Atlanta Mayoral Candidates Support Greener Transit Options in Spirit Only
Decatur Metro | September 2, 2009Jeanne Bonner reports over on Atlanta Unfiltered that Atlanta Business Chronicle reporter Maria Saporta laid into Atlanta’s mayoral candidates during a Citizen’s For Progressive Transit transportation forum last night, using some of those age old “you talk the talk, but do you walk the walk?” questions.
To rattle down Bonner’s compiled list of answers to questions asked by Saporta:
- none of the Atlanta mayoral candidates regularly take MARTA
- none of the candidates live in neighborhoods that traditionally have sidewalks
- none are avid cyclists or bike commuters
That said, all the candidates say they are strong supporters of alternative transit options in Atlanta. However, it’s one thing to show support and another to live the life. For people with the means to choose where they live that choice often can say more about a public figure than a stump speech or a kiss on your baby’s forehead.
So, if you’re an Atlanta voter and alternative transportation is your primary concern this election, find some other issue to be passionate about because transit isn’t a strong suit for any of these candidates.
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Isn’t this true of many people? That is, they want a lot more funding for MARTA, etc., but they hardly ever use it themselves, and instead drive their cars almost everywhere? And, speaking as a bike commuter, I can say that our ranks are very small. There are a lot of self-professed enviromentalists out there who pass me by in their cars on my way to and from work. Most days, I don’t even come across a single other person commuting on a bike. The bike racks at most office buildings are close to empty on a daily basis.
And I can’t say I blame these pols when it comes to MARTA. I have come around to the view that it’s just not a pleasant experience, especially in the summer. I took it from midtwon to downtown a few weeks ago on a hot day, and let’s just say I did not have that shower fresh feeling when I got to my meeting. People with means are just not going to use MARTA very often unless and until the cost of driving gets to prohibitive, assuming that ever happens.
So, let’s raise the cost of driving by increasing the gasoline tax and using the additional funds for other transportation and/or imposing a mileage-based tag tax and/or charging a toll to come into the city.
‘So, let’s raise the cost of driving by increasing the gasoline tax…’
I don’t think that is the best solution. I like driving.
Driving is much better than public transportation — that’s why so many people drive. Of course, for environmental reasons, I think the government should mandate much more efficient cars.
I think we can live greener lives without taxing everyone more. We’re already taxed enough.
Russ, the problem is that the car companies can’t make money on fuel efficient cars (at least yet), so the only way we could impose that mandate is to subsidize them to build the cars, just as we’re doing now. Ergo, we’re being taxed to write checks to GM to build the Volt, but it’s not as direct or visible as a big hike in the gas tax.
I had hoped this problem would solve itself — we’d hit peak oil, prices would skyrocket without taxes, and things would work themselves out. Doesn’t seem to be happening. Just this week, for example, BP made a major oil find in the Gulf, and oil inventories were already growing before that. It seems like there’s plenty of oil out there.
I think Toyota does better than Hummer, so I question your assertion.
That’s because the Tundra, 4runner, Sequoia, and the rest of Toyota’s fleet of massive trucks and SUVs are incredibly pprofitable.
I agree with you Steve, but of course, you must realize that it would be political suicide for a politician to even propose such a policy.
You’re correct. Transportation is a matter of public policy. Why does Europe have far better public transportation than the US? Public policy has led in that direction. In our case, public policy has been governed by Big Oil and Big Auto.
In Europe, your statement would only apply to a handful of corridors (London, Brussels, Paris) and larger cities like Berlin, where the public transport is excellent. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time in semi-rural and rural areas of France where you absolutely need a car.
My statement applies equally to longer distance transportation and commuter transportation.
Or, more likely, the cost of parking becomes cost prohibitive. As areas become more and more dense, the cost of parking rises – think NYC where parking might cost $15 an hour in parts of Manhattan.
But, I’m sorry, if the MARTA trip didn’t work for you from downtown to midtown (maybe the most dense area in Atlanta) then I just don’t think public transit is part of your mindset. That is one trip where time and money are actually on MARTA’s side.
It’s part of my mindset — I have a MARTA card and use it. I just don’t like it, hence my comment that it’s not pleasant. That’s why people don’t use it even when it is convenient, if they have alternatives.
I have alternatives to MARTA, but I do prefer it over the use of a car. Economics, emissions, etc. Unlike you, I do NOT find MARTA travel unpleasant — on the contrary. It pleases me bcause of its efficiency and because of the pleasant people I have met while traveling on MARTA. Sorry for your feelings and attitude toward public transportation…
A half million people board a MARTA train or bus every single weekday. Surely, some of them have alternatives but yet choose to ride MARTA. I know I do.
Of course I’m not saying that every single person who could drive chooses to drive. I’m saying that many thousands of people — like the politicians who were the subject of this article — could take MARTA but don’t, because driving is a more pleasant experience. And anyone who has been on MARTA knows that its ridership is titled towards lower income folks, meaning the people who can afford alternatives are, by and large, using them. I fail to see what is even controversial about this.
I agree with you DEM, but I reference my comment below as to the reasons why we shouldn’t give up on mass transit.
“shower fresh feeling” after bicycle commuting?? and “people with means”???
You think maybe it’s possible to shower after riding the bike?
People don’t use MARTA not only because it’s unpleastant, but also because it doesn’t actyally go anywhere and it’s completely inefficient and unreliable. You cannot even take the train to a Braves game for crying out loud, or to Atlantic station or the Zoo and the list goes on and on.
In terms of solving the problem, more money will not do it. You cannot solve problems with more money, especially when the organization receiving the money is inefficient and lacks competence.
Lastly, even if money would solve the problem, raising the STATE gasoline tax would require backing from the STATE legislature and unfortunately those outside the perimeter (constituents and representatives) have proven historically that they are not willing to financially support a healthier and more efficient Atlanta despite its role as the primary economic hub of the state. PS, a commuter tax would be more effective than raising the gas tax.
Oh yes, ome ,ore word about the mayoral candidates. I may or may not recall correctly, but as I remember, Mary Norwood was one of the original backers of the beltline idea and pushed it forward in a big way. Another good idea, but per my previously outlined thoughts will likely never happen due to the inneffective and bureaucratic organizations responsible for such change and the lack of support for Atlanta outside the perimeter and across the state.
Point taken about destinations, but I think you are overstating that problem. Even when MARTA goes directly to a destination — like the airport — people who can afford to drive will drive. See: always jam-packed Hartsfield parking lots. MARTA will take you directly from downtown Decatur to Lenox, too, but most people drive instead. And of course you can take MARTA to 5 points and hop a 2 mile bus drive to the front gate of Turner Field, but again, most people drive instead.
Wow! Pedantic, condescending and fraught with error – all-in-one!
Anyone else win the trifecta?
Thank you, Brad. You have nailed this!
No need to insult Brad.
My comment was not an insult to Brad. I was congratulating him for his reply to DEM.
Sorry for my bad sentence structure Carolyn, it was directed toward you. It should read…
Brad, no need to insult.
Insult or accurate description of an inaccurate missive?
Hmmm, I say, let the people decide.
BS
Pedantic? Don’t you mean ‘pedestrian’? JK – a little population density humor there.
And, for the record, calling it ‘easy’ to go to the zoo, Braves games, or Atlantic Station using MARTA is a BIG stretch. For those who are public transit fans, the additional length of time and additional schedule flexibility required to make the journey may be worthwhile, but for most folks it’s too big a gamble. Plus, if more than two of you are going to the game then the Braves shuttle actually costs MORE than simply driving & parking at the game. More time + more cost + less freedom = losing proposition.
And DEM nailed it, I’m afraid. The airport parking lot is a far more reliable gauge than any of us Deacturites debating the worthiness of our current transit options. Our fellow citizens have shown repeatedly by their actions that they prefer to endure the potential traffic headaches and choose to drive to our airport and ballpark. And, before I get yelled at, I am a weekly MARTA user, so please don’t encourage me to move to Alpharetta.
You can go to a Braves game easily via MARTA by going to Five Points Station and taking the Braves special bus; it drops you off and picks you up right at Turner Field. You can go to Atlantic Station by going to the Arts Station and taking the FREE Atlantic Station shuttle bus to and from AS and also IKEA. There is also a bus to the zoo, but I can’t remember which MARTA station it connects with. TRAIN + BUS — I go anywhere I want.
I’m pretty sure they’ve cancelled or way scaled back service on the bus route (called something like Confederate Ave.) that went easily from Five Points to the Zoo. There’s a route, I believe, that went from King Memorial to the Zoo; not sure what happened to it but it didn’t use to fit the Zoo Camp schedule that I needed to address. They’ve also cancelled a nice route from Five Points to the Piedmont Hospital area. The bus routes have always been what’s made MARTA less than user-friendly and they seem to be getting even less useful. I’m worried that it’s a downward spiral.
One of things we have to do to make MARTA more effective is to coordinate our land use policies with our transportation policies. Each one of those MARTA stations is a mjor public transportation investment. We need to develop housing and/or offices around those investments.
For 30 years, MARTA has essentialy been land banking with empty parking lots. In recent years MARTA has recognized the value of their land to the system, but we went through this last building cycle and not much MARTA owned land was developed around the stations. I’m particularly thinking about the east-west line and the south line. MARTA needs to be more flexible with some of the less desireable stations and be willing to sell the land. Their current policy is to ground lease land which limits the types of development that can occurr. MARTA and the Decatur Housing Authority were supposed to be working on a project at the Avondale Station (in the City of Decatur). I think that project is completely dead. MARTA proved to be a very difficult partner and set unreasonable and ever-changing criteria.
PD, where did you hear that? My understanding is that the Columbia Park project is alive and well and simply idling in anticipation of revived housing and lending markets. Nothing to the contrary has been posted here: http://www.decaturga.com/cgs_citysvcs_ced_avondalelci.aspx
What’s the inside story?
I agree with Scott. That project’s not dead, just waiting on better economics.
Talley Street Lofts is up and was part of all of that, was it not?
It just got caught at the end of an economic cycle.
No, the Talley Street Lofts was a private development on private land. The Columbia Park project is a Decatur Housing Authority venture on MARTA land. It’s confusing because both projects contribute to the larger Decatur/Avondale LCI plan. Just think of it like you would downtown — lots of individual projects working towards a larger goal.
The project may not be dead, but it is in a coma. We just experienced the biggest building boom in a generation, and MARTA could not sign off on details like an elevator. The LCI money started in 2002. The project is not alive and well. It is also my understanding that the Housing Authority has some exposure on design work.
Transportation policy is really land use policy. Our land use policies have been based on single rider gasoline transport for over 50 years and we have arranged our society solely around that particular mode to the exclusion of others. We have reached a point of development where the hidden and obvious costs for this collective choice are unsustainable. An extensive network of light and commuter rail would be the ideal solution in a green field TOD. But unless Sherman is marching again we must work with what we have. Bus and trolley feeders to the miniscule rail system we do have are the only viable options until it becomes politically possible to move forward with extending MARTA lines to more useful destinations. Adding more paved highways through town is moving backwards.
Oxedine is championing a ploy to divide and disrupt Democratic strongholds in the metro area.
“Adding more paved highways through town is moving backwards.” YES, how true!! That kind of repetition of past mistakes only devours the $ that could be used to move forward.
Yes it’s about the environment and land-use.
But I think it’s very convenient to think that MARTA (or any public transportation) is only for those “without means.” Here are just two really depressing aspects of life in a car culture that we now consider “norms”. 1. The much higher accident rate among teenagers and 2. The % of the elderly population in nursing homes.
How many of our elderly wouldn’t be in a nursing home right now if they could walk or ride transit to get their groceries and prescriptions? Is that something you’re alright with? Your out-of-town kid sitting you down at the age of 75 and telling you you’ll have to move out of your subdivision house because your vision is too poor to drive?
Yes, cars are certainly convenient. Transit advocates shouldn’t waste their breath trying to argue that point. It’s what we sacrifice at the alter of convenience that makes me reconsider how freakin’ great my car is.
Good point DM. Many people who only infrequently take MARTA just assume that only the poor utilize it. Buy if you ride it nearly everyday, you then realize that while there are many poor who ride MARTA as their primary means of transportation, there are also many middle and upper class folks who utilize it as well because taking their car, fighting traffic, and parking problems are actually less convenient than taking MARTA (not necessarily for Decaturites, but what if you commuted from Sandy Springs downtown every day – how convenient is GA 400 during rush hour).
There are many people who only use MARTA when going to the airport because for many it is more convenient (and cheaper) than driving and parking.
MARTA does a good job with what they have to work with. Until Metro Atlanta’s land use policies change to support transit and discourage car usage, and until the system is expanded to accommodate that, then it will always be an imperfect system.
“speaking as a bike commuter, I can say that our ranks are very small. There are a lot of self-professed enviromentalists out there who pass me by in their cars on my way to and from work.”
Right on! I am a fellow bike commuter, and I hate it when people in Priuses impatiently pass me on their way to work.
The reality is, that for people who live on the east side of Atlanta and work in downtown or midtown (or even central Buckhead), bicycle commuting and MARTA are generally convenient, viable methods of getting to work. Especially impressive is the reliability and frequency of MARTA’s rush hour service. I live in Kirkwood and work in Midtown and it takes me less than 30 minutes to get to work on MARTA (or by bike). I find both methods of commuting to be plenty convenient, not to mention less stressful and cheaper than driving. In my opinion, it is a pity that more eastside residents don’t take advantage of these options.