Design Your Own MARTA Expansion (Decatur, North Decatur: car, building, distance)

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by K-SawDude

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.

I dunno. If there were more density around there, sure. But even if 15-20% of the students ride it, and that's a very generous estimate, that's only an additional 6000 riders a day. Still not bad, though. It would largely depend on what kind of ridership comes from the Kennesaw-to-Marietta section.

[toll_booth]

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.

Commuter rail to Canton, not North Fulton. And yeah, extending heavy rail up 400 wouldn't be too bad a plan as compared to other alternatives.

[toll_booth]

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.

Totally on board with this. There's plenty of space parallel to 41 for light rail tracks. It could snake over by Southern Poly, then head over to downtown Marietta. CCT already has a park-and-ride on the South Marietta loop that could be used as the last park-and-ride station. And I'd love to see the last quarter mile of that route go underground, with a station right below Marietta Square. Imagine what a boost to business that could be! Also, if they can find space for a commuter rail terminal, maybe a block or two north, that *could* become a transfer area. However, I think it would be better to design one down at Cumberland from scratch.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

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."

that's a long way, i hope it would go through kennesaw/KSU. i'm not exactly sure how they would be able to pull a light rail system through that entire area without it taking an extremely long time to get to the arts center station.

anyone up to drawing some potential lines? =D

i'm going to do one in a couple of days, sounds like fun.

[cqholt]

And I'd love to see the last quarter mile of that route go underground, with a station right below Marietta Square

Much like Decatur square. It would be a huge boast to the businesses around the square.

anyone up to drawing some potential lines? =D

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?authu...&hl=en&ie=UTF8

[andy.callaway]

as for as rail to northwest atlanta, i think HRT should go from arts center to marietta. and the station at southern polly be a transfer station for LRT to canton. also i think there should be a commuter rail line running from armour to catersville with a transfer station at cumberland

[bryantm3]

yay! favourite thread is back.

as for my earlier plan, i can see the disadvantages in it and am willing to re-do it.

the concept 3 plan is OK— they have a lot of things right, but some of the other ideas are kind of wacky.

for example, the peachtree streetcar— yeah, it's okay, but you've already got marta rail running in almost the exact same path as the streetcar.

i think it would be neat if we on the forum could get together and make our own "concept".

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Much like Decatur square. It would be a huge boast to the businesses around the square.

MARTA Expansion Map

I like a lot of your plan above.

One strong area it leaves out between other lines is Howell Mill between 10th and 17th. A line connecting between your North Ave. Line and your Atlantic Station/Cumberland line, running along Marietta St. and Howell Mill would be a great addition.

And also a line running up Marietta Blvd from around your Hollowell Pkwy Station to at least Cumberland Pkwy, possibly meeting up to the Marietta Square line. But maybe I'm just biased because I live right off Marietta Blvd. But there is a lot of housing and business along that line, especially once you get up into Cobb. Or, instead of coming down to Hollowell from Cobb, running down Chattahoochee and meeting into your line.

I might play around tomorrow if I get time.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

I like a lot of your plan above.

One strong area it leaves out between other lines is Howell Mill between 10th and 17th. A line connecting between your North Ave. Line and your Atlantic Station/Cumberland line, running along Marietta St. and Howell Mill would be a great addition.

And also a line running up Marietta Blvd from around your Hollowell Pkwy Station to at least Cumberland Pkwy, possibly meeting up to the Marietta Square line. But maybe I'm just biased because I live right off Marietta Blvd. But there is a lot of housing and business along that line, especially once you get up into Cobb. Or, instead of coming down to Hollowell from Cobb, running down Chattahoochee and meeting into your line.

I might play around tomorrow if I get time.

seconded. this plan is really good— i just think one of the primary spots there needs to be a heavy rail line in, is along west midtown and georgia tech.

for those of us wanting to give this a try, how do you do this?

[bryantm3]

ah— okay, nevermind.

i tooled around with it a little bit, just laid out the existing tracks and put in a couple of new station ideas. will work on this a lot more later, as it is, it's pretty basic.

Bryant's MARTA ideas - Google Maps