Letter to the Editor: Mike Lowry Sees No Real Transit Relief in ARC Projects

"Examining the most recent [Atanta Regional Commission] project list, I find that almost half of the money is allocated to something called 'transit.'

This is a term that I interpret as an attempt not to say 'rail.'

I have been a resident of metro Atlanta for 47 years and of Roswell for 19 years. In watching the history of rail transit here, I find that it is much more of a political monument than a solution for the region’s transportation problems. It does nothing to alleviate congestion. It costs twice as much per passenger mile as automobiles and generates almost twice the Co2 emissions. 

What is the objective?

While MARTA was building out its hub-and-spoke design, absorbing obscene amounts of tax money, the metro area was evolving into a grid.  Every origin-destination study I have seen bears this out. People need to travel from Roswell to Duluth, from Marietta to Roswell, from Norcross to Sandy Springs.

The money being wasted on rail could be much better applied to solving the real congestion problems of the region. Check out Randal O’Toole’s study for some background facts; instead of the current smoke being generated by ARC.

I live in Wildwood Springs, 6.2 miles from Ga. 400. There are 16 stoplights on Holcomb Bridge Road between my house and Ga. 400.  This supposed 'artery' is nothing but a congestion generator. Every single east-west 'artery' in North Fulton is the same. 

Why not work on a solution for this problem instead of wasting our money on rail?

The big developers who control the ARC, such as Cousins and Dewberry are the only beneficiaries of rail expenditure. They build high-density, multi-use complexes and gain significant added value if rail transit is close by.

The citizens of Roswell gain nothing from this.  

I hope you will join in opposition to this plan. It is badly conceived, badly executed and will tax the citizens of Roswell without any benefit. The [Georgia] General Assembly needs to start over and fix the real problem – a dysfunctional Department of Transportation. We don’t need to extract another $10 billion in taxes from our local economy to do it, either." 

Sincerely,  

Mike Lowry