The ATL: new regional transit system (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: sunny, pickup, segregation)
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I guess because their systems are newer and have made bigger strides in the last few decades, while Atlanta's rail system hit a wall about 20 years ago. Also most people in Atlanta don't count the blessings of the existing rail system that was built in the 70's that connects to most of the prominent areas of the city and the airport. Instead they tend to focus on where it doesn't go, such as the Battery, Marietta, Alpharetta, Norcross, etc.
Areas they all chose to move to, knowing no rail was out there.
Thank you for this. Top 10 ten transit system in the country, top 50 in the world. Most don't understand what we have here.
It would be nearly impossible to replicate today what MARTA has.
Also, for anyone who still doesn't understand the role of The ATL, I came across this detailed breakdown of HB 930, by Council for Quality Growth https://www.metroatlantachamber.com/...up_p5zmJBQ.pdf
Things that stick out to me:
Quote:
To finance transit projects outlined in the regional transit plan, metro counties may raise an additional sales tax of up to 1 percent
(with the exception of Fulton (see below), Clayton, and DeKalb counties), in increments of .05 percent, for up to 30 years (TSPLOST).
Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton Counties can hold TSPLOST referendums of 0.5 or 1.0% sale tax increases without needing the project list to be approved by ATL Authority.
Quote:
Non-13-County Metro Area
Any two or more neighboring counties located outside of the 13-county metro region over which the ATL Authority has jurisdiction
can impose a TSPLOST for transit projects. The procedure for implementing a TSPLOST among two or more neighboring counties is
similar to the procedure for implementing a TSPLOST in one of the 13 counties in the metro region, except that:
• The counties jointly implementing a TSPLOST must execute an intergovernmental agreement;
• The counties jointly implementing a TSPLOST are not required to develop transit projects in collaboration with the
ATL Authority; AND
• The TSPLOST referendum must be approved in each county jointly implementing a TSPLOST or the TSPLOST will not
be implemented in any of those counties.
Counties adjacent to 13-county GRTA/ATL service area can hold TSPLOST.
Quote:
Cobb County
As an alternative to bringing forth a county-wide TSPLOST referendum, the legislation allows Cobb County to draw a special transit
district within the County. A Special District Transit Committee can be formed and charged with creating a special district map for
Cobb and identifying the services to be provided within the district. The Committee will include the members of the Cobb Board of
Commissioners and members of the House and Senate that represent Cobb County, which currently will total 26 members
collectively. There will be two subcommittees formed, one made up of the Board of Commissioners and the other composed of the
legislative delegation members. Both subcommittees must approve the proposed map before being approved by the full
Committee. The Committee will then negotiate a proposed transit contract with MARTA for the provision of heavy rail, light-rail, bus
rapid transit, or other modes of transit services in Cobb County. Transit services must be within the ATL Authority’s regional transit
plan and will require approval from the ATL Authority. The Cobb County Board of Commissioners can then choose to approve the
proposed map and contract negotiated by the Committee.
A referendum must then be held and approved by voters within the drawn special district. The County is empowered to finance the
transit expansion in any manner, but passage of a referendum will allow the County to implement a special retail and use tax that will
only be collected within the confines of the special district up to a rate of 1 percent but can be in increments of .05 percent and can
only be used on obligations incurred by the transit contract and services provided. However, if no contract has been entered and
approved by the voters before December 1, 2019, the section creating the Cobb County Special District will be repealed.
MARTA will operate any new transit approved and funded by the Cobb County Transit District.
Quote:
Fulton County
Fulton County can bring forth a referendum authorizing an additional retail sales and use tax up to .20 percent in increments of .05
percent, for no less than ten years and no more than thirty years. This money cannot be used to fund heavy rail expansion but can be
used for light-rail, bus rapid transit, or other transit services provided by MARTA. Before a referendum can be called, an
intergovernmental agreement must be entered into between the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and the Mayors in Fulton
representing at least seventy percent of the population of Fulton County outside the City of Atlanta. If the tax is levied after January
1, 2019, the proposed projects must be part of the regional transit plan and approved by the ATL Authority. The local governments
will have planning and zoning power over any proposed transit-oriented development
Quote:
Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners can call for a MARTA referendum after negotiating a rapid transit services contract and, if
approved by the voters before January 1, 2019, Gwinnett can negotiate with MARTA for the provision of heavy rail, light-rail, bus rapid
transit, or other transit services. If approved after January 1, 2019, the rapid transit service offered must be a part of the Regional
Transit Plan and approved by the ATL Authority. Gwinnett County can also levy a sales and use tax of up to 1 percent in increments
of .05 percent to fund the obligations of the rapid service contract. Additionally, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners can
appoint three residents to the MARTA Board who will serve four-year terms if a contract with MARTA is approved.
Gwinnett County's next chance at transit funding must be approved by ATL Authority.
You have the power to elect transit-friendly commissioners.
Well, I mean, my commissioner is Bob Ott who is not bad, he's pro-transit from everything I've heard and seen. He is heavily influenced by the Cumberland business scene who are definitely pro-transit expansion. And we do have Lisa Cupid representing South Cobb who's awesome. I am actively supporting her run for county chair in 2020, she would be the most thoughtful and bright leader the county has ever had for chair. Wonderful brilliant lady whom I have had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to at the transit town hall.
Jen Jordan my local state senator is heavily in favor of transit and MARTA for Cobb. Teri Anulewicz is also awesome, those 2 great ladies hosted the Smyrna town halls in favor of transit. The MARTA 4 Cobb guy was there too and he spoke and schooled the idiots, including the complete idiot north Cobb leader Ed Setzler.
The problem is the heavily conservative North Cobb areas still kinda holding the county back, and some of East Cobb, although a lot of that area is actually turning blue and purple now too.
I've voted straight Democratic since I moved to this area, and the county seems to be majority Democratic now. It's just not quite at that tipping point with the county leadership and specifically with the transit/MARTA issue. I would think there's no way that things don't start moving pretty soon. I will do what I can to help.
And Atlanta is a much smaller portion of the total metro than Seattle and Portland. The Atlanta metro figure is about 4%.
As for access to jobs, Atlanta is 85 of 100 with 21.7% of jobs accessible within 90 minutes (combined score of access to transit and access to jobs ranks Atlanta #91 page 21-ahead of Richmond, Greenville, Birmingham, Knoxville, Riverside CA, Youngstown, August, Melbourne FL and Poughkeepsie NY). Only Dallas, with the largest light rail system in the country is ranked lower among these 16 metro areas with a half million jobs accessible. Seattle is #35 and is currently doing a major expansion while this report was in 2016. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content...bs_transit.pdf
<from page 16 of the link>
Table 3. Metropolitan Areas with 500,000 or More Jobs Accessible in 90 Minutes via Transit
Average Jobs Reachable in Share of Share
Metropolitan Area 90 Minutes Metropolitan Jobs (%) Rank
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA 3,539,294 36.6 25
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA 1,544,990 25.6 69
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI 1,194,812 23.9 76
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,148,904 36.6 24
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH 832,215 30.2 43
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 812,343 29.6 50
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 798,327 34.8 30
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 747,972 24.0 75
Denver-Aurora, CO 617,584 47.5 10
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 603,562 29.7 48
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 593,045 19.0 88
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 583,301 33.4 35
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 573,032 21.7 85
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 553,213 58.4 3
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 516,389 44.0 12
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 516,331 27.4 61
And Atlanta is a much smaller portion of the total metro than Seattle and Portland. The Atlanta metro figure is about 4%.
As for access to jobs, Atlanta is 85 of 100 with 21.7% of jobs accessible within 90 minutes (combined score of access to transit and access to jobs ranks Atlanta #91 page 21-ahead of Richmond, Greenville, Birmingham, Knoxville, Riverside CA, Youngstown, August, Melbourne FL and Poughkeepsie NY). Only Dallas, with the largest light rail system in the country is ranked lower among these 16 metro areas with a half million jobs accessible. Seattle is #35 and is currently doing a major expansion while this report was in 2016. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content...bs_transit.pdf
<from page 16 of the link>
Table 3. Metropolitan Areas with 500,000 or More Jobs Accessible in 90 Minutes via Transit
Average Jobs Reachable in Share of Share
Metropolitan Area 90 Minutes Metropolitan Jobs (%) Rank
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA 3,539,294 36.6 25
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA 1,544,990 25.6 69
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI 1,194,812 23.9 76
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,148,904 36.6 24
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH 832,215 30.2 43
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 812,343 29.6 50
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 798,327 34.8 30
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 747,972 24.0 75
Denver-Aurora, CO 617,584 47.5 10
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 603,562 29.7 48
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 593,045 19.0 88
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 583,301 33.4 35
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 573,032 21.7 85
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 553,213 58.4 3
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 516,389 44.0 12
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 516,331 27.4 61
But going by this metric you can say that Denver and Las Vegas have better transit systems than New York.
Well, I mean, my commissioner is Bob Ott who is not bad, he's pro-transit from everything I've heard and seen. He is heavily influenced by the Cumberland business scene who are definitely pro-transit expansion. And we do have Lisa Cupid representing South Cobb who's awesome. I am actively supporting her run for county chair in 2020, she would be the most thoughtful and bright leader the county has ever had for chair. Wonderful brilliant lady whom I have had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to at the transit town hall.
Jen Jordan my local state senator is heavily in favor of transit and MARTA for Cobb. Teri Anulewicz is also awesome, those 2 great ladies hosted the Smyrna town halls in favor of transit. The MARTA 4 Cobb guy was there too and he spoke and schooled the idiots, including the complete idiot north Cobb leader Ed Setzler.
The problem is the heavily conservative North Cobb areas still kinda holding the county back, and some of East Cobb, although a lot of that area is actually turning blue and purple now too.
I've voted straight Democratic since I moved to this area, and the county seems to be majority Democratic now. It's just not quite at that tipping point with the county leadership and specifically with the transit/MARTA issue. I would think there's no way that things don't start moving pretty soon. I will do what I can to help.
Or maybe its because Atlanta has a much lower % ridership and one of the worst %s of jobs that can be reached by mass transit (survey a few years back put it 91 of top 100 metros).
Blaming it on racism is ignorant and unproductive. Those that truly think that way get reinforced and those that don't, get turned off by the ignorant self-righteousness.
What is more likely, that people are aware of some obscure transit related stats or of the racial makeup of transit users?
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