MARTA transit plan includes 21 miles of light rail (Atlanta, Auburn: quality of life, zoning)

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

The Campbelton Road corridor is set to receive over $420 Mil. in total transit funds between future ART, BRT, and LRT services. While I'm certain that the corridor does deserve that amount of spending, I can't help but compare it to other corridors that saw their proposed streetcar & light rail service postponed in favor of less expensive options.


Instead, what I would, like to see would be the shift of the money being set aside for the Campbelton Light Rail Line to an otherwise unserved project.


Specifically, I would suggest reallocating the light rail funds to the Southside BeltLine, bridging the gap between the S-Concept light rail sections from Murphy Ave to Irwin through the southeastern city. This would represent roughly 6 miles, or ~$330 Mil. by MARTA's own per-mile estimates. That leaves a $66.3 Mil. shortfall from the funding MARTA is planning for the Campbellton Line. I would be surprised if this gap could be closed if the project was paired directly with ABI's built-out of the Southside trail, allowing both MARTA and ABI to share land-working, infrastructure, and construction contracting costs. Further funding could come directly from ABI to help finish the route, since they are, as an organization, supposed to be funding transit as well as the trail and parks.


This would provide additional high-capacity service to the SE side of the city, allow riders to bypass the potentially slow inner-core of the city while trying to access the east side, allow cross-connectivity between the Northside and Capitol Bus Rapid Transit lines, and ensure that the BeltLine itself would be far more complete, all while still allowing high-capacity transit to be implemented in the Campbellton Rd corridor in the form of Bus Rapid Transit.

Actually, Campbellton Rd ART was dropped from the latest list published on MoreMARTA
http://www.itsmarta.com/uploadedFile...ary_052918.pdf(last pages)
Have the Capital Ave BRT use the existing Downtown Streetcar lanes and close them off to private vehicles. Kills 2 birds with 1 stone.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Actually, Campbellton Rd ART was dropped from the latest list published on MoreMARTA
http://www.itsmarta.com/uploadedFile...ary_052918.pdf(last pages)
Have the Capital Ave BRT use the existing Downtown Streetcar lanes and close them off to private vehicles. Kills 2 birds with 1 stone.

Note that the Campbellton Rd ART is still listed as "Y" on the list. It's a project that's still happening, but as I understand it, most of (all?) the funding is coming from outside the More MARTA source.

I was speaking in total terms, not just from More MARTA funding.

[SAAN]

So pretty much we will have to suffer in traffic for 1-2 more decades before we get our transit any better, and unless there is commuter rail to the suburbs, that wont help the problems outside the perimeter, but will atleast make Fulton and Dekalb much better

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

The Campbelton Road corridor is set to receive over $420 Mil. in total transit funds between future ART, BRT, and LRT services. While I'm certain that the corridor does deserve that amount of spending, I can't help but compare it to other corridors that saw their proposed streetcar & light rail service postponed in favor of less expensive options.


Instead, what I would, like to see would be the shift of the money being set aside for the Campbelton Light Rail Line to an otherwise unserved project.


Specifically, I would suggest reallocating the light rail funds to the Southside BeltLine, bridging the gap between the S-Concept light rail sections from Murphy Ave to Irwin through the southeastern city. This would represent roughly 6 miles, or ~$330 Mil. by MARTA's own per-mile estimates. That leaves a $66.3 Mil. shortfall from the funding MARTA is planning for the Campbellton Line. I would be surprised if this gap could be closed if the project was paired directly with ABI's built-out of the Southside trail, allowing both MARTA and ABI to share land-working, infrastructure, and construction contracting costs. Further funding could come directly from ABI to help finish the route, since they are, as an organization, supposed to be funding transit as well as the trail and parks.


This would provide additional high-capacity service to the SE side of the city, allow riders to bypass the potentially slow inner-core of the city while trying to access the east side, allow cross-connectivity between the Northside and Capitol Bus Rapid Transit lines, and ensure that the BeltLine itself would be far more complete, all while still allowing high-capacity transit to be implemented in the Campbellton Rd corridor in the form of Bus Rapid Transit.

Agreed. Campbellton Road needs to pick one option.

Any LRT built needs to be 90% in its own RoW.

[SEAandATL]

Originally Posted by SAAN

So pretty much we will have to suffer in traffic for 1-2 more decades before we get our transit any better, and unless there is commuter rail to the suburbs, that wont help the problems outside the perimeter, but will atleast make Fulton and Dekalb much better

Don't worry, cars will be flying by then, lol.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by SAAN

So pretty much we will have to suffer in traffic for 1-2 more decades before we get our transit any better, and unless there is commuter rail to the suburbs, that wont help the problems outside the perimeter, but will atleast make Fulton and Dekalb much better

Traffic is not going to get better in the long run either way. But transit can make incremental improvements pretty quick. For example, MARTA has already implemented a lot of bus improvements from the Nov 2016 More MARTA vote. But I agree major new transit lines will take a decade or two to come on line.

[AndyDwyer480]

MARTA has got to be the best transit system in the entire southeast

[bu2]

https://www.myajc.com/blog/commuting...CfYsCoNQvc5LI/

What wasn't included.

Heavy rail

*I-20 West: Two miles of heavy rail service from H.E. Holmes Station to a new station at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and I-285. $223.6 million.

*20 rail cars for Green Line expansion: Additional 20 rail cars to accommodate capacity improvements along the Green Line. No cost provided.

*10 rail cars for Blue Line expansion: Additional 10 rail cars to accommodate capacity improvements along the Blue Line. No cost provided.

Article also lists light rail, BRT, ART and other projects (infill stations) that were considered and not included.

[bu2]

https://www.myajc.com/news/opinion/o...MiAgUcVG6wezH/

Thoughtful article on getting new transit right:

"A new day for Atlanta transit has arrived, and with new leadership at city hall, the city has the opportunity to reconsider its transit direction to date. Fumbling along with the Beltline as its narrowly focused de facto transit planner and its mostly empty downtown streetcar as its only on-the-ground transit accomplishment, it’s time to get real.
A transit system is about connections between concentrations of origins and destinations – where people are and where they’re trying to get, in which coverage area and frequency of service are the most important factors in boosting ridership. Without ridership, transit becomes infeasible. Only after that kind of analysis does it become useful to consider what mix of transit modes best serves the system, evolving over time from right now on into the future. What do we need, who needs it most, and when do we need it? These questions must include consideration of fast-changing travel behaviors and technologies, like bike/pedestrian, Lyft and Uber, and autonomous vehicles. As part of that analysis, it is essential to consider cost and time of delivery. How are we going to pay for different modes, and how long does it take to deliver them?..."

[bu2]

Parker, however, seems to not get it.
https://www.myajc.com/news/opinion/o...uHEp4nGRzrztN/

"MARTA is in the midst of planning and executing its largest system and service expansion in well over two decades. Our mission is simple: connecting people and creating communities...."

Parker seems to think social engineering is MARTA's purpose (as well as "to expand the transit footprint")--NOT connecting people with their destinations.