARTA counties care about this declaration - at least not the leadership at the top within them. Folks who want a transit option in their neck of the woods honestly don't care if the buses or trains are emblazoned with MARTA or some other agency.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

I will say that, while I really do love this statement (go get 'em Kieth!), I don't think it should be the end all mentality. MARTA certainly shouldn't go begging to the counties to join, but I would like to see a bit more proactive push as to what MARTA could bring the region.

Some more simple county plans put up in public places / forums could go a long way to having the counties come to MARTA.

Say: "Here's how much 1% would bring in, and here's what we would do with it" in much the unofficial ways that we do here, with limited investment. Having a 3-4 page fact sheet for each county on what MARTA would do with the fresh 1%, or an additional .5% in the counties would really solidify why and how MARTA would be a good business partner. It would also shut down any of the 'oh, we want a regional planner with vision, not MARTA', since the agency could just point to the regional plans and say 'welp, we have plans and vision, now it's up to those other counties. We won't force or beg them to join, but when they're ready, we are.'

Why spend Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton Counties taxpayer money on creating plans for counties that do not want the service? MARTA created a well thought out plan for North Fulton that did not go anywhere. The plans would just have to get updated every few years, costing the agency more money.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Why spend Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton Counties taxpayer money on creating plans for counties that do not want the service? MARTA created a well thought out plan for North Fulton that did not go anywhere. The plans would just have to get updated every few years, costing the agency more money.

Agreed. Use the costs of high priced studies and marketing to improve the service in the currently served jurisdictions. Other than monetary costs, these things also consume a lot of worker hours, as well. Gwinnett, Cobb and others will eventually come around. Meanwhile, work to make MARTA the best it can be in Fulton, Dekalb and Clayton.

[UrbanConquistador]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Agreed. Use the costs of high priced studies and marketing to improve the service in the currently served jurisdictions. Other than monetary costs, these things also consume a lot of worker hours, as well. Gwinnett, Cobb and others will eventually come around. Meanwhile, work to make MARTA the best it can be in Fulton, Dekalb and Clayton.

Agreed.

[Craziaskowboi]

By 2030, I expect to see MARTA expand in every direction except northwest.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

I agree wholeheartedly with MARTA CEO Keith Parker.

Let MARTA worry about the areas where the public wants it and let the areas that don't want MARTA find their own way transportation-wise.

The areas that don't want MARTA (which is everywhere outside of DeKalb, Clayton and Central/South Fulton counties) have more than enough political clout and financial resources to do what they want (and/or need) to do when they get desperate enough to do it.

Those areas outside of MARTA's service zone along with North Fulton County are big enough to take care of themselves while MARTA continues to improve and move forward with the people and the areas that want it there.

He sounds like a rejected suitor. Those are things best not said. At least in such a pejorative way.

[skbl17]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

I will say that, while I really do love this statement (go get 'em Kieth!), I don't think it should be the end all mentality. MARTA certainly shouldn't go begging to the counties to join, but I would like to see a bit more proactive push as to what MARTA could bring the region.

Some more simple county plans put up in public places / forums could go a long way to having the counties come to MARTA.

Say: "Here's how much 1% would bring in, and here's what we would do with it" in much the unofficial ways that we do here, with limited investment. Having a 3-4 page fact sheet for each county on what MARTA would do with the fresh 1%, or an additional .5% in the counties would really solidify why and how MARTA would be a good business partner. It would also shut down any of the 'oh, we want a regional planner with vision, not MARTA', since the agency could just point to the regional plans and say 'welp, we have plans and vision, now it's up to those other counties. We won't force or beg them to join, but when they're ready, we are.'

Unfortunately, the county commissions in question will then say, "See, MARTA's initiated an advertising push in areas they don't serve! That's an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars by an irresponsible agency!", backed up by the throngs of AJC commenters who think that MARTA brings drugs and crime. Of course, fact sheets aren't an advertising push, but opponents would see it that way.

Never mind the facts. The facts (the KSU study) didn't stop the successful push by a certain North Fulton politician to kill SB 330, and the facts won't make the Tim Lees and Charlotte Nashs of the world budge.

I agree with AnsleyPark here. Improve the service in existing jurisdictions first.

- skbl17

[primaltech]

Why can't we do both? Continue to improve the transit services in Atlanta, and also reach out to Cobb and Gwinnett with awesome sales brochures of different options of transit configurations, of "FYI, here's what all we could do for you with a 1% tax". A PDF document doesn't cost a ton of money to produce. Just need some renderings and potential transit maps, and a few facts pulled straight from Wikipedia.

Everyone keeps saying, oh they'll join when they're ready. But why would they join? How can they get excited about a product that they can't see or read or get any information about? Talking about the population, not just county leaders.