Design Your Own MARTA Expansion (Atlanta, Marietta: snake, counties, work)

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

we do have some mixed use developments already in alpharetta, especially around north point mall. i don't think you'll see any opposition to development around that area. once you start getting north of alpharetta there are a lot of people who aren't open to developments that would allow minorities to move in. of course, it's all in the name of traffic and crime, etc.

It's funny--for all the resistance to MARTA I hear coming from Cobb County, those same voices in North Fulton are remarkably silent, despite the fact that the demographics are largely the same. I guess that's because MARTA buses are already there, and they haven't introduced any new crime or government takeovers or whatever.

are you talking about the T-SPLOST plan that we're all going to vote on next summer? it would be a major improvement, even if they have to do a little at a time. although i can't see them not at least connecting it to mansell, where the park and ride is. it seems like an odd stopping point. i do strongly think, though, that there needs to be a marta station that goes as far west as highway 9 on northridge. the area immediately next to 400 is mostly undeveloped and it would be weird to have a marta station out there, plus i was thinking about an idea for a highway 9 streetcar that could possibly connect to that station.

From Roswell Road to 400 along Northridge isn't that far. In this area, any MARTA station would probably be mostly a park-and-ride and a bus terminal.

i think it's super weird to have a light rail line running that far anywhere, but especially on a commuter route. light rail needs to be restricted to going through neighbourhoods where heavy rail would be an imposition, and if on a commuter route, certainly not more than a couple of miles connecting a few places of employment. i think it's really bizarre for them to want to run light rail for 30+ miles considering the capacity and speed, but they seem set on doing stuff like that for both the northwest line and the I-20 line. i don't know of anywhere that's done anything like that, and for good reason.

Yeah. Just look at the Beltline for a perfect example of where light rail can work. Light rail as a spur route is okay, but geez, all the way out to Canton? That's going to be a hefty capital cost for a very modest ridership. Hell, I'm not even sure that Cobb's idea of light rail should go past downtown Marietta (which I personally think would be a perfect terminus for such a line).

[K-SawDude]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Yeah. Just look at the Beltline for a perfect example of where light rail can work. Light rail as a spur route is okay, but geez, all the way out to Canton? That's going to be a hefty capital cost for a very modest ridership. Hell, I'm not even sure that Cobb's idea of light rail should go past downtown Marietta (which I personally think would be a perfect terminus for such a line).

You don't think think extending it to KSU would add to the ridership? They're expecting to hit 30,000 students a year within the next 5-7 years or so. Significant potential daily ridership there.

[bryantm3]

i think if they're going to run a line out there, they just need to go ahead and make it a real heavy rail line. running it to kennesaw i think would be sufficient. canton's a beautiful place, but there really isn't that much going on up there to warrant a rail line. i thought it was hilarious that on the concept 3 plan they had a bus running from canton to waleska— that's pretty far in the country!

[cqholt]

Now commuter rail, that would be perfect.

There are no existing rail lines that run thru North Fulton. Unlike most other suburbs in Cobb, Gwinnett, and DeKalb counties that were developed along the old rail lines, the North Fulton cities have no existing rail lines running thru their downtowns. This is why HRT is the best option to reach Alpharetta, I also agree that HRT should not extend beyond North Point Mall. Everything north is low density and should not be developed into higher density.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by cqholt

There are no existing rail lines that run thru North Fulton. Unlike most other suburbs in Cobb, Gwinnett, and DeKalb counties that were developed along the old rail lines, the North Fulton cities have no existing rail lines running thru their downtowns. This is why HRT is the best option to reach Alpharetta, I also agree that HRT should not extend beyond North Point Mall. Everything north is low density and should not be developed into higher density.

The poster was, I believe, referring to commuter rail running to Canton. This is in fact one of most feasible commuter rail routes in the entire state (from Canton to Marietta, that is). A portion of this line (way further north, from Blue Ridge to the TN border) is already used as an excursion train.

Once you get to Marietta, it becomes much more difficult, since that line joins with CSX and becomes quite a busy freight line for the east coast as it heads into downtown. Also, MARTA is quite tricky on that corridor due to lack of a wide freight right of way.

Still, I would think you would want to keep the number of transfers necessary to get from xyz suburban downtown to downtown Atlanta and the airport at or below 1. If you have to transfer twice (ie from commuter rail to LRT to MARTA), it just becomes a complete pain and nobody will bother.

[tonygeorgia]

The Cobb rail still has a green light. If the vote passes they suppose get hundreds of millions of $$$$

[cqholt]

The Cobb rail still has a green light. If the vote passes they suppose get hundreds of millions of $$$$

If the TIA vote passes the Cobb Light Rail will get federal funding and become a reality. I believe the Cobb LRT should run along the US 41 ROW into downtown Marietta. I would help improve the businesses along the corridor by bringing customers store front.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

The Cobb rail still has a green light. If the vote passes they suppose get hundreds of millions of $$$$

for light rail

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by testa50

for light rail

Better than nothing. Traffic will still be bad regardless but this will help the perception of Atlanta. Traffic is still bad on 75/85 even thought Marta is right next to the downtown connector. Traffic is still bad in DC and NYC even though they have great rail systems.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by cqholt

If the TIA vote passes the Cobb Light Rail will get federal funding and become a reality. I believe the Cobb LRT should run along the US 41 ROW into downtown Marietta. I would help improve the businesses along the corridor by bringing customers store front.

Our light/heavy rail total miles would be at least close 90 miles total if that happens.


"The projects break down into $689 million for a yet-to-be-defined “enhanced premium transit service” from Acworth to the MARTA Arts Center Station in Midtown Atlanta; $292 million for roadway projects; and $3.2 million for improvements to McCollum Airport."