The ATL: new regional transit system (Atlanta, Buford: transfer to, property tax, live)

[primaltech]

Just merge GRTA/MARTA/CCT/GCT all into GRTA, and then rename GRTA to MARTA. And put Keith Parker in charge of it all.

That would be the best compromise. Keep the best of all worlds. Keep the MARTA name/brand, keep Keith (while giving him a nice promotion), add the north side Republicans and business interests to the board, get the state backing and funding, and also keep the existing MARTA sales tax agreements in the 3 counties + 1 city, for improved, city-caliber transit in their area.

Cobb could optionally opt to pay for 1% for MARTA rail lines and BRT/ART and all that. But at least even if they don't, all the existing bus lines and services in the county would still all be MARTA, so at least there wouldn't be a need for transfers.

Etc etc. Just a simple agency consolidation of exactly what we already have, would make for so much more efficient of a system. And for cheaper, I'm sure. We'd certainly be able to squeeze a little more and better transit out of it, for nothing.

[walker1962]

Metro ATL is the most convoluted mass transit there is, especially, for a region of its size! Greater Atlanta is set up a lot like metro D.C. i.e. small core center relative to big suburbs but the latter has a SINGLE management for it mass transit. Houston metro has one system for an area covering a larger range than metro Atlanta. And most of metro Dallas (Dallas and Collin counties for Dart) has two (The T for Tarrant County/Fort Worth).






I feel bad for you all in north/Central Georgia.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by walker1962

Metro ATL is the most convoluted mass transit there is, especially, for a region of its size! Greater Atlanta is set up a lot like metro D.C. i.e. small core center relative to big suburbs but the latter has a SINGLE management for it mass transit. Houston metro has one system for an area covering a larger range than metro Atlanta. And most of metro Dallas (Dallas and Collin counties for Dart) has two (The T for Tarrant County/Fort Worth).






I feel bad for you all in north/Central Georgia.

I feel bad for you, for living in Texas. Among other obvious reasons.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I feel bad for you, for living in Texas. Among other obvious reasons.

BADUMMMP

Enjoy Texas

[Othello Is Here]

Originally Posted by bu2

And you are calling the OTP people paranoid of Atlanta.

Seriously, the distrust is on both sides.

Actually I live OTP
Knowing the history of our state legislature and their many attempts at gaining control over MARTA from Atlanta,I am very skeptical of our state Republican run leadership.
Please enlighten me how Im wrong for being so skeptical.

[Othello Is Here]

Originally Posted by walker1962

Metro ATL is the most convoluted mass transit there is, especially, for a region of its size! Greater Atlanta is set up a lot like metro D.C. i.e. small core center relative to big suburbs but the latter has a SINGLE management for it mass transit. Houston metro has one system for an area covering a larger range than metro Atlanta. And most of metro Dallas (Dallas and Collin counties for Dart) has two (The T for Tarrant County/Fort Worth).






I feel bad for you all in north/Central Georgia.

LOL.
But wait....You are serious?
You are using Dallas and Houston as examples?

According to Houston's own Transit page it says Houston has 126 routes to Atlanta's 101 routes.
We have other agencies in Cobb and Gwinnett that tie into the MARTA system for no extra fee.

We dont need as many buses because Heavy rail carries much more ,further and faster.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Othello Is Here

Actually I live OTP
Knowing the history of our state legislature and their many attempts at gaining control over MARTA from Atlanta,I am very skeptical of our state Republican run leadership.
Please enlighten me how Im wrong for being so skeptical.

Local and state politicians in Georgia definitely give Chicago and Louisiana a run for their money. Maybe even top them in corruption.

But Cobb and Gwinnett people don't want an Atlanta dominated agency telling them how to spend their money and Atlanta doesn't want one with Cobb and Gwinnett having the most powerful voices.

I don't see it happening without state intervention. Cobb's leaders have been insular. Gwinnett's politicians are opposed to new taxes. Mayor Reed is a bully. Now Reed is gone which may or may not help. He was able to work with the governor but threw 5 year old tantrums when he didn't get his way. Tim Lee being gone may or may not help. He was pro-transit but anti-cooperation.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Othello Is Here

LOL.
But wait....You are serious?
You are using Dallas and Houston as examples?

According to Houston's own Transit page it says Houston has 126 routes to Atlanta's 101 routes.
We have other agencies in Cobb and Gwinnett that tie into the MARTA system for no extra fee.

We dont need as many buses because Heavy rail carries much more ,further and faster.

Houston and Dallas both rated above Atlanta in a recent study of the effectiveness of transit. They looked at the number of jobs you could reach in a given amount of time (45 minutes I believe). Atlanta was near the bottom. Rail moves more and faster, but it is far less likely to go where you are and take you where you want to go.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by aries4118

New name for the consolidation:


mat

metro atlanta transit


matbus {local and interurban buses}
matrail {heavy rail+light metro network}
mattrain {commuter rail network}
mattrolley or mattram {trolley/tram/streetcar/light-rail system on surface streets/roads}
matX {express commuter buses}
matshuttle {localized shuttle buses}

Why not just use the existing state-created regional transit agency and let it do it's original intended purpose?
MARTABus- local bus
MARTARail- HRT and LRT/Streetcar
MARTARapid- BRT and ART bus routes

[bu2]

Dallas got its various cities to come together in DART and build the nation's largest (in miles) light rail system, all in the last 25 years. They didn't get the feds to build it all for them. So they are an example for cooperation and getting things done.

Houston got a group of very different areas to join into one transit agency. They held out 1/4 cent for roads as an inducement for the less dense areas, which would be getting less service, to participate.