MARTA transit plan includes 21 miles of light rail (Atlanta, Glenwood: neighborhoods, live)

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

I don't find it 'glaringly obvious' at all. The Clifton Corridor is the largest employment center in the metro not being served by rail, and is a gateway to the most rapidly densifying quadrant in the metro. This opposed to an only recently realized pipe dream. Priorities. It may not be as 'sexy' as the Beltline in the eyes of many, but it is IMO the wiser choice at this point.

Right, but the Clifton Corridor will happen with or without the More MARTA tax. Because it is an important regional project, it will get regional funding.

The Beltline very likely won't.

So with that, the answer is glaringly obvious. Build a transit line a little quicker or actually put in action a plan to handle Atlanta's growth? The Beltline has far greater implications on the future of our beloved city than the Clifton Corridor, that shouldn't even be a point of debate.

This is not a matter of sexy, this is a matter of planning!

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Right, but the Clifton Corridor will happen with or without the More MARTA tax. Because it is an important regional project, it will get regional funding.

The Beltline very likely won't.

So with that, the answer is glaringly obvious. Build a transit line a little quicker or actually put in action a plan to handle Atlanta's growth? The Beltline has far greater implications on the future of our beloved city than the Clifton Corridor, that shouldn't even be a point of debate.

I actually do find it a matter of debate. Kudos for the Beltline, but the Corridor has been waiting in line for a long time. The Beltline, not so much. It will have its day. But not today.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

I actually do find it a matter of debate. Kudos for the Beltline, but the Corridor has been waiting in line for a long time. The Beltline, not so much. It will have its day. But not today.

So for you, it is more important to expedite this line than to effectively execute a plan to handle Atlanta's inevitable future growth? Maybe you don't fully understand the Beltline concept, but it is the type of planning that Atlanta has lacked for too long. We have paid a severe price thanks to our lack of planning and haphazard development patterns. The Beltline represents a real course correction. And you just want to give that up to build the Clifton Corridor faster?

[bu2]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

So for you, it is more important to expedite this line than to effectively execute a plan to handle Atlanta's inevitable future growth? Maybe you don't fully understand the Beltline concept, but it is the type of planning that Atlanta has lacked for too long. We have paid a severe price thanks to our lack of planning and haphazard development patterns. The Beltline represents a real course correction. And you just want to give that up to build the Clifton Corridor faster?

In other words, you prefer some long term maybe thing over something that actually needs transit now?

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by bu2

In other words, you prefer some long term maybe thing over something that actually needs transit now?

Yes, I prefer the City of Atlanta spend it's own extremely finite money on projects that provide the maximum value to the City of Atlanta. 20 Years from now, expediting the Clifton Corridor at the expense of building out the Beltline will prove to be a short sighted decision.

The Clifton Corridor will be funded, they are just leveraging the city's transit funding to build it quicker.

Again, this is not a choice between building out the Beltline or building the Clifton Corridor. This is a choice between expediting the Clifton Corridor at the expense of building out the Beltline.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

So for you, it is more important to expedite this line than to effectively execute a plan to handle Atlanta's inevitable future growth? Maybe you don't fully understand the Beltline concept, but it is the type of planning that Atlanta has lacked for too long. We have paid a severe price thanks to our lack of planning and haphazard development patterns. The Beltline represents a real course correction. And you just want to give that up to build the Clifton Corridor faster?

I don't find them mutually exclusive; I thought that was clear. I simply think that the original plan that voters supported in the first place should be adhered to. That in itself is no contradiction of my support of Beltline transit.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

I don't find them mutually exclusive; I thought that was clear. I simply think that the original plan that voters supported in the first place should be adhered to. That in itself is no contradiction of my support of Beltline transit.

Great! Lets stick to the original plan. Pulled directly from the original plan currently on MARTA's More MARTA tax website...



The choice between Beltline transit and expediting the Clifton Corridor is mutually exclusive. The original plan had a large list of transit projects, all of which could not be funded with this tax. Choosing a project eliminates other projects.

Just to be clear, I'm not against building the Clifton Corridor, I think it's a very worthy project. The problem is the way it is funded. And hell, I don't mind some of the More MARTA tax going to contribute to the CC. But the way this is playing out, Atlanta will be covering the majority of local funding for this project. A project that, up until a few months ago, barely had a footprint in the CoA.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Great! Lets stick to the original plan. Pulled directly from the original plan currently on MARTA's More MARTA tax website...



The choice between Beltline transit and expediting the Clifton Corridor is mutually exclusive. The original plan had a large list of transit projects, all of which could not be funded with this tax. Choosing a project eliminates other projects.

Just to be clear, I'm not against building the Clifton Corridor, I think it's a very worthy project. The problem is the way it is funded. And hell, I don't mind some of the More MARTA tax going to contribute to the CC. But the way this is playing out, Atlanta will be covering the majority of local funding for this project. A project that, up until a few months ago, barely had a footprint in the CoA.

So you make it sound as if implementation of the Corridor project precludes any prospect for transportation on the Beltline, which I believe to be erroneous. Besides, the Beltline seems to be thriving without the presence of streetcars, so I don't believe that delaying that phase of the project will torpedo Beltline progress itself.
I'll just conclude by saying I am pleased by the direction in which things are going.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

I don't find it 'glaringly obvious' at all. The Clifton Corridor is the largest employment center in the metro not being served by rail,

It is? The Clifton Corridor is larger than Cumberland?

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

It is? The Clifton Corridor is larger than Cumberland?

Not sure, but I believe they were referring to areas currently eligible for MARTA rail.