Now Will GDOT Seriously Consider Commuter Rail? (maintenance, tax)

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Honestly, there is little reason to run a train from Cartersville to Atlanta every 15 minutes, all day. Between Marietta and Atlanta, yes mimic RTD A-line service. But the others should act more like traditional Commuter Rail since there is little need for reverse commutes to Dallas or Acworth. Atlanta to Cartersville is intercity with higher headways.

Well, if you build TODs along every line at every station, there might be reason. My idea was to use commuter rail to seed new, dense developments throughout the county. Ideally, they would reinvigorate historic railroad towns throughout the county, turning them into walkable pockets of urbanism to help absorb the expected population growth in a sustainable way.

You might not need full-sized commuter trains, but a 2-car EMU or DMU every 15-20 minutes would be real nice for making car-free living a viable option. Even more so with the same frequency of BRT between key stations on the different branches, and with decent community / local buses around each main node.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Well, if you build TODs along every line at every station, there might be reason. My idea was to use commuter rail to seed new, dense developments throughout the county. Ideally, they would reinvigorate historic railroad towns throughout the county, turning them into walkable pockets of urbanism to help absorb the expected population growth in a sustainable way.

You might not need full-sized commuter trains, but a 2-car EMU or DMU every 15-20 minutes would be real nice for making car-free living a viable option. Even more so with the same frequency of BRT between key stations on the different branches, and with decent community / local buses around each main node.

No one in Paulding, Bartow, or even North Cobb going to be living that car-free lifestyle.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

No one in Paulding, Bartow, or even North Cobb going to be living that car-free lifestyle.

Certainly not if we don't give them that option in the first place. Even car-lite living would be a huge improvement.

[MattCW]

We can't even get the very dense areas of Atlanta to live a car-free lifestyle!
Can we at least stay grounded in reality here?

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by MattCW

We can't even get the very dense areas of Atlanta to live a car-free lifestyle!
Can we at least stay grounded in reality here?

So we shouldn't even offer the opportunity?

[primaltech]

Marietta to Atlanta stretch could effectively have double frequency (15 min frequency), by offsetting the Cartersville and Canton lines, which would each have 30 min frequency. The train to Kennesaw would arrive in Marietta at 6:00 and 6:30, the train to Woodstock would arrive at 6:15 and 6:45.

And the Knight Park/Howell Station stop (right on the Beltline, and the Reservoir Park, and with TOD), would have even higher frequency than that, serving all 3 NW lines.

Then eventually if Douglas County wants to get in on the rail game, there could be a Lithia Springs-Douglasville-Villa Rica line that branches off after Austell station.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Certainly not if we don't give them that option in the first place. Even car-lite living would be a huge improvement.

They do already have that option. They could move into town. They live way out there because they want the car-dependent/ quiet suburb lifestyle. This is not a bad thing, just a preference. Let the outer areas be like that.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

So we shouldn't even offer the opportunity?

There's a difference between offering an opportunity and constructing the entire system around hope that may never materialize. Build the P&R stations, and don't throw up any particular roadblocks to constructing TOD later, if it comes. Keep good sidewalk connections and bike facilities, but still deal with the reality that most of the people will drive to the station, for most of the station's life.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by primaltech

They do already have that option. They could move into town. They live way out there because they want the car-dependent/ quiet suburb lifestyle. This is not a bad thing, just a preference. Let the outer areas be like that.

I try not to make assumptions about the merits of people's lift that have brought them to an area. I've had life throw me enough curveballs that I understand that the reasons for people being in certain places aren't always in their control, nor are they always actually offered a range of options.

Originally Posted by MattCW

There's a difference between offering an opportunity and constructing the entire system around hope that may never materialize. Build the P&R stations, and don't throw up any particular roadblocks to constructing TOD later, if it comes. Keep good sidewalk connections and bike facilities, but still deal with the reality that most of the people will drive to the station, for most of the station's life.

Well, there's no reason to not try to get TODs from day one. By all means, also have parking facilities for commuters, but if the developers are there right now, as I suspect they are, then why shouldn't we have the developments from day one offering such a life style to as many people as possible?

[tikigod311]

A little Thanksgiving hope: Your Morning Jolt: Turkey, potatoes, and commuter rail | Political Insider

Last week, state Rep. Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville, was summoned to Columbus, where the House Transit Governance and Funding Commission was meeting. The chairman, state Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville, wanted Brockway to discuss a dead package of legislation.


House Resolution 830 and House Bill 1032 were filed in the middle of the 2016 session of the Legislature. They would allow special districts to be established in the paths of commuter rail lines, and would be allowed to levy property taxes in those specific areas.


Brockway’s bill offered a path around the countywide referendums that many local governments demanded – Cobb and Gwinnett counties in particular. “Not everybody in the county has to be involved,” Brockway explained.


Just before he signed off, Brockway offered one more bit of tantalizing information: He was on his way to lunch with Robbie Ashe, chairman of the MARTA board. Clearly, some wheels are turning on the issue.

Color me excited. I think 2018 is going to be good for expanding rail transit throughout the metro