The ATL: new regional transit system (Atlanta, Buford: freeway, value, MBA)

[cqholt]

Transit’s share of Seattle commuting first reached 10 percent of the urban area in 2013 and 10 percent of the metro area in 2014. Seattle’s downtown also happened to reach 240,000 downtown jobs in 2013. This suggests that downtown job growth, not light rail or any other rail transit, is the key to Seattle being the only major urban area whose transit ridership is growing.

This is false!
King Metro has invested in buses and specifically giving buses dedicated space thru downtown (not just the transit tunnel.)

The number of commuters driving private vehicles downtown has declined by 10 percent since 2010, even as new residents and workers have spiked. By and large, new arrivals are instead choosing to ride the bus. Seattle’s King County Metro has seen an 8 percent increase in bus riders over the past nine years and gained about 700,000 rides between 2016 and 2017 alone.

Some 250 local, regional, and express buses travel this corridor every hour during the weekday rush hour—more than two buses per minute, the most of any street in North America. They carry 52,000 daily riders.

https://www.citylab.com/transportati...he-bus/559697/

[bu2]

Not false at all. Its an opinion, just as yours is.

Its probably a good bit of both. As well as the mix of employees. Amazon has added a lot of young employees in Seattle who probably are the most likely to use transit.

[primaltech]

We need a MRT, Medium Rail line (something between Light and Heavy rail), connecting the Battery to Midtown and Kennesaw. Run it along 41, elevated or in the median or whatever. Would do wonders for the Cumberland area and the Braves.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

We need a MRT, Medium Rail line (something between Light and Heavy rail), connecting the Battery to Midtown and Kennesaw. Run it along 41, elevated or in the median or whatever. Would do wonders for the Cumberland area and the Braves.

Are you referring to Light Metro?

In contrast with most light rail systems, an MCS usually (though not always) runs on a fully grade separated exclusive right-of-way. In some cases, the distance between stations is much longer than typically found on heavy rail networks.

eg:
Vancouver SkyTrain
Docklands Light Railway

Nearly all Light Metros are fully automatic trains (see transit as been AV long before automobiles.)

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by cqholt

This is false!
King Metro has invested in buses and specifically giving buses dedicated space thru downtown (not just the transit tunnel.)



https://www.citylab.com/transportati...he-bus/559697/

I could see this, Downtown Seattle is not a fun place to drive at all. But Seattle's transit system is quite nice and its coverage is outstanding.

[brown_dog_us]

Commuter parking is Seattle is pricey. Monthly it's about $300 and hourly is $2-4. That makes the bus seem like a great idea.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Are you referring to Light Metro?

eg:
Vancouver SkyTrain
Docklands Light Railway

Nearly all Light Metros are fully automatic trains (see transit as been AV long before automobiles.)

Yeah, something exactly like the Vancouver SkyTrain. A fully automatic/automated, elevated people mover system that circulates hundreds of people between key walkable nodes like Marietta Square and Battery Atlanta and Atlantic Station (and park&rides), and connects at Arts Center or maybe Lindbergh.

Without all the connotation or stigma or whatever of rapid heavy rail. Something more modern in design and look and feel. And with high security, and maybe even a higher fare, like $5 per one way ride or something.

So that us sheltered suburban type folks can feel really comfortable and safe and everything, while it's also useful, particularly for events and stuff. Then I think a lot of people would really embrace it, and it would be great for development.

Also if it's elevated up in the air, it would be kind of like an enjoyable spectacle in itself. Tourists would ride it just for the experience and the view and such. And it would connect to the places everybody actually wants to go.

[primaltech]

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.8875...7i13312!8i6656

I'm imagining something that would have a station at the Battery, then would fly high right over 285, then maybe have another station at the hill over where the mall is. Then so on and so on in both directions, between Atlanta and Kennesaw. Elevated, above the roadway corridor, with the supports in the median of Cobb Pkwy while in Cobb and NW Buckhead, until around West Paces and then it would run along the I-75 ROW for just a few miles before Midtown. Where it would probably turn in at 16th St, still up on supports, then have its terminal stop right there on top of the current exterior of Arts Center station which is up on a hill. It would be perfect.

Aerial design, like the NW corridor. And shorter trains than HRT, with more flexibility and a bit tighter curves.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Yeah, something exactly like the Vancouver SkyTrain. A fully automatic/automated, elevated people mover system that circulates hundreds of people between key walkable nodes like Marietta Square and Battery Atlanta and Atlantic Station (and park&rides), and connects at Arts Center or maybe Lindbergh.

Without all the connotation or stigma or whatever of rapid heavy rail. Something more modern in design and look and feel. And with high security, and maybe even a higher fare, like $5 per one way ride or something.

So that us sheltered suburban type folks can feel really comfortable and safe and everything, while it's also useful, particularly for events and stuff. Then I think a lot of people would really embrace it, and it would be great for development.

Also if it's elevated up in the air, it would be kind of like an enjoyable spectacle in itself. Tourists would ride it just for the experience and the view and such. And it would connect to the places everybody actually wants to go.

What stigma is there against HRT? I mean suburbanites who travel to NYC, Chicago, or Europe have no issues using those systems. Look at BART train of the future

or WMATA new rail cars.

I don't think the stigma is HRT, but just MARTA and Atlanta.
Also, GDOT has a thing against aerial transit thru their interchanges. See the plans for Connect 400 and I-20 East projects, where the aerial track dives underground at interchanges.

[primaltech]

Looks like the location of the single Gwinnett rail station:

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/...100-acres.html