ATLANTA TRANSIT (Marta, Beltline, Peachtree Streetcar, LovJoy Commuter, etc...)

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by jew4life4948

- While I agree that Clairmont Campus is important, it's a shame it can't incorporate Toco Hills and the Briarcliff/N. Druid Intersection.

I'd like to see Toco Hill included, too.

But then I'd turn east on North Druid Hills and follow it to North DeKalb Mall, and then pick up the Lawrenceville Highway to Tucker. Throw in another station at McLendon/Frazier, too.

Very nice project, AUarch!

[jew4life4948]

ARC approves ‘Concept 3′ transit plan

December 3, 2008 at 4:20 pm by Thomas Wheatley in News
A transit plan designed to make mobility in metro Atlanta more than just cars, cars and cars inched forward today.
The Atlanta Regional Commission this afternoon approved Concept 3, a regional transit plan that advocates are calling “the most far-reaching transit expansion plan in decades.” Designed by the Transit Planning Board, Concept 3 includes heavy rail, express buses, light rail and streetcars. Included in the design are the Beltline and portions of the Brain Train.
“If we actually build the projects in Concept 3, it will transform metro Atlanta in the 21st century just as assuredly as the railroads did in the 19th Century and the Airport and highways did in the 20th Century,” Lee Biola, president of Citizens for Progressive Transit, said in a press release.
To be clear, the commission’s seal of approval doesn’t mean we’ll be riding light-rail to Roswell in a year, it just makes it eligible to be added to a future regional transportation plan, or RTP — a necessary step if the plan hopes to compete for sorely-needed federal funding. A commission spokeswoman says transportation projects in the RTP fall under one of two designations — one for plans whose funding has been identified, and another for those the commission “aspires” to see come to fruition. Concept 3 would be considered the latter, she says.
A little wonkish, yes, but stick with me here. As I reported last week, there’s a movement underway — yet again — to find more funding for transportation projects. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle has pledged — scout’s honor — to re-introduce a regional sales tax to pay for transportation fixes. (It failed by three votes in the lieutenant governor’s chamber last session.) — Anderson, executive director of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, says he’s been examining a number of new funding mechanisms, including the oh-so controversial public-private partnership.
So while today’s news might not be like breaking ground to lay rails, it’s a start.

[plorenc]

In addition to the above good news, looks like Atlanta and the metro area may have something going for its transit.

Atlanta council adopts transportation plan
Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Dave Williams Staff Writer

The Atlanta City Council Monday unanimously adopted a long-range plan for dealing with growing traffic congestion.

Connect Atlanta, a plan developed during the last year and a half, calls for converting some major one-way streets in the downtown and Midtown areas back to two-way traffic.

On the transit side, the plan envisions expanding rail service to high-density corridors not already served by MARTA. Those rail projects would take various forms, including a streetcar to run along the Peachtree Street corridor between downtown and Buckhead.

City planners say two-way streets would encourage shops and restaurants to expand beyond Peachtree Street, fostering retail growth.

The price tag for the various improvements ranges from $3.3 billion to $6 billion, said Tenee Hawkins, spokeswoman for Atlanta’s Department of Planning and Community Development.

[Atlwest281]

The above mentioned is absolutely wonderful news for the metro. I wonder something. When the commuter rail and light rail is built, will the original designed multi modal station be built or will we still get a scaled down version. Will all forms of transit be able to connect seamlessly or will people arriving from say Lovejoy and needing to get to midtown, will they have to arrive at the MMTS and then walk over to Five Points? Just curious.

[AUarch99]

I believe the MMTS schematic design I saw called for a connection to Five points station under Forsythe Street like the under street connection from Five Points Station to Underground Atlanta.

[Andrea]

Connect Atlanta has an excellent website. From the master map, you can click on any of the numbered rectangles to get details for that specific area.

http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/maps.html

If a multi-modal station of some sort is built in Downtown, I sure hope they give some thought to managing the issues related to bums and debris. Frankly, the area around the 5 Points MARTA station is pretty uninviting. A lot of people are going to be turned off to the idea of using transit unless that's addressed. Things have been pretty sorry there for many years and it may take a while to overcome those negative perceptions.

[Free]

Andrea (or anyone) - what's the relationship between Concept 3 and the Connect Atlanta plan?

[Andrea]

Concept 3 is regional, i.e., for the whole metro area. Connect Atlanta is just for the city of Atlanta.

[Free]

How integrated are they though?

[jew4life4948]

Originally Posted by Andrea

Concept 3 is regional, i.e., for the whole metro area. Connect Atlanta is just for the city of Atlanta.

Concept 3 was developed by TBD and approved by ARC.
Connect Atlanta was developed by City of Atlanta Planning Department and approved by the City Council.

Concept 3 is just transport.
Connect Atlanta also utilizes rezoning for more maximum efficiency.








Also, http://www.connectatlantaplan.com/images/New%20PDFs/4%20-%20Candidate%20Projects.pdf makes for a really good read. It outlines all the plans for growth in certain corridors.

[smArTaLlone]

Originally Posted by Free

How integrated are they though?

Both plans do include already planned transit projects such as the Beltline and the Peachtree streetcar but they aren't related at all. As far as integration, Marta rail will basically be the spine of any transit expansion.

Concept 3 is a comprehensive transit plan for the entire metro. The ARC, Marta, GRTA, the City and the 13 ARC counties were involved.

Connect Atlanta is the city's own transportation plan including transit, roads, sidewalks, bike paths etc. For example, many of the one-way streets in Midtown and Downtown are recommended to be converted to two-way streets.

[Free]

Does each plan take into account what the other is doing? I'm just wondering whether the city of Atlanta isn't tugging one way with a plan, and the region another. I've gone through Connect Atlanta much more thoroughly than Concept 3.

[smArTaLlone]

Originally Posted by Free

Does each plan take into account what the other is doing? I'm just wondering whether the city of Atlanta isn't tugging one way with a plan, and the region another. I've gone through Connect Atlanta much more thoroughly than Concept 3.

I see it as two different layers of transportation planning. Concept 3 has the objective of providing commuting options throughout the metro primarily to job/activity centers. Some of those centers happen to be in the city but Concept 3 is not specifically concerned with convenient travel within the city.

[Atlwest281]

I think those maps look very good and promising. I think if you combined both plan maps it would make a very compelling transit system. Hopefully we can get the funding because god its sorely needed.

[jew4life4948]

Remember this map? See if any parts match up.

[dante2308]

Obama stated a use or lose it program for his infrastructure funding project. It is up to the wonderful people we voted to go to the capital whether or not any of these projects in Atlanta get built. We can certainly expect Chambliss to play politics on this one and protest any infrastructure investments or generally any soluions at all to gain credentials(R) considering that was the premise of his entire campaign.

• Video Link

[Chris Creech]

I'm pretty excited about what some of the public works program might mean for Atlanta. I've seen public transportation listed on and off as a priority. It would be great if the Beltline or some MARTA expansion could get in to the program. I just wonder if enough of that planning is in place to fast track the construction to get it included in time. It seems they're focusing on RTG projects.

[atlantaguy]

The "use it or lose it" may very well be directed at us.

Hasn't Governor Boss Hogg been sitting on the 100 million+ Federal funding for commuter rail now for his entire 2 useless terms? I know he now claims to be pro-rail, but that was only after the business community had a near meltdown after the last legislative session. I honestly believe that if the Chamber of Commerce types weren't almost hysterical at this point, absolutely NOTHING but road building would be coming out of the Gold Dome.

Hopefully there will be some left over "scraps" for little 'ole Georgia with the new administration.

Oh, and let's all hope that after Obama fires Mary Peters, the Feds do the right thing and take back the 120 million for the I-85 Lexus lanes.

[Teshadoh]

^ Damn you, I should have thought of that nickname for Perdue before.

[smArTaLlone]

Originally Posted by plorenc

In addition to the above good news, looks like Atlanta and the metro area may have something going for its transit.

Atlanta council adopts transportation plan
Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Dave Williams Staff Writer

The Atlanta City Council Monday unanimously adopted a long-range plan for dealing with growing traffic congestion.

Connect Atlanta, a plan developed during the last year and a half, calls for converting some major one-way streets in the downtown and Midtown areas back to two-way traffic.

On the transit side, the plan envisions expanding rail service to high-density corridors not already served by MARTA. Those rail projects would take various forms, including a streetcar to run along the Peachtree Street corridor between downtown and Buckhead.

City planners say two-way streets would encourage shops and restaurants to expand beyond Peachtree Street, fostering retail growth.

The price tag for the various improvements ranges from $3.3 billion to $6 billion, said Tenee Hawkins, spokeswoman for Atlanta’s Department of Planning and Community Development.

I love the plan to reconfigure the freeway interchanges like the one in Midtown. West Peachtree is little more than a freeway ramp in that area.