Will Gwinnett County join MARTA? Not likely, officials say (Atlanta: how much, school)

[fieldm]

Originally Posted by SEAandATL

As I said before, commuter rail transit to Cobb and Gwinnett needs to be completely privatized. The demand is there, people will be with to pay $5-10 to ride a train to avoid the traffic. When waiting on government, even the best case scenario is not good enough (actually getting approved on the ballot in 2018 or 2020 or whenever and then wait like another 30-40 years for it to finally be completed). Cobblink should just become privatized. It already sounds like a name of a company rather than a government agency. MARTA can stay in Atlanta and adjacent cities. I don't see why we don't just have a unified system of different names.

I guess if someone living in Cobb and working in Gwinnett wants to pay 3 different systems on their way to work then so be it

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Part of what is so enraging about Gwinnett is that its leaders seem to think the county's alleged "success" is a substitute for their bullheaded refusal to join MARTA.

The sad truth is that 99% of that growth is pure, unadulterated auto-based. I've driven down streets in Gwinnett and seen many houses with two or three vehicles parked out front.

Their success is buttload of cheap, greenfield land. Of course it'll also be their downfall once it's built-out.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Their success is buttload of cheap, greenfield land. Of course it'll also be their downfall once it's built-out.

Don't forget having significant political influence at GDOT (Moreland, Shackelford) in the 80s and 90s to get major road projects funded in that county to fuel their greenfield development.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Their success is buttload of cheap, greenfield land. Of course it'll also be their downfall once it's built-out.

Assuming they're not already suffering from the Growth Ponzie Scheme, which I highly suspect they are..

[fieldm]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Yeah.

I would say, definitely not all, but most residents who oppose MARTA in Cobb/Gwinnett, don't even know what they're even opposing, or why. They just oppose MARTA, because somebody told them it would bring "crime" or whatever other code words that obviously mean "black people", etc. Or someone told them it was a big government waste of money, or money funneled into Atlanta, or whatever. But mostly I think because it's an identity thing for the areas that do have MARTA, and that don't have it. It's like an identity war.

Which is probably why Gwinnett leaders are avoiding MARTA and just opting for a generic mass transit solution, without even really mentioning GCT or GRTA or who or what agency would even be operating it. Because they correctly know that this way, the transit tax referendum has a great chance of passing. Without all that nonsense stigma/controversy over MARTA. And then later on, after the vote passes, they can do whatever with combining it all into a new consolidated regional agency or whatever, kind of sneaking in what would have been MARTA.

I seriously believe though, as stupid and ridiculous as it is, a new and totally fresh name (especially one that's friendly to northside white conservative Republican suburbanities and exurbanites, like that mentions Georgia and not Atlanta), and a new general identity rebrand and new color scheme, that would be enough to do it. You'd have Cobb and Gwinnett on board, with probably very little board representation changes needed. Maybe the couple of non-voting Governor-appointed members would need to become voting members. But that's about it. Same old MARTA, with just a paint job.

Oh, and then make the actual transit for Cobb and Gwinnett based mostly around express commuter service to Downtown/Midtown and the airport and such, without all the stops. They'd eat that right up.

I wish I would good with online graphics because I would make Georgia Transit logo along with that logo on the heavy rail train. Then I would have a photo of the CEO and staff which would be a photo of 70% Republicans and the rest Democrats. It would pass easily

[primaltech]

Or another reasonable compromise (and therefore I fear unlikely), would be MARTA keeps its name/logo/colors/brand identity, but all the changes occur behind the scenes.

That is, in exchange for permanent state funding, and Cobb and Gwinnett finally holding a referendum to join, MARTA leadership structure would report up to the governor, probably via the director of GDOT. There would still be locally appointed representatives from each MARTA jurisdiction as part of the leadership, but they'd lose power. The control would be held by conservative Republicans in the state political apparatus.

I see one of those 3 possibilities as the only routes for MARTA into Cobb and Gwinnett. 1) MARTA totally rebrands (and some board changes) 2) MARTA is consolidated with GRTA, or replaced by a successor agency, etc 3) MARTA looks the same but is overhauled/gutted behind the scenes

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by SEAandATL

As I said before, commuter rail transit to Cobb and Gwinnett needs to be completely privatized. The demand is there, people will be with to pay $5-10 to ride a train to avoid the traffic. When waiting on government, even the best case scenario is not good enough (actually getting approved on the ballot in 2018 or 2020 or whenever and then wait like another 30-40 years for it to finally be completed). Cobblink should just become privatized. It already sounds like a name of a company rather than a government agency. MARTA can stay in Atlanta and adjacent cities. I don't see why we don't just have a unified system of different names.

This could be feasible for some kind of passenger commuter rail service, but not for local bus transit and such.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I see one of those 3 possibilities as the only routes for MARTA into Cobb and Gwinnett. 1) MARTA totally rebrands (and some board changes) 2) MARTA is consolidated with GRTA, or replaced by a successor agency, etc 3) MARTA looks the same but is overhauled/gutted behind the scenes

Sorry, I also see one more possibility: 4) The laws are changed so that limited parts of Cobb/Gwinnett can join MARTA, instead of the whole county. As in, Cumberland CID/ Six Flags CID, Gwinnett Village CID, Gwinnett Place CID. Maybe the city of Peachtree Corners.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Assuming they're not already suffering from the Growth Ponzie Scheme, which I highly suspect they are..

It is stunning that these people don't realize how close to disaster they are. They may have the best parks system in the country and award winning schools and explosive growth, but without MARTA it's as hollow as an empty tin can.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Or another reasonable compromise (and therefore I fear unlikely), would be MARTA keeps its name/logo/colors/brand identity, but all the changes occur behind the scenes.

That is, in exchange for permanent state funding, and Cobb and Gwinnett finally holding a referendum to join, MARTA leadership structure would report up to the governor, probably via the director of GDOT. There would still be locally appointed representatives from each MARTA jurisdiction as part of the leadership, but they'd lose power. The control would be held by conservative Republicans in the state political apparatus.

I see one of those 3 possibilities as the only routes for MARTA into Cobb and Gwinnett. 1) MARTA totally rebrands (and some board changes) 2) MARTA is consolidated with GRTA, or replaced by a successor agency, etc 3) MARTA looks the same but is overhauled/gutted behind the scenes

MARTA already reports to MARTOC.