MARTA to mark 1/3 of its fleet with red X's (Atlanta: foreclosure, to live in)

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Yes...and I'll ask the same question I've asked many times that no one wants to answer...because they can't.

What was going on for years when the Democrats controlled both the legislature and the Governor's mansion? What did Roy Barnes do during his four years to rectify all these terrible injustices? He had a Democrat legislature, but somehow he wants us to believe (and it seems some of you buy it) that now he'll do all the things he couldn't or wouldn't do last time around.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that when Democrats were in charge that it was better per se. After all, the dumb 50/50 rule was put in place at MARTAs inception and had been critized as long as it has been around. What's different though is that we weren't in the same situation then.

MARTA was just completing construction of it's last station when Perdue took over. Since then, nothing. Barnes also saw the need to create regional commuter rail, that's why GRTA was created. The funds for the first test line to Lovejoy had already been obtained from the Feds and there was a much larger plan that was to be implemented. That all came to a dead stop when Perdue took over. Also keep in mind that MARTA ridership has increased significantly in the last 8 years, while tax revenues have declined significantly in the last 3.

Originally Posted by neil0311

I'm not saying Perdue is great, but I read the same kind of knee jerk, blind partisanship in this forum that we heard about George Bush. Bush got blamed for everything, including the weather (hurricanes), and Perdue also gets blamed for everything, including the weather (last year's drought).

I'm all for blaming when appropriate, but some of you need some perspective.

To me this isn't a Republican or Democrat issue or even a conservative or liberal one. It's about having a government that is progressive about developing infrastructure. Just look to Florida and California, they both have Republican governors but they see the need for being aggressive on public transportation.

Not funding MARTA properly and being idle as it basically dies effects everyone in the region even negative regardless of their political persuasion.

[mike7586]

Originally Posted by MikeandIke27

So how long do you think It would take Charlotte to get 38 stations commute over 300,000 people a day and have 48 miles of train.... Thats just rail. Not including bus ridership. WHo is to say that in the next 10 years things wont change.... I just dont think this kinda thing is going to happen to where Marta becomes the smallest system its Still right now the 9th largest system so I sure wanna see Charlotte pull that off

At this rate, probably faster than it would take Georgia state leaders to come to an agreement on a decent transportation bill! Let's hope I'm wrong.

[Blkspice23]

Originally Posted by mike7586

At this rate, probably faster than it would take Georgia state leaders to come to an agreement on a decent transportation bill! Let's hope I'm wrong.

I dont know Charlotte has a long way to go to reach those numbers in ridership and stations and miles of track......

[SAAN]

I told someone today the red X's on Marta is GRTA's initial take over of Marta and they actually believed me too, before i told them it was a joke. This shows just how many people dont watch the news or know whats going on now adays.

[rackensack]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I understand that some subsidy is needed for any public transit, but if there isn't enough money to completely pay for the operating costs, then the users of that service need to pay for it. Everyone wants something for nothing.

But the problem isn't that there's not enough money to pay operating costs. It's that having only 50% of the system's funds available to pay for operating costs isn't enough. The state's the one mandating that MARTA spend no more than 50% of its revenue on operating expenditures and the rest on capital expenditures. That's what MARTA officials and the more foresightful political leaders have been asking in vain for the legislature to change.

Can you give me any compelling reason why the state, which provides 0% percent of that revenue, should be allowed to continue to dictate how that revenue should be spent, and to, in effect, starve the system out by precluding it from using its own revenue to meet its operating expenses and then saying "look, MARTA's badly managed and ineffective -- it can't even pay for itself"?

[Backinblac]

Originally Posted by Blkspice23

I dont know Charlotte has a long way to go to reach those numbers in ridership and stations and miles of track......

What about that behemoth called Dallas? What are they up to?

[ebs964]

Just wondering how much money it will cost to clean the red X's off the buses?

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by rackensack

But the problem isn't that there's not enough money to pay operating costs. It's that having only 50% of the system's funds available to pay for operating costs isn't enough. The state's the one mandating that MARTA spend no more than 50% of its revenue on operating expenditures and the rest on capital expenditures. That's what MARTA officials and the more foresightful political leaders have been asking in vain for the legislature to change.

Can you give me any compelling reason why the state, which provides 0% percent of that revenue, should be allowed to continue to dictate how that revenue should be spent, and to, in effect, starve the system out by precluding it from using its own revenue to meet its operating expenses and then saying "look, MARTA's badly managed and ineffective -- it can't even pay for itself"?

This sums things up pretty nicely!

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by Backinblac

What about that behemoth called Dallas? What are they up to?

Quite a bit, actually.

And isn't just Dallas, but the entire region seems to "get it," as they are also adding cross-suburban lines to the Metroplex.

These links should give you an idea:
DART.org - Expansion Information

T to seek private aid for Cotton Belt line | Your Commute | News from Fort Worth, Dallas... (http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/14/2115680/t-to-seek-private-aid-for-cotton.html - broken link)

We are falling further and further behind.

[mike7586]

Originally Posted by johnatl

Quite a bit, actually.

And isn't just Dallas, but the entire region seems to "get it," as they are also adding cross-suburban lines to the Metroplex.

These links should give you an idea:
DART.org - Expansion Information

T to seek private aid for Cotton Belt line | Your Commute | News from Fort Worth, Dallas... (http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/14/2115680/t-to-seek-private-aid-for-cotton.html - broken link)

We are falling further and further behind.

We really are, and there is no excuse. Texas is just as conservative, if not more so, than Georgia and they are able to work together with the cities and get things done!