Will MARTA ever make to Cobb and Gwinnett? (Atlanta, Buckhead: school, living in)

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by JMatl

Same here, brother aires.

Imagine the impact if the State would implement the already in place Commuter Rail plans and the MMPT. Coupled with the renaissance happening in South Downtown, it would be amazingly transformative.

And the more I think about it, if Atlanta/Metro Atlanta only implemented the projects listed below, the rest would just be gravy/icing:

1. Completing Beltline Transit (as originally planned). True transit.
2. Commuter Rail (all 11 lines to the outer exurbs).
3. Heavy Rail/Light Metro line to Cumberland/SunTrust Park.
4. Heavy Rail/Light Metro line to Emory and Northlake.
5. Heavy Rail/Light Metro line to International Terminal/Hapeville/Forest Park
6. Heavy Rail/Light Metro line extended up GA400 to extreme South Forsyth (just beyond Windward).

[primaltech]

Forget the fantasy stuff. Meanwhile in reality, phase 1 is already underway:



https://atltransit.ga.gov/

Co-branded MARTA buses for now, and pretty soon all the buses in the region will be at least co-branded ATL.

Then eventually it might all go towards all vehicles adopting the ATL color scheme and logo as the primary branding, with maybe a small operator co-branding in the bottom corner or something. MARTA being an operator of the transit. I dunno.

But I bet eventually the Breeze card and official apps and official maps will all be exclusively branded ATL, all the bus stop signage and train station signage, all the bus route numbering, etc. MARTA and Xpress and CobbLinc and GCT and whatever else will be phased out as far as branding and visibility.

Then as far as Cobb and Gwinnett, it will get to the point where everything's already ATL anyway regardless, so might as well contract to hand over transit operations to MARTA and pay a sales tax, instead of having to have their own operators.

That's how I hope this goes. Or something like that.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Forget the fantasy stuff. Meanwhile in reality, phase 1 is already underway:



https://atltransit.ga.gov/

Co-branded MARTA buses for now, and pretty soon all the buses in the region will be at least co-branded ATL.

Then eventually it might all go towards all vehicles adopting the ATL color scheme and logo as the primary branding, with maybe a small operator co-branding in the bottom corner or something. MARTA being an operator of the transit. I dunno.

But I bet eventually the Breeze card and official apps and official maps will all be exclusively branded ATL, all the bus stop signage and train station signage, all the bus route numbering, etc. MARTA and Xpress and CobbLinc and GCT and whatever else will be phased out as far as branding and visibility.

Then as far as Cobb and Gwinnett, it will get to the point where everything's already ATL anyway regardless, so might as well contract to hand over transit operations to MARTA and pay a sales tax, instead of having to have their own operators.

That's how I hope this goes. Or something like that.

Primal,
No one likes "ATL." It hasn't even caught on--even though it has been promoted.

#confusion
#provincial






mat
metro atlanta transit

matbus
matrail {Heavy Rail/Light Metro System...7 lines}
mattrain {Commuter Rail...11 lines}
mattrolley {Streetcar System}
matX {Express Commuter Bus}
matshuttle {Shuttle Bus}
matmover {People Mover}
matgondola {Sky Gondola}
matride {Public Taxi Ride}
matdecker {Double-Decker, tourist-like dedicated routes}
#logical
#wise
#intelligent

[Saskia Calico]

First of all, I would make two different polls out of this thread. Cobb and Gwinnett are two quite different counties.

I would be very surprised to see Cobb ever want MARTA.

ATLTJL I agree with you about MARTA's rep. Or rather, notoriety.

[arjay57]

I could see Gwinnett going for more transit some day, whether it's MARTA or something else.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

The bigger question is, who cares?

I mean, the MARTA vote for Gwinnett allowed for rail to Jimmy Carter Blvd. That's basically a 4 mile extension. That's it. There was also the POSSIBILITY of an extension to Gwinnett Place Mall... WITHIN 30 YEARS! Maybe.

So now something like that can't pass until next year, at the very earliest, which is unlikely. So that could bring a train to Gwinnett Place when? 2050? Too little, too late. That train has left the station.

Suburban counties in Atlanta are banking on some solution other than MARTA. I guess they think self-driving cars are going to solve their problems. Maybe they think flying cars are around the corner. In either case, they're dead wrong.

Um, how about Commuter Rail in addition to MARTA? The 'Brain Train' would be transformative. As someone that lives out there and should be pulling for the success of the County, I would think you 'would care.'

The money for much of the over-intensive bus proposal could be redirected to two Commuter Rail lines that would be a boon to Gwinnett, and the entire NE quadrant of the Metro as well. I-85 and 316 would also get 'some' breathing room.

At any rate, you guys need to figure something out, and fast. Paving over North Georgia isn't an option, and the general health of Gwinnett is on the line if things remain the same.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by JMatl

Um, how about Commuter Rail in addition to MARTA? The 'Brain Train' would be transformative. As someone that lives out there and should be pulling for the success of the County, I would think you 'would care.'

The money for much of the over-intensive bus proposal could be redirected to two Commuter Rail lines that would be a boon to Gwinnett, and the entire NE quadrant of the Metro as well. I-85 and 316 would also get 'some' breathing room.

At any rate, you guys need to figure something out, and fast. Paving over North Georgia isn't an option, and the general health of Gwinnett is on the line if things remain the same.

Amen.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by JMatl

This latest vote in Gwinnett was purposely scheduled as a stand alone election by the powers that be, it was designed to fail. Had the vote been last Fall in the general election, it would have passed comfortably.

I'm convinced it will pass eventually, but it's WAY past time for the State to step up. This includes the shameful way we had to return the Federal seed money to launch Commuter Rail to Clayton County.

I'm also convinced Cobb will come on board as
well, if it's a targeted vote aimed at the 75 corridor.

Agreed. As long as this state is controlled by the Good Old Boys' network, transit won't be expanding past Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton for awhile. And even if it does expand there, don't expect much HRT in Gwinnett, and be glad if Cobb gets a single line.

We need commuter rail!

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by Saskia Calico

First of all, I would make two different polls out of this thread. Cobb and Gwinnett are two quite different counties.

I would be very surprised to see Cobb ever want MARTA.

ATLTJL I agree with you about MARTA's rep. Or rather, notoriety.

I mean, Cobb hasn't had a chance to have a vote on the matter ever, or I think there was maybe one vote in the 1960's when Cobb had 200,000 people and all white. And still like 30% of even those people voted yes.

Gwinnett, by contrast has voted on it and has rejected MARTA 3 times, including as recently as last month.

Cobb is a majority Democratic county with a heavy minority presence. If there was a county-wide vote to join MARTA on the November 2020 ballot, with a good plan, it might even pass- or it might fail with 45% support.

But if they just simply draw the transit district, carve out half the county that supports and wants MARTA and let that district vote on it, it 100% would pass. That is a legal option that Cobb uniquely now has, and I'm not sure why we can't just go that route and have the study now and then the plan early next year and then the vote late next year.

But they (Republican county leadership) instead want to kick the can on this topic yet again, and delay until 2022. Just because of some roads TSPLOST in 2020, that's the big excuse.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by primaltech

But if they just simply draw the transit district, carve out half the county that supports and wants MARTA and let that district vote on it, it 100% would pass.

That's the way to approach it. Most of Cobb (and Fulton and DeKalb, for that matter) doesn't need mass transit. But if some people want MARTA, why not let them have at it?