[ale] Off topic - And now, Arizona

[Larry Johnson]

On Sat, Jul 10, 2010 at 7:04 AM, Jim Kinney <jim.kinney at gmail.com> wrote:

> I would LOVE_ to see that proposed "Tucker Branch" of the east rail line.
> OK. I live in Tucker and the bus ride to the rail is 45 minutes...
>
> I think the last thing we need to be spending more government subsidy money
> on is more roads. Add a per slot parking lot tax, raise the gas tax and take
> out a lane or two on on all the interstates within 4 miles of downtown. Use
> the extra $ to build a WORKING mass transit system that can move people
> around at least as fast as they move now in rush hour.
>
> Rubber tires on elevated trains are quite and won't require chopping up
> neighbourhoods. The area under the rails become a long series of parks or if
> high enough no change under the rails. Who ever's backyard _will_ gripe and
> move and the next owner will be happy.
>
> Maybe we need a gubment mandate of no vehicle sold in the US gets less than
> 50mpg without a bus drivers license and commercial insurance or is only
> available for lease.


I definitely can't argue with you about any of these points.  For selfish
reasons my priorities for train service would include punching the East/West
line into Cobb County (my wife's house is there, and I spend some time there
while we figure out what to do with the two houses), and really doing the
planned BRT along 20 east (as much as BRT is not  the optimal solution this
particular line will benefit those of us in East Atlanta and Grant Park
greatly).

Even in its current damaged form MARTA is not a bad system from my intown
POV.  And since it has the most flexible train/bicycle policy I've ever seen
in a transit system I can usually make very good time by patching the gaps
by cycling rather than the bus.

Larry

-- 
"I see design standards that don't tell you how to come up with a good
design (only how to write it down), employee evaluation standards that don't
help you build meaningful long-term relationships with staff, testing
standards that don't tell you how to invent a test that is worth running."

                                     Tom DeMarco
                                      Slack
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