Mobility 2030 a joke!

[vandiver49]

This plan is actually the 'obituary' for the ATL metro in disguise. It not only fails to address the area present transit needs, but does little to nothing in terms of planning for the future. It focuses on one medium of transportation (roads) and only one form of transit (buses). What is the region's opposition to rail transit?

[Spartan]

I thought that Northern Arc plan was basicly thrown out?

[vandiver49]

I thought that Northern Arc plan was basicly thrown out?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh it was, their plan for roads/expressways is to add more lanes and make them extremly narrow

[Spartan]

Ha! Thats worse. I hate narrow lanes. So stressful. I know that would get me off the road.

It might be a good idea to post some sort of article or link to one, or at least some sort of base info so that people will know what exactly you are talking about. (Not everyone is familiar with the Atlanta area)

[jarvismj]

The one that I don't understand is why NIMBY's feel that roads are better, but don't want them. How wide is the average ROW for MARTA? I think that it is less than a two lane road, and it tends to move a little faster. If you use an asthetic elevated viaduct, it would leave little to minimal impact on the area, and be virtually noiseless also. I know that because I've stood underneath the Red Line at Charles St in Boston, and I've stood underneath the North Line between Medical Ctr and Dunwoody, and MARTA did a damn good job at noise reduction. What is the opinion of others about this? Also, note the pic of the North Line I post, and try to figure out why no one wants it around?

Plus, if the only reason that you drive is just for your own music, just go and buy a walkman or an iPod.

[Spartan]

That is quite unattractive. What's up with the Mad Magazine guy?

Those pictures are why they should build the thing under ground

Has anyone ever proposed any extentions of the MARTA heavy rail lines, or new ones?

Or were there originally plans for a more encompassing system?

I know that they are working on an LRT loop, but that's not what mean

[JunktionFET]

Lanes cannot be made too narrow on interstate freeways or they will no longer meet federal standards. Old interstate freeways that haven't been upgraded since the Big Bang are allowed to have narrow lanes and retain their interstate designation because of grandfathering, but a freeway cannot be built or modified now with lane widths less than the minimum specification. Also, new freeways must have emergency shoulders on both the left and right sides--wide enough to completely pull your car into it, or allow an emergency vehicle to pass stopped traffic.

If they are planning on shrinking lane size in Atlanta, it would have to be on a state highway or something like that--not something signed as an Interstate.

[vandiver49]

Lanes on some of ATL expressways have already been narrowed to 11 ft so HOV lanes can be added.

As far as other transit projects Spartan...there are only two heavy rail extentions planned, along with three LRT studies, you can find them here MARTA Homepage

Mobility 2030 is located on the ARC Website under the transportion/air section.

[Spartan]

I've looked over those plans. Thanks for that info. The second link was dead.

What I originally meant was what were the originial plans for the original MARTA HRT lines? Did they all get built as planned?

[ryanmckibben]

Sparten...The original MARTA plan would have built HRT into Cobb and Gwinnett counties. Obviously they were not built. Cobb and Gwinnett rejected the 1% sales tax required to be a part of the MARTA system back in the 60's. The thinking was that they did not want the people (read: Black people) that mass transit would bring.

[Spartan]

I see. Thanks for that info. I have often wondered why those places didn't get MARTA lines. Is there any regret in those palces for not having them now?

[alexr15]

I bet now that if given the choice Gwinnett, Cobb, Dekalb and Clayton would opt into Marta considering how bad the traffic has become in those areas. I don't know if they will be given that choice, though, considering how Marta is the largest mass-transit system in the country with no state funding; it can't really afford to expand.

[derrickskugler]

Cobb and Gwinnett counties truly need to get off their collective butts and try to get tied into MARTA. Traffic is just awful, and this would be the best solution to the problem. I live in north/central Cobb county, and I am very quickly tiring of hour commutes to go 10 miles every morning.

I wish there was something that I could do to help get MARTA into Cobb...

[ryanmckibben]

Derrick,

There IS something you can do, move back into the city. How can someone who is so concerned about urban issues live in north Cobb county? When I used to travel for a living, I was sent to numerous cities and one thing I realized is that no matter what metro area your in the suburbs all look the same. If you were to blindfold someone and take them to any suburb in any city in America, they would not be able to tell you where they were. One of my last job assignments for that company was in New York. I lived in the Murry Hill section of Manhaten for anout 9 months and (I know it sounds cheesy) it changed the way I wanted to live. Soon after getting back to ATL, I moved out of my Roswell apt. and bought a condo in Midtown. It's a little more expensive to live, but I haven't sat in a traffic jam in 6 months and I only fill up the tank in my car once a month, and no I don't have a hybrid.