Some pretty good news on Atlanta traffic (Doraville, Dallas: sales, real estate)

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It's hard to see how public transit has much effect on traffic. Cities that have dumped gazillions of dollars into it are significantly worse off than we are.

And where do you think those cities would be without their transit? For NYC, the daily ridership is over 5 million. That's almost the population of the entire Metro Atlanta not on their roads every day. And that's just the subway, not commuter trains. Without their transit, they would be absolutely screwed.

Chicago, Boston, and DC all have well over half a million riders every day.

Originally Posted by brownhornet

This is also a joke. In 29 minutes during peak times you couldn't even get from Howell Mill to downtown or vice versa.

That's not true. I can get from Howell Mill to downtown in 15 minutes even at the height of rush hour. That doesn't mean I'd be parked and at work in that time, but that I could be from Howell Mill/I-75 to Centennial Park in 15 minutes.

I live about 5 minutes west of Howell Mill/75. When I used to commute to the Civic Center, which is further than getting to downtown, my average commute was 17-22 minutes at 8-9 am. The majority of that was spent on Ivan Allen. Coming home at 5-6pm, it was usually a 15-20 minute trip max.

[Jordo06]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I don't know why folks talk about MARTA like it was chopped liver.

If MARTA were built today it would probably cost $40-50 billion and it would be the most staggering infrastructure project in North America. We just happened to be smarter than the average bear and we jumped on mass transit with both feet, way back when most other cities were twiddling their thumbs.

I agree. When MARTA was built Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Diego and Milwaukee were bigger metro areas! I lived in Minneapolis and DC, and I had to have a car in both places. Unless you live in a TOD area of DC and work in a TOD area, it is still hard to get there. Minneapolis, unless you lived downtown it would not be worth it to take transit.

Atlanta is very lucky to have MARTA! As the city grows it will become much more valuable.

[Atlwarrior]

Originally Posted by Jordo06

I agree. When MARTA was built Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Diego and Milwaukee were bigger metro areas! I lived in Minneapolis and DC, and I had to have a car in both places. Unless you live in a TOD area of DC and work in a TOD area, it is still hard to get there. Minneapolis, unless you lived downtown it would not be worth it to take transit.

Atlanta is very lucky to have MARTA! As the city grows it will become much more valuable.

Yet look at San Diego transit today. The metro San Diego area is smaller today excluding Tijuana, but the region totally coordinates all of its transit systems with its Trolley, Coaster, and trains to LA. In fact from San Diego you can reach LA by their local buses by connecting in Oceanside and then LA transit in San Onofre. San Diego transit is one of the most progressive transit agency in America leaving Marta in the dust. They even have rail service from Oceanside to Vista and other local cities.

[Othello Is Here]

Originally Posted by Atlwarrior

Yet look at San Diego transit today. The metro San Diego area is smaller today excluding Tijuana, but the region totally coordinates all of its transit systems with its Trolley, Coaster, and trains to LA. In fact from San Diego you can reach LA by their local buses by connecting in Oceanside and then LA transit in San Onofre. San Diego transit is one of the most progressive transit agency in America leaving Marta in the dust. They even have rail service from Oceanside to Vista and other local cities.

Not sure I follow you
Its better if you wish to go further but how it it better within the city?Trolleys dont carry nearly as many people nor do they do it more efficiently.
At the end of the day nobody would prefer any other system over Heavy Rail

SD annual ridership 39.7 milllion vs Atlanta MARTA 72 million
SD Daily rideship:119,800 average weekday riders
Atlanta Daily ridership 451,064

Percentage of population rides Public transit
SD-4.1%
Atlanta-11.5%
How San Diego's Transit System Stacks Up Nationally, in Four Charts - Voice of San Diego

I dont think either is better or worse but I know Id prefer Atlanta's anyday

[glovenyc]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I don't know why folks talk about MARTA like it was chopped liver.

If MARTA were built today it would probably cost $40-50 billion and it would be the most staggering infrastructure project in North America. We just happened to be smarter than the average bear and we jumped on mass transit with both feet, way back when most other cities were twiddling their thumbs.

Too bad Cobb (my county) and Gwinnett were much dumber than that average bear back then, traffic in the entire metro would be in much better shape if there would have joined in.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by glovenyc

Too bad Cobb (my county) and Gwinnett were much dumber than that average bear back then, traffic in the entire metro would be in much better shape if there would have joined in.

When MARTA came up for a vote Cobb had a population of around 70,000. That's a density of only about 200 people per square mile, which is far below the threshold for heavy rail transit.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by arjay57

When MARTA came up for a vote Cobb had a population of around 70,000. That's a density of only about 200 people per square mile, which is far below the threshold for heavy rail transit.

And they'd likely have had a line up to Cobb Galleria / Cumberland by now, just as we have lines to Perimeter and Doraville. They'd also have much better bus coverage.

Who knows, they could have even been part of the expansion funding push, with more rail going to Marietta, and further bus improvements.

North-Fulton wasn't especially dense at the time either, yet the Red Line being as far north as it is certainly puts that part of the county in a good spot to receive expansion whenever they get their heads out of their own rear ends (leadership wise).

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

And they'd likely have had a line up to Cobb Galleria / Cumberland by now, just as we have lines to Perimeter and Doraville. They'd also have much better bus coverage.

They could have that now if the business community will step and provide some funding.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by arjay57

They could have that now if the business community will step and provide some funding.

Not really. It'd have to stop short of the river.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by arjay57

When MARTA came up for a vote Cobb had a population of around 70,000. That's a density of only about 200 people per square mile, which is far below the threshold for heavy rail transit.

It was also largely rural outside of the towns of Smyrna/Marietta/Kennesaw and Powder Springs. My guess is that anything more than a bus was seen as a tremendous waste.