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I’ll take the bus - and
you should, too
As we were going to press on this issue, MARTA
announced it had chosen to create bus rapid transit (BRT)
lanes on the long-delayed Clifton Corridor to connect
Lindbergh and Avondale Estates.
Cue the social media outrage demanding more rail.
Look, I get that we were promised rail all those years ago
and we’ve all been paying extra sales tax for the past seven
years in anticipation of MARTA moving us rapidly to more
places in the city. But that was then, this is now and, frankly, I
ain’t getting any younger. I’ll take the bus.
Now that I’ve been ensconced in my Midtown flat for nearly two years, I’ve
become a regular MARTA rail rider. I used it almost daily over the holidays for
shopping and to meet up with friends on the northside. I like leaving the driving to
someone else.
But my main complaint — since I was a kid — is that MARTA doesn’t go
anywhere. I’m admittedly spoiled by too many visits to London, Paris, and New
York, where public transport goes everywhere. We’ve got a long way to go to catch
up to those cities, although I’m fully aware that it’s not going to happen in my
lifetime.
So, I support BRT and more of it to help expand our paltry network. And I’ll tell
you why.
I think there’s some confusion as to how true BRT operates and I also firmly
believe that there’s a snobby resistance to riding buses in general. I used to be one of
them if I’m being totally honest.
As outlined
by MARTA, the
BRT line that
will connect
Lindbergh
to Avondale
Estates — with
crucial stops at
the Emory and
CDC campuses
— will run in
dedicated lanes.
That means not
getting caught
up in road
traffic like the
beleaguered Atlanta Streetcar.
There will be stations along the BRT just like a train or tram and it will get you
to your destination just as quickly. It’s cheaper and faster to build and maintain, too.
According to MARTA, a rail line would cost $2.9 billion, while BRT would cost
$1.3 billion. That’s still a hefty price tag, but that other billion could go to another
much-needed BRT line.
Since Google is your friend, a quick search will show that there are plenty of
BRT success stories across the United States, including Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and
even sprawling Los Angeles with its 18-mile Orange Line.
I became a bus devotee during my last couple of trips to London. I was one of
those snobs who would rather take the Underground, but my dear friend Agnes
scoffed at my snooty attitude. While I’d taken the famed red double-deckers before,
I learned to love them and now prefer the bus to the Tube. Unless it’s rush hour.
My two cents to MARTA is don’t bother with ART — that’s arterial rapid transit
— where the buses mingle with other traffic. We all know ATL’s traffic is a nightmare
even on the surface streets, so to sell more bus service to the masses, give them the
ultimate BRT experience and make it all dedicated lanes.
Personally, I’d love to see some rail/BRT combos to the Westside, Grant Park,
and East Atlanta. The Summerhill BRT connecting Five Points to the neighborhood
is a good start — if MARTA will ever get a move on with it. I’m ready to ride.
Let’s get off our high horses and get Atlanta moving.
EDITOR'S
NOTE
Collin Kelley
4 | MARCH 2023
RoughDraftAtlanta.com