From the AJC this morning…

Some of the highest-profile projects proposed for a transportation sales tax may not be capable of completion by the time the tax ends, weakening their chances for inclusion in the referendum. While the projects are not disqualified, if they cannot be finished before the tax ends they will be less attractive to voters.

Local advocates for major transit lines, which they hope could be rail, into Cobb County, across the top end of I-285 and into Gwinnett County said state analysts in preliminary discussions had told them those lines likely could not be complete and running by the end of the tax’s 10-year period. The project advocates emphasized that the state had not finalized its report and did not draw absolute conclusions. The report is scheduled to be out Thursday.

If Cobb and Gwinnett can’t get rail on the transportation list, that’s a big negative for everyone in this sprawly region.  Light rail projects are obviously quite expensive and if Fulton or DeKalb get any and Gwinnett and Cobb get zilch, we’re going to be widening a lot of roads up north to make the tax benefits appear even-steven.   Anyone need a bigger cul-de-sac!?

Hmm…now who could I POSSIBLY ask about all of this…

Remember that opposition website to streetcars in Decatur as proposed in the Community Transportation Plan, which threatened everything but a plague of locusts if a trolley system were installed on Clairemont?

Well, here’s yet another piece of that puzzle.

Atlanta’s Transit Planning Board (comprised of MARTA, the Atlanta Regional Commission and Georgia Regional Transit Authority) is proposing a widespread mass-transit system for the metro area that includes major plans for streetcars. On the TPB’s map, streetcars don’t just connect Decatur and Emory, but extend up to Lindburgh MARTA station where they connect with a loop that runs thru Midtown and downtown and a rail that runs up I-75 to Marietta.

So, here’s the question. What if the Atlanta were to extend a streetcar network beyond Emory so that Decatur was connected to much of the metro area? Would that change your mind about light rail on Clairemont? Or is MARTA enough for you? Would you protest the idea and force the trolley to stop at Emory?

Of course all of this is hypothetical and TPB’s idea is just one “plan” among many created by different entities attempting to increase transit options in Atlanta. But its fun to think about.

[Hattip: Fresh Loaf]