Cobb’s Plan for Braves Traffic: Everybody Cut Through Sandy Springs (Atlanta: 2015, transporting)

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by Columbia Scientist

I don't see public transit as being a solution to traffic woes.

It's not. We could build 500 MARTA stations everywhere, and traffic will still be just as rough on 400 in the mornings or 285 in the evening.

The point is that it would be totally optional bad traffic congestion. That's what New York and Chicago have that we don't: options.

The value in public transit is the opportunity and alternative it creates for the, er, public to reach the places they need to get.

Exactly right. It moves you the human body around town. It moves lots of people more space-efficiently around town, and when done right, bypasses rush hour car congestion on the roadways.

Regional transit availability may not reduce car travel times, but it should definitely reduce average commute time for the masses, giving people their time back.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by UrbanConquistador

I think you all really underestimate/downplay how many people actually took transit to the games. Especially when the Braves were winning.

The Braves of course have not released real numbers about how many take MARTA, but 30%-40% of Falcons fans take MARTA to the games. So that is having a very big impact on traffic.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, they've all managed to pile into south downtown for decades and it usually hasn't been that much of a hassle.

Patently false. There is a marked difference when an event is going on downtown that adds at least 20 minutes onto commute when I commute home from the burbs into the city core.

Also I noticed when I would use MARTA that during games there was a significant increase in ridership (obvious because you can see all the braves, falcons, hawks apparel)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by jsvh

The Braves of course have not released real numbers about how many take MARTA, but 30%-40% of Falcons fans take MARTA to the games. So that is having a very big impact on traffic.

The Braves say about 6% of fans use MARTA.

MARTA waiting to talk about new ballpark | www.myajc.com

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeanuts

Patently false. There is a marked difference when an event is going on downtown that adds at least 20 minutes onto commute when I commute home from the burbs into the city core.

Also I noticed when I would use MARTA that during games there was a significant increase in ridership (obvious because you can see all the braves, falcons, hawks apparel)

I can always tell when there are events downtown. Traffic is a lot worse. Concerts at Phillips, the odd weekday Falcons game. Hawks games, etc.

[whodean]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Now the have two interstates, (practically) no public transit, and are going WITH rush hour through one of, if not the most congested interchange in the metro.

So you think most Braves traffic will be heading north up I75?. That's not what the team's study found. More attendees coming from the North.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by whodean

So you think most Braves traffic will be heading north up I75?. That's not what the team's study found. More attendees coming from the North.

"Study" = a map that implies the same density of Braves fans exist in Cherokee county as exist in Midtown.

But yes, they will be getting less fans coming from the city. Regardless, the traffic will be terrible and there are few options to avoid it.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by whodean

So you think most Braves traffic will be heading north up I75?. That's not what the team's study found. More attendees coming from the North.

I think a lot of them will be coming up I-75, and from the east, on I-285. And west. And north. Given the already horrific cluster that is the I-75/285 interchange, and how bad traffic is to I-575 is anyway, game day traffic stands a real chance of bringing everything to a halt.

Especially if you consider merging, changing lanes, backed-up exits, etc.


If we want to talk about the team's study, then can we talk about why they didn't move the team to Perimeter Center? That would have been MUCH closer to the geographic center of their fans, AND had direct rail access. As they chose it, though, the stadium is off to the west of where their own map shows would have been the logical choice.

So, their own material shows that this wasn't about being close to fans, but about taking as much money as they could from a county as incentive.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by jsvh

But yes, they will be getting less fans coming from the city. Regardless, the traffic will be terrible and there are few options to avoid it.

Shifting the start time back to 7:30 was a smart move. Most of the afternoon traffic will be cleared out by then.

Hopefully it will be a little cooler by then as well. That new awning should also help. Sitting out in the boiling sun is no fun.

[whodean]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

I think a lot of them will be coming up I-75, and from the east, on I-285. And west. And north. Given the already horrific cluster that is the I-75/285 interchange, and how bad traffic is to I-575 is anyway, game day traffic stands a real chance of bringing everything to a halt.

For those coming from the North the drive will be 10 very congested miles shorter.