Gwinnett's MARTA referendum has failed

[RamblingRose]

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution

Gwinnett County’s MARTA referendum — its first vote on expanding public transit in nearly 30 years — failed Tuesday.

<snip>

Gwinnett has now rejected MARTA three times, including in 1971 and 1990. Since the last vote, the county has nearly tripled in population and shifted from a conservative suburb to a deeply diverse community that’s rapidly urbanizing and has shown an increased acceptance of political issues like mass transit.

But the decision to call Tuesday’s referendum for a March special election — and not add it to ballots during last November’s mid-term election — provided an uphill battle for pro-transit supporters.

<snip>

Go Gwinnett, the pro-transit committee backed by the business community, secured a number of high-profile endorsements, including those of ex-Gov. Nathan Deal and Gwinnett’s conservative sheriff.

<snip>

The county commission’s decision to hold the referendum Tuesday rather than add it to ballots during November’s higher turnout mid-term election drew instant criticism from Democrats and transit advocates. They suggested that a lower turnout standalone election would increase the odds of failure in a county where polls and surveys have shown increased acceptance of transit but older, more conservative voters tend to show up at the polls during standalone contests.



Read more: https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/gwinnett-marta-referendum-has-failed/fzmvZ0KPZAOzGw7rlL9NPJ/

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Local elections matter

This is a big blow to the business community in Gwinnett.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. I-85 in Gwinnett is already 12-14 lanes wide. Suffer, you redneck assholes.

[forkol]

3. It would not matter.

The Sierra Club's advocacy group determined the same thing. If you remove people off the roads, it only encourages more people on the roads to replace them.

And I assure you I'm not a redneck. I actually stayed out of the vote because I was going to vote NO, and I figured out it would be better to sit this one out than vote NO.

To me, this plan had little to no benefit to the county, and reeked of the typical under-the-table dealings that you typically see here.

[CurtEastPoint]

5. Wow. OK. You see no benefit. Under the table? How so. Marta has been in

the original counties for...oh... over 40 years now.

[forkol]

10. Here's How...

The current plan only had one rail extension off the Chamblee line, of, *4* miles. That would not be ready for 20 years. Most of the shorter-term projects were upgrading the local bus lines and park and ride. Ridership has been falling on the county bus lines, not increasing. Fares are not covering operating costs. The biggest growth areas of the county would see little short or long term benefit.

Even though it's touted as a 1 cent tax, this is going to cost the average Gwinnett County resident $112 extra dollars per year. And even though they said the tax would end in 2057, Marta's tax in Fulton and DeKalb has been renewed several times past it's end term.

As far as the under-the-table dealings: The current CEO of MARTA former company, made the largest donation for the GO Gwinnett advocacy group. His former company? You guessed it, specializes in building heavy commuter rail projects! Another large donation came from Infinite Energy, where one of the rail stops is supposed to end up. The prominent Republicans on board have extensive ties to real estate and business that would be the biggest beneficiary of such a project.

The county is not clean on this deal either. They really would like to unload GCT, a money loser. Also, they would have more power for eminent domain for the old OFS land near I-85, so they could build more housing that would add to the tax base. There's a reason why a lot of Republicans jumped on board, for the development and corporate money grab.

Finally, the numbers don't add up. Transit ridership is way down in most cities as technology and other alternatives spring up. Gwinnett County said that GCT would pay for itself -- it has not. They said the Gwinnett Braves Stadium would pay for itself, and provide benefits to the area, well, it has not either and have left GC residents stuck with the bill.

Look, I'm all for a responsible, well thought out plan for transit (which I think needs to cover the whole region), but this was NOT it. They were not truthful in the representation of it to the residents, and it was a big payoff to the local real estate, business and political groups. Just as it always is.

[RamblingRose]

8. Did you attend any of the public forums? Have you attended any of the Sierra Club meetings

in Gwinnett?

"Terry and Jeffrey Schoenberg, both high-ranking members of the Georgia Sierra Club, are listed as leaders of the Yes to MARTA committee on paperwork filed last week with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission."

https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/second-pro-transit-committee-joins-gwinnett-marta-push/EFu8kgN8OOo91CjqrJ5EAP/

[CurtEastPoint]

9. SO disappointing. I have lived in Fulton Co for 47 years. For 8 years I took Marta daily to work

I rode the train the very first day it was open: June 306, 1979, and the fare was 15 cents. It ran from East Lake to Georgia State.

I have nothing but good things to say about transit.

[forkol]

11. No, but...

It's not true more mass transit = less cars on the road. As I mentioned above, take more cars off, more cars get on. The Sierra Club in GA already acknowledged this.

I think they were wrong to get in on this initiative. It appears it will do nothing to reduce traffic, but also increase building and possible additional taking of greenspace.

If the overall goal is to better the environment, GA could do a number of things that are far more beneficial to reducing traffic/environmental impact. GA could re-instate the electric-car tax credit, they could give incentives for telecommuting, increase rate-based use of roads to encourage more use of transportation options, and oh yeah, pay a livable minimum wage so folks don't have to travel as far from their home to work.

[CreekDog]

19. you oppose transit and you didn't vote

why is anyone listening and why are you even here?

do you know where you even are?

[DirtEdonE]

2. Reminds me of the ARC tunnel under the Hudson River

It was fully funded, the digging had begun, then chris christie cancelled it to steal the $3 billion in state funding for his transportation fund - so he wouldn't have to raise taxes - so he could run for president. LOFL

The ARC tunnel was estimated to have been completed this year. Now, with two over a century old Sandy damaged tunnels ready to fail one or both at the same time and the over a century old Portal Bridge, included in the ARC plan, sticking in the open position a few times a week we're facing a transit disaster here that will cause traffic backups throughout the region and economic ripple effects throughout the U.S. economy.

The new tunnel project that trump refuses to approve is estimated to cost double the original already funded already started ARC tunnel. So you know it will probably cost three times as much if it ever gets approved.

If new tunnels don't get approved soon it's going to cost U.S. taxpayers many, many more billions in economic and real estate losses. Could be enough to lead us to another repubican depression.

[DBoon]

7. Historians will look at these incomplete projects

the same way they look at the ruins of the Roman aqueduct.

How could a civilization so great allow itself to decay so obviously

[not fooled]

4. 666kook666 brothers behind this, no doubt

as with so many other policy proposals that would move the country forward:


[link:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/climate/koch-brothers-public-transit.html|]


If historians record this period of American dysfunction accurately, the kook brothers will go down as one of the most evil forces in the nation's history. Just think where we would be without them.

[RamblingRose]

6. That was discouraging :( I wonder if they profit from the HOT lanes n/t

[Calista241]

12. This plan was a bad one IMO, and I live next door in Marta serviced Fulton county.

Adding 1 stop to the Gold line is not a comprehensive public transportation plan. Gwinnett is a big county, one of the fastest growing in the country already, and you want to increase taxes like that and hold a special election for 1 additional stop?

That being said, I can see all the HQ buildings being built and businesses investing in infrastructure around the Perimeter Mall, North Springs, and Sandy Springs stops on the Marta Red Line.

[RT Atlanta]

13. This

The investment with the larger business will be made in parts of town where there are transportation stops for the rail and bus. Depending on the business, dont just think about employees commuting, but also visitors from out of town getting to & from Hartsfield to the place of business by MARTA rail.

I believe the vote not to move forward on the transportation infrastructure was incredibly short sighted by Gwinnett.

Separately, I believe the republican idiots in the legislature are going to cost this state a lot of $ with their mastubatory fantasy abortion bill. That bill to control women's bodies is a priority right now since the elected leadership has definitively resolved, for the benefit of all the citizens of GA, every other issue facing this state.

[YOHABLO]

14. Oh they knew that holding that referendum Tues. would lower voter turnout DUH.

Metro Atlanta transit is a disgrace. The traffic is a disgrace. The people who came out against the MARTA expansion were Northern Gwinnett county rich white folks that don't want to pay for something ''THEY'' will never use. They certainly don't want to pay for brown and black people who will use the system. They're just fucking ass holes. I really hate these Republicans in this state. They're awful.

[TNNurse]

15. I grew up in Gwinnett County long ago.

Graduated from Norcross High School. I think we had 110 in our class. The traffic in the area is so awful, I rarely go there. It is sad to me that the growth has gone so unorganized.

I would have voted yes just to try to keep them from building and widening more roads.

[MRDAWG]

16. I lived there in 1971. Transit would allow more Blacks and Mexicans move into........

White neighborhoods. Nothing has changed.

[Calista241]

18. You clearly have not been to Gwinnett in awhile.

The Hispanic, Asian and Black populations have exploded there.

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/gwinnettcountygeorgia/PST045217

[Turbineguy]

17. Yeah.... I love sitting in traffic.

I also hate it when my house increases in value because there's mass transit.