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The Central of GA Mainline between Atlanta and Macon
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[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by oltmannd</i> <br /><br />[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by jockellis</i> <br /><br />The Georgia DOT is committed to doing the Lovejoy to Atlanta commuter line. Personally, I feel they are doing it with the expectation that if if fails they can say, "We told you so!" but I also feel they are out of tough with reality. A bunch of Atlantan are foreigners, that is they come from places up north and abroad which have had commuter rail for ages. They would use it and will do so far more than the 1,800 expected riders, especially if they make it user friendly with coffee and breakfasts available so that people will be able to completely change their mornings. It also has to go out far enough so that people don't feel that their journey is almost over by the time they get to the rail station as it is on the northside where the MARTA north line extends only a mile or so outside the perimeter highway, I-285, and does not really invite commuters from more northerly counties unless they cannot get paid parking spaces at their companies. It seems as if the GDOT only listens to sarcastic writers of Vents in the Atlanta Journal Constitution which lambast MARTA. But the foreigners I talked with when I rode it daily told me that it was on a par (2001) with systems in their own countries or cities. It all goes back to that adage that a prophet has no honor in his own land. Neither does a commuter carrier. <br />Jock Ellis <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />As one of those "foreigners" - I agree totally with what you say, only adding that MARTA is bit slow - slow to open and close doors at stations, slow into and out of curves, slow track speed - compared to systems elsewhere. Also, lack of graduated fare system is having a bad effect on the rail system's budget these days. These things are fixable should MARTA ever care to do anything about it. <br /> <br />Concerning commuter rail, there is a commitment to build a whole network of commuter rail lines, and they whole thing has been studied to death for the past 15 years or so, all showing that the commuter rail network is better than all other alternatives. Still, each year, when the legislature has an opportunity to start funding the actual work/procurement, nothing comes of it. Even when there is an oppurtunity to buy used gallery cars from Chicago for $1 each, they can't get any money from the state! I suspect there is worry from the rural half of the state that the commuter rail operating subsidies would steal money from their subsidized state highway network. <br /> <br /> <br />[/quote]More than a few persons in that state have reason to prefer commuter rail. The rural portion of that state is not realy the sorse of pushback to the idea due to the fact that the agricultural interests are more and more a group of very large agri-business with names like Carghill, Gerogia-Pacific and EDM. The small towns and cities outside the city of Atlanta have long feared further closer connection to the capital of Georgia with its higher wages, standards of living and social openess that are inconsistant with their view of the world. I speak as an economic and in some ways a social refugee of that state was forsed to seek a living away from home as have a few others that are aquainted to each other with in this forum. Georgia and roads is a long used political plank for getting elected by almost any one in politics. It is a shame that the energy needed to keep the asphalt lobby happy cannot be employed to entertain a new idea in the area of transporation. The trouble of all this is that even the most avid asphalter will also admit in those quiet times when reason prevails, that commuter rail would serve the greater good of the state and region. This also would in the long run preserve many of the small towns and places, allowing people to work a goodly distance from work but live in the quietness of their home towns. This new approach would also serve to attract businesses and industries to base or expand in those small good places. As I close I have just three things to add before I go to one of my employers conferences. GO DOGS, MAY TECH LOOSE TO US AND GOOD LUCK TO AUBURN IN THIER PERSUIT OF THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP [2c]
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