MARTA North Line Extension Atlanta, GA

[Jeff Smith]

Expaning Northward? They are also looking at light rail and BRT.

http://www.northfulton.com/articles-c-2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... retta.html

March 29, 2012
NORTH FULTON, Ga. — A study that could bring MARTA rail to North Fulton should the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax pass has entered a new phase.

"We've initiated the alternatives analysis study for the corridor," said MARTA Regional Planning and Analysis Manager Don Williams.

Senior Project Manager Janide Sidifall elaborated. She explained that since the Jan. 26 meeting that kicked off the Connect 400 Ga. 400 Transit Initiative to seek ways to reduce congestion and improve connectivity in the Ga. 400 area, MARTA has begun arranging a purpose and need statement. Once the purpose and need is decided, MARTA will propose different means of meeting that need.

...

Brandon Beach, board member for the GDOT 6th District, said if the TSPLOST passes, it will dedicate $37 million for environmental studies and engineering to prepare for extending transit to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta. When the study recommends a specific mode of transit, GDOT and MARTA will go to the Federal Transportation Authority and Congress to try to get federal funding for the project.

If the money is secured and the studies done, building a MARTA line north to Windward Parkway would take three years.

Beach said he is positive on the project because the community wants it and the need is there. He said there are 27 million square feet of Class A office space in the Perimeter area and 10 million square feet between Windward Parkway and Haynes Bridge Road.

[MattW]

I'm personally pulling for an extension of the existing Heavy Rail red line from North Springs rather than a different mode. I've heard anywhere from lsoing 20%-60% of riders when a transfer, even a cross-platform transfer is required so I hope MARTA and the various places take that into consideration when planning for North Fulton Transit modes.

[Jeff Smith]

Matt, is it just me, or didn't they have this planned at one point? FYI, I used to live in Alpharetta, and I can tell you what a huge difference an extension would make. The North Springs station just never seemed all that convenient due to its limited access and the fact that you still hit all the choke points heading in.

[MattW]

I think they did, though I was young even when the Red line extension was opened in 2000, I remember something about plans to expand toward Windward parkway. Of course, existing development wasn't what it was today except in certain areas. My dad still commutes to the Windward Parkway area every day and having MARTA rail service directly to the area would be a massive benefit to him.
I agree about the North Springs station, it seems that it's the waypoint used by all the traffic reporters: "Traffic is good on 400 northbound until the MARTA station then you're slow through Holcolmb Bridge to the northern burbs."
As a bit of a side note, I find it interesting that MARTA seems to be expanding from an urban rail service into a commuter rail service. The I-20 East extension will add 12 miles to the existing blue line for about 20 miles one way from Atlanta, and if heavy rail is extended to Windward, that's 11.5 miles from North Springs for about 25-26 miles from Five Points. The trains themselves are very similar to commuter rail equipment in the UK, similar voltage, similar speed, similar size, the only real difference being that MARTA trains won't run on the regular (FRA) railroads.

[Jeff Smith]

These pages are obviously dated, but they shed some light:

http://world.nycsubway.org/us/atlanta/

Currently, there are two major extensions on the drawing board. The MARTA board in February 2000 approved two extensions. The first extension, with the highest priority is the West line extension to Fulton Industrial Boulevard, about four miles. This would complete the 1979 West line plan. The right-of -way already exists and construction can start once federal funding is approved. The other extension, with a lower priority is a North line extension to Windward Parkway, about 11 miles north of the North Springs station. This extension has three stations planned so far. Environmental studies must still be done before construction can begin.

A little known extension plan is for another station at Hartsfield Airport. The airport is currently planning another terminal south of the current ones, and the plans call for a provision for a MARTA station in the new terminal. The date for this station is unknown.

http://talk.nycsubway.org/perl/read?subtalk=479122

Some interesting suggestions:

As a resident of Atlanta, here are my suggestions for MARTA (extensions of lines are obviously noted):
-Extend the North Line to Windward Parkway
-Extend the Northeast Line to Buford and the Mall of Georgia
-Expand MARTA bus service to Cobb, Clayton, Cherokee, Douglas, Gwinnett, and Rockdale, Counties
-Extend the Proctor Creek Line to Symrna and Kennesaw
-Construct the Northwest Line from Woodstock or Canton to the bellmouths north of Arts Center
-Extend the South Line to Palmetto in South Fulton
-Extend the West Line to Douglasville
-Extend the East Line to Conyers along I-20
-Construct the Tucker-North DeKalb Line to Emory Univ. from the turn off near East Lake

and some provisions:

http://world.nycsubway.org/us/atlanta/m ... sions.html

[Jeff Smith]

ADMIN NOTE: At some point I plan on breaking some transit operations out of this forum, and into a new forum covering Southeast Transit such as SunRail, MARTA, etc. Previously I had consolidated MARTA topics; I will probably break those back out.

News on a potential North Line extension for MARTA:

ATLANTA BUSINESS JOURNAL

Brief, fair-use quote:

MARTA wrapping up meetings on North Line extension

...MARTA’s Board of Directors voted last month to extend the Red Line, which currently stops at the North Springs station, north to Windward Parkway.

The “preferred alternative” the board chose was heavy rail, the same technology currently being used on the Red Line. But MARTA also is studying two less expensive options that would use bus-rapid transit (BRT), essentially buses that run inside dedicated highway lanes.
The board also has selected a preferred route for the 12-mile project that would cross over Georgia 400 from east to west just north of the North Springs station and cross over the highway again from west to east, either near Holcomb Bridge Road or near North Point Mall.

and:

ATL BUS CHRON

Brief, fair-use quote:

MARTA chooses route for North Line extension

A poll of residents and employees along the Georgia 400 corridor conducted last year for MARTA by Kennesaw State University found strong support for extending MARTA’s heavy rail line 12 miles from the North Springs station to Windward Parkway.

The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce released a survey just last week showing 63 percent of likely voters favored extending MARTA into that county.

...

Partly in response to public support in North Fulton for heavy rail, the MARTA board voted last month to go with heavy rail for the proposed North Line extension at an estimated price tag of $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion.
However, MARTA also is continuing to study two less expensive alternatives that would extend transit service to Alpharetta with bus-rapid transit (BRT), essentially buses that operate in dedicated highway lanes.

[Jeff Smith]

Some images:

[litz]

Frankly, they can't build this fast enough.

From Alpharetta, in the morning rush, it can take longer to get to the north springs station, then it does taking the train to the airport.

[Jeff Smith]

I remember that GA 400 commute to the bottom end of Buckhead, to the Perimeter, etc. Awful. If they'd have kept the GA 400 toll as a revenue stream to fund this....

[Greg Moore]

Atlanta is one city that really needs to greatly expand their metro system.

This is a start though.

[Jeff Smith]

Nothing really new here, but it is being covered: North Atlanta Business Post

If there is one thing metro Atlanta is known for, it’s the traffic. But MARTA Board Chairman Robert Ashe has grand plans to change that. These plans include nearly $8 billion in funding over the next several decades as well as significant improvements and expansion projects, notably expanding rail services to Windward Parkway in Fulton County and in DeKalb County.

...

In Fulton County, plans call for five stations to dot the 12-mile distance from North Springs to Windward Parkway – Northridge Road, Holcomb Bridge Road, Encore Parkway/North Point Mall, Old Milton Parkway and Windward Parkway. No specific sites have been chosen yet.

And a nice map:

[litz]

This can't be extended up into Alpharetta fast enough .... can't wait.