MARTA transit plan includes 21 miles of light rail (Atlanta: closing, safety)

[jsvh]

Vote happening now: https://twitter.com/Claire_FOX5/stat...20414868078595


Edit: And it passed.

https://twitter.com/Claire_FOX5/stat...22867038560256

[Beretta]

Exciting news.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Edit: And it passed.

Well, here's hoping MARTA didn't shoot itself in the foot, and Emory follows through on gathering together the private funds it seems so optimistic about. Maybe the BeltLine Rail Now folks could lend a hand with that.

I'm cautiously optimistic about the plan going forward, and look forward to the first project's ground-breaking. What do y'all think will the first effort? ART? BRT? A streetcar extension? Some of the station improvements?

[cqholt]

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s (MARTA) Board of Directors made history today by unanimously approving the More MARTA Atlanta program which represents the region’s largest transit investment in more than four decades.

“In Atlanta in the 21st century, transit is the lifeblood of opportunity,” said Board chairman Robert L. Ashe. “It is how millions of Atlantans access jobs, school, health care, and move throughout their communities. Today, we together took an important step in building the Atlanta we want for decades to come.”
modcut.

https://www.itsmarta.com/uploadedFil...-18_final2.pdf

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Well, here's hoping MARTA didn't shoot itself in the foot, and Emory follows through on gathering together the private funds it seems so optimistic about. Maybe the BeltLine Rail Now folks could lend a hand with that.

I'm cautiously optimistic about the plan going forward, and look forward to the first project's ground-breaking. What do y'all think will the first effort? ART? BRT? A streetcar extension? Some of the station improvements?

Bus Service Improvements
General Amenities (bus stop amenities, including shelter, seating, and digital info.)
Station Improvements

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

https://www.itsmarta.com/uploadedFiles/Board%20Meeting%2010-4-18_final2.pdf

I was just about to post that!

Bus Service Improvements
General Amenities (bus stop amenities, including shelter, seating, and digital info.)
Station Improvements

Yeah, probably. They seem like they're the low-hanging fruit compared to the amount of planning left to do for pretty much every other route. Funnily enough, I wouldn't be surprised if we actually started seeing parts of the Summerhill -> Midtown BRT line come into place as the first bit of new high-capacity routing, since it already has federal funds directed at it, and can serve as something of a test bed for MARTA's BRT planning efforts.

Something worth noting is that both the Clifton Corridor and the BeltLine are needing significant efforts to get funding from private groups. It sounds to me like we need something more of a 'MARTA Booster Club' to help the agency if needed, rather than any corridor-specific effort.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

I was just about to post that!




Yeah, probably. They seem like they're the low-hanging fruit compared to the amount of planning left to do for pretty much every other route. Funnily enough, I wouldn't be surprised if we actually started seeing parts of the Summerhill -> Midtown BRT line come into place as the first bit of new high-capacity routing, since it already has federal funds directed at it, and can serve as something of a test bed for MARTA's BRT planning efforts.

Something worth noting is that both the Clifton Corridor and the BeltLine are needing significant efforts to get funding from private groups. It sounds to me like we need something more of a 'MARTA Booster Club' to help the agency if needed, rather than any corridor-specific effort.

I feel as if the BeltLine Rail Now! group did an excellent job of that for the BeltLine LRT and Emory is Emory, they'll be just fine.
Can we please have map from you?

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

I feel as if the BeltLine Rail Now! group did an excellent job of that for the BeltLine LRT and Emory is Emory, they'll be just fine.

I still don't particularly agree with the BeltLine Rail Now! group's process, nor their ultimate vision in the context of the More MARTA funding. I'd be dumb if I didn't acknowledge their ability to form up and act, though. It was an impressive grassroots efforts that I think can push forward to do some good for everyone involved. It'd be a shame to let the energy end here, especially given the additional funding and NIMBY fights that are inevitably ahead of the whole plan.

MARTA seems to have been a decently level-head in this, though, and set up a compromise that, while not perfect, is probably the best that could have been done given how many interest groups were yanking in every direction. I was very worried for a bit there that everyone would just be crabs in a bucket, between the Westside groups, the BeltLine folks, and the Clifton Corridor efforts.

I'm still worried, though I'm trying to remain cautiously optimistic, since all the leaders seem to be trying to be the same way. Still, though, I've had too many well-laid plans get shredded all too suddenly to really relax until the trains and buses are rolling.

Can we please have map from you?

Well, I actually have to spend time to make it, CQ. In the mean time, did you ever see this one I did a month ago: https://old.reddit.com/r/Atlanta/com...he_ridiculous/

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

I still don't particularly agree with the BeltLine Rail Now! group's process, nor their ultimate vision in the context of the More MARTA funding. I'd be dumb if I didn't acknowledge their ability to form up and act, though. It was an impressive grassroots efforts that I think can push forward to do some good for everyone involved. It'd be a shame to let the energy end here, especially given the additional funding and NIMBY fights that are inevitably ahead of the whole plan.

MARTA seems to have been a decently level-head in this, though, and set up a compromise that, while not perfect, is probably the best that could have been done given how many interest groups were yanking in every direction. I was very worried for a bit there that everyone would just be crabs in a bucket, between the Westside groups, the BeltLine folks, and the Clifton Corridor efforts.

I'm still worried, though I'm trying to remain cautiously optimistic, since all the leaders seem to be trying to be the same way. Still, though, I've had too many well-laid plans get shredded all too suddenly to really relax until the trains and buses are rolling.


Well, I actually have to spend time to make it, CQ. In the mean time, did you ever see this one I did a month ago: https://old.reddit.com/r/Atlanta/com...he_ridiculous/

I was thinking of a rapid transit map that shows HRT, LRT, BRT, and ART lines. Rail transit will be color based. BRT and ART can be letter based.

[cqholt]

MARTA seeks to work with City of Atlanta in getting Downtown Streetcar in dedicated lanes. This is exactly why MARTA should have been operating the streetcar from day 1. City of Atlanta can't even properly maintain it's public ROW.

One idea Downtown, he said, is to work with the city of Atlanta to see about maybe turning Auburn and Edgewood avenues into one-way streets, which would make it easier to give the streetcar its own dedicated lane.

https://saportareport.com/marta-to-s...car-expansion/

[jsvh]

Great news. LRT needs it's own right of way if it is going to be useful!