Comments on: The New MARTA Posters are Here!

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:55:38 +0000

You’re right. The design consultants know about it. I just think it can get lost in the broader discussion that we often have here. Transit rules! Transit sucks!

However, the convenience-threshold is a common factor for everyone and it impacts your general feeling and use of transit. People with kids have a generally low convenience-threshold, so even if they live near transit, it may still not be convenient enough to use if both parents have full-time jobs.

I was just reminding myself that though we often talk in absolutes, it really all relative.

By: Bobby

Bobby — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:54:44 +0000

DM, “with kids and can afford a car” is probably a well-defined segment of people that opt-out and forget about transit, but I doubt that that (along with geo.) is the whole picture. I’ve heard a variety of other reasons why someone chooses their car.

Back to your remark, I believe the phenomenon is understood but broadly ignored. You’ve probably seen the design consultants’ many graphics suggesting that new urbanites will be 25-35 (w/o children) or retirees.

Does the Lindbergh TOD have a school nestled amongst those parking decks? Any childcare?

By: Rebeccab

Rebeccab — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:24:16 +0000

Nellie- We need to go into business together.

By: Another Rick

Another Rick — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:37:27 +0000

My youngest son is at DHS and lives with his Mom mainly. She also lives in Decatur and does have a car. He walks to school. Always has. I think your hypothesis is correct.

By: Another Rick

Another Rick — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:31:35 +0000

You need to develop a relationship with a cab driver. Say, you call Checker Cab, (which btw is converting their fleet to hybrid cars) and determine you like the driver that gets you. Get his card and then next time you need a cab, you can call him or her direct and get a realistic time for pickup. My drivers (I like saying that) work the Emory- Decatur area (some in the morning and some late at night, I like that too!) and I generally can get a cab to my house in 5 to 20 minutes. What is nice about having the relationship is you can get a realistic arrival time. If you call the company directly, rather than the driver, the dispather always also says “20 to 30 min.”. It is really important to have several cards, if you always need to get to work on time.

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:20:43 +0000

Do you have young children? I feel like they are often the unspoken variable in an only sorta-convenient transit city like ATL.

In fact, I bet if I filtered the population on home/work location to transit along with # and age of kids in a household, I could easily identify the transit-by-choice segments of the population in the metro.

By: karass

karass — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:09:00 +0000

Absolutely, I am in awe. So how do you handle those last-minute, running late moments? Call a cab? Which cab companies are the best at quick responses if needed?

By: Another Rick

Another Rick — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:47:49 +0000

Three year ago, I went from one car to no car. Now I use MARTA every day. I do walk a lot and take a cab several times a week. I am healthier as a result, and I like to believe Mother Earth is better off. And if it really does not matter to Mother Earth, I still feel much better. So can I get a shout-out M. karass?