MARTA unveils its dream project list for November Referendum (Atlanta: automobile, sell)

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by bu2

Houston has "Diamond Lanes" on several downtown streets during peak hours. Only cars allowed are those doing right turns.

Now Houston has wide streets downtown and they are almost all one way, so its easier to dedicate a lane there. But those lanes are pretty well utilized during peak hour.

HOV and HOT lanes work. HOT lanes seem to be the wave of the future. Most places seem to be making the lanes toll both to help pay for them and to control ridership. Atlanta's problem is that their HOV/HOT lanes are often not separated from traffic other than by a solid white line. That significantly decreases their utility as cars can weave in and out and it can be dangerous when traffic is stopped in the main lanes.

Would love to see the same thing implemented on COP Dr, Ted Turner/Spring, Peachtree Center Ave, Courtland/Juniper, Piedmont, and West Peachtree

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

What they need is a short concrete median, about 3 inches high. Separating the HOT from the general purpose, except where the entry/exit sections are (and eventually phasing most of those out in favor of more HOT access ramps.)

Just a short little thin barrier (like a speed bump but not smoothed out) should discourage most cars coming in to the lane, but still allow it in emergency situations in order to access the left shoulder. And emergency vehicles could easily cross it, and buses could easily cross it in emergency situations or whatever. And it wouldn't be hazardous in event of an accident, like a wall or other barrier would be. If you hit it going high speeds, the worst it could do is mess up your shocks or whatever. Cause you to spill your coffee.

I definitely agree that the double solid line is not a great solution.

At 70+ mph, that small speed bump if hit at the wrong angle would cause a roll-over crash or driver to lose control.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

At 70+ mph, that small speed bump if hit at the wrong angle would cause a roll-over crash or driver to lose control.

Yeah, I kind of wondered about that, too. Wouldn't want to run up against those things at night in the rain, with a semi in the next lane over.

[TheTravelinMan]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Something they did in Mexico City, with the Metro Bus lines, was paint the lanes, and then put down smaller versions of parking bumps:

I've ridden on these many times in Mexico City the system works very well.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by TheTravelinMan

I've ridden on these many times in Mexico City the system works very well.

Would love to see a system like that here in Atlanta to compliment our HRT backbone and proposed Streetcar Network.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by jsvh

I have been up in Minneapolis a lot recently and they have done their new light rail system right. It has exclusive RoW and signal prioritization most everywhere. Not to mention it has been used to drive some incredibly positive street transformations. We need to be doing things like this as we roll out our light rail. Not just throw it in with traffic.

Example below courtesy of Google:

Washington Ave. From four lane car highway in 2009 to closed to traffic in 2015 with two bus-only lanes / bike lanes, light rail, plus now very pedestrian friendly design.

BEFORE:


AFTER:

Interesting, jsvh. This may work well from a mass transit standpoint but honestly, the "after" picture looks visually cluttered to me.

Of course that is just subjective.

[primaltech]

I'd so love to see that 'Connect Cobb' BRT proposal from a few years ago become a reality. The initial plan, before they revised it/cheapened it/ruined it.

IIRC, starts underground at Arts Center MARTA in an east-west alignment under 16th St, dedicated-lane underground busway powered by electric overhead wire. Runs directly west, then cuts to the NW under the Connector, then runs under 17th St with a stop at Atlantic Station, then underground NW again to a stop at the Beltline, then Howell Mill, then up along I-75 out to Cumberland. Leaves the tunnel around Collier Rd, makes a couple stops then re-enters a tunnel to serve Cumberland area. Then goes out to Kennesaw along the 41 corridor.

Makes more sense to me than a HRT line, for many reasons. And gives you still basically nearly the same quality of service.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I'd so love to see that 'Connect Cobb' BRT proposal from a few years ago become a reality. The initial plan, before they revised it/cheapened it/ruined it.

IIRC, starts underground at Arts Center MARTA in an east-west alignment under 16th St, dedicated-lane underground busway powered by electric overhead wire. Runs directly west, then cuts to the NW under the Connector, then runs under 17th St with a stop at Atlantic Station, then underground NW again to a stop at the Beltline, then Howell Mill, then up along I-75 out to Cumberland. Leaves the tunnel around Collier Rd, makes a couple stops then re-enters a tunnel to serve Cumberland area. Then goes out to Kennesaw along the 41 corridor.

Makes more sense to me than a HRT line, for many reasons. And gives you still basically nearly the same quality of service.

All that tunneling, rail would not have been much more and less maintenance costs in the long run. Especially with the overhead power.
too bad history of that plan has been removed from Cobb County website, they're almost as bad as Trump's administration.
https://cobbcounty.org/index.php?opt...60&Itemid=2742

[LTCM]

Originally Posted by primaltech

What they need is a short concrete median, about 3 inches high. Separating the HOT from the general purpose, except where the entry/exit sections are (and eventually phasing most of those out in favor of more HOT access ramps.)

Just a short little thin barrier (like a speed bump but not smoothed out) should discourage most cars coming in to the lane, but still allow it in emergency situations in order to access the left shoulder. And emergency vehicles could easily cross it, and buses could easily cross it in emergency situations or whatever. And it wouldn't be hazardous in event of an accident, like a wall or other barrier would be. If you hit it going high speeds, the worst it could do is mess up your shocks or whatever. Cause you to spill your coffee.

I definitely agree that the double solid line is not a great solution.

Yea, that would only kill 100 people per year. But hey, that's 100 less cars on the highway so it should help with traffic.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by TheTravelinMan

I've ridden on these many times in Mexico City the system works very well.

I didn't manage to ride any of the Metro Bus lines, but something that I noticed was just how long the stations were compared to the buses. They just seemed unnecessarily large.

Originally Posted by cqholt

Would love to see a system like that here in Atlanta to compliment our HRT backbone and proposed Streetcar Network.

I was kind of suggesting them for the proposed BRT routes in the City (excluding interstate routes). Northside Dr. Would be a great start.