We all know that Atlanta is sorely lacking when it comes to mass transit. We continue our love with the automobile, and obviously some record-setting lengthy commutes! As the Metro Atlanta region grows, it actually makes transit even harder and harder to implement.
Why? Well, first off, there is the land needed to build the transit line, as well as the stations. With neighborhoods and businesses well established, where do these things go? Secondly, the city is so spread out, where do you build a new transit line? Think the suburban business areas like Cumberland/Galleria, Alpharetta’s Windward Parkway (although this Northern ‘burb is none to keen on transit coming there anyways!) and the Gwinnett Place Mall, and now Mall of Georgia. Go East, West, or South and you have the same challenge.
It needs to start somewhere….but it would be Gwinnett. For a second time, a transit initiative has failed.
From the Newsletter:
“Gwinnett County voters have rejected a transit expansion tax initiative for the second time in as many years, but this time, the margin was tiny. The initial rejection came in March 2019, during a special election with a limited turnout. County leaders hoped the initiative would fare better during this year’s general election, but they waited until July to put it on the November ballot. That left little time to organize grassroots support, especially with the covid pandemic limiting campaign opportunities. This time the second initiative came up just short, losing by only 1,000 votes out of 400,000 cast. The upside is that with Gwinnett’s increasingly urban population nearing one million, the declining vote gap suggests transit expansion will happen sooner or later.”
High Speed Rail between Charlotte and Atlanta?
Maybe one day, we will be like countries in Europe and Asia with high speed trains to get us to places. For what little I know about this, I’m sure there is a huge lobby from the aviation industry not to have this happen. But you can read more about it in the Newsletter.
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If you are considering Atlanta, and want to be near transit, there are options with MARTA and it’s limited reach. For example, you could live in the upcoming area of Downtown Chamblee (a fraction of the cost of Buckhead or Midtown) and ride MARTA to either of these two locations as well as Downtown, and leave your car parked. Buckhead is more of a challenge based on where the stations are located.
Let us help you find a great place to live and take advantage of transit!