Columbus GA vs Greensboro NC which is bigger & better

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by JoeP

There isn't a hardcore anti-road construction political atmosphere in Atlanta.

There is hardcore NIMBYism in Atlanta and the fact is most roads that would provide relief would need to be cleared of existing homes etc.

That's an excellent point about the hardcore NIMBYism in Metro Atlanta, particularly throughout the Metro Atlanta suburbs and exurbs where the land would need to be cleared of homes and trees for the construction of any new all-terrain freeways.

...But with an established and largely-successful history of intense resistance to new freeway construction originating out of the Intown East Atlanta freeway revolts of the 1960's and '70's (when Intown East Atlanta residents successfully stopped the attempts by the state to build two new freeways through their established urban neighborhoods, often by physically blocking and chaining themselves to bulldozers and construction equipment)...

...And with any further expansion of the road network inside of the I-285 Perimeter being a total impossibility because of the intense ITP public opposition to new road construction and because of the overwhelming demand for more transit by the ITP public...

...And with intense opposition often arising to large-scale new road construction projects in the Metro Atlanta suburbs outside of the I-285 Perimeter because of the intense hardcore NIMBYism that you speak of (intense opposition to homes and trees being leveled), and because of the intense fear that Metro Atlanta developers will only use those new suburban roads to build more sprawl and overdevelopment and make suburban traffic even worse than it already is...

...There most-certainly is a hardcore anti-road construction political atmosphere in Metro Atlanta, particularly inside of the I-285 Perimeter and even outside of it.

Originally Posted by JoeP

That was defeated for several reasons and not once did I hear "oh know, they're going to build the northern arc"

One of the major reasons that the Sierra Club opposed the Atlanta region T-SPLOST is because of the presence on the Atlanta region project list of a proposal to build a new freeway in the right-of-way of the erstwhile highly-controversial Northern Arc.

The Sierra Club explained their opposition to the T-SPLOST because of their concerns that the money would be used to fund a resurrection of a highly-unpopular large-scale project in the Northern Arc that the Sierra Club led the way in defeating in the late 1990's and early 2000's.
Metro Atlanta turning winning transit season into losing one | SaportaReport
From the above link:

But the most troubling element of the TIA draft list is that a segment of the Northern Arc expressway, an intensely controversial road that was repeatedly contested finally defeated by a diverse coalition of organizations (including Sierra Club) nearly a decade ago, was quietly slipped onto the list as project TIA-GW-060 with little public discussion regarding the true impact and ramifications of this decision.

The connection between TIA-GW-060 and the historical Outer Perimeter / Northern Arc concept is undeniable when properly articulated (click here for a visual explanation), and we are concerned that once voters fully appreciate the magnitude of the decision to resurrect a divisive proposal that was resoundingly rejected by the public years ago, this project will become a poison pill that could endanger passage of the tax next year.

Originally Posted by JoeP

The fact is the dynamic of the rest of GA not caring to invest in the state's economic driver and largest source of tax revenue is perplexing.

The rest of Georgia not caring to adequately invest in the state's economic driver and largest source of tax revenue in Metro Atlanta most-definitely may have been the case in the past when Metro Atlanta was much-smaller and Georgia's statewide political climate was dominated by largely-rural and downstate interests in South Georgia.

But with the Atlanta metro region having had more population and political clout than the rest of the state for about over a decade now, most of the blame for not investing in Metro Atlanta's transportation infrastructure now lies with Metro Atlanta and can no longer be placed on other parts of the state.

The T-SPLOST failure debacle of 2012 was cooked-up by the growing majority legislative leaders who live in Metro Atlanta, not by the shrinking minority of legislative leaders who live in other parts of the state outside of Metro Atlanta.

Originally Posted by JoeP

GA is the only state to fund in some fashion, rail transit.

That's a good point that the State of Georgia invests very-little, if any, in passenger rail transit.

But the State of Georgia does invest quite a bit (through operating subsidies) to freight rail transit.

Georgia's political leaders just refuse to invest in passenger rail transit because of an extreme ideological bias against passenger rail transit and most things urban as a vestige of the politics of the post-Civil Rights era when passenger rail transit was seen by most white suburban and exurban Georgians as something that would enable poor blacks to get to the then-predominantly white suburbs much more easily.

Originally Posted by JoeP

It's really unfortunate because Atlanta has failed to keep up with massive population growth (see its peer cities like Houston which has adapted significantly) and GA's other cities - especially Columbus would benefit from better access to more locations...

I completely agree. Metro Atlanta's transportation infrastructure has indeed failed to keep up with its explosively fast-growing population.

[columbusmetro89]

Originally Posted by DWColumbus

I'm hoping Bass Pro locates there as that would do a lot to spur development off 185.

Agree there needs to be spur developement off I185 in harris county next it's dead up that way. good luck trying to find the nearest gas station if you ever break down or you start having car trouble up that way in harris county on I185 there's nothing around. Muscogee county is slowly running out of room for developements. If the Bass shop happens which I hope it does then this would be big for that area in harris county because it would spur development and bring in more hotels and stores to that area near the Bass pro shop when it happens.

[dontstressem22]

Originally Posted by Columbus1984

Still doesn't make Augusta remotely close to Greensboro. I know you Augusta posters are proud of your city but just because it's the 2nd largest metro in GA doesn't mean it automatically makes it on the same level as other NC cities.

I just thought about something would Augusta be compared to Durham since both metros has a population over 500,000. I know Augusta MSA is 575,898 & Durham MSA 522,826

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by dontstressem22

I just thought about something would Augusta be compared to Durham since both metros has a population over 500,000. I know Augusta MSA is 575,898 & Durham MSA 522,826

As a city, sure. But Durham is very much connected to Raleigh and the greater Triangle region and that can't be discounted.

[dontstressem22]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

As a city, sure. But Durham is very much connected to Raleigh and the greater Triangle region and that can't be discounted.

O ok cool

[dontstressem22]

Originally Posted by JoeP

Greensboro and Winston Salem are both the same metro area and significantly larger than Augusta.

I think saying that well, Columbus is the 2nd largest metro in GA, so it's the most similar to Greensboro is silly and misguided. The better discussion is what NC city is most comparable to Columbus (considering that is more related to the OP) and the answer is Fayetteville... similar size city and both home to large military bases...

Columbus is not the second largest metro in GA Augusta is, & Columbus aint that much bigger than Augusta either I still put Augusta @ number 2 metro wise anyway

[Midland-Columbus]

Originally Posted by Columbus1984

Still doesn't make Augusta remotely close to Greensboro. I know you Augusta posters are proud of your city but just because it's the 2nd largest metro in GA doesn't mean it automatically makes it on the same level as other NC cities.

Great reply. The Augusta posters just wont accept the truth.

[tricky1]

Originally Posted by columbusmetro89

Agree there needs to be spur developement off I185 in harris county next it's dead up that way. good luck trying to find the nearest gas station if you ever break down or you start having car trouble up that way in harris county on I185 there's nothing around. Muscogee county is slowly running out of room for developements. If the Bass shop happens which I hope it does then this would be big for that area in harris county because it would spur development and bring in more hotels and stores to that area near the Bass pro shop when it happens.

People go on vacation to a bass pro shop?

[bon_regis]

No, but a Bass Pro center could serve as a catalyst for more commercial development on surrounding sites.

[columbusgametro]

Originally Posted by tricky1

People go on vacation to a bass pro shop?

No I was making the point that there needs to be more developments in harris county near I185. Because once you leave columbus and cross into harris county it's very rural and there's nothing around. I hope the publix still comes too highway 315 in harris county this would spur developement.