Comments on: Will MARTA Stay a Breeze For All? http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/199 For fans of everything ITP Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:39:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Smoove D http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/199#comment-684 Smoove D Sun, 02 Apr 2006 23:12:16 +0000 http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/199#comment-684 I agree that distance based fares are a good idea. $1.75 from North Springs to the airport is ridiculous. Also, lower fares on shorter trips may encourage more shorter trips on MARTA within activity centers. I agree that distance based fares are a good idea. $1.75 from North Springs to the airport is ridiculous. Also, lower fares on shorter trips may encourage more shorter trips on MARTA within activity centers.

]]> By: Jason http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/199#comment-683 Jason Wed, 08 Mar 2006 04:55:27 +0000 http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/199#comment-683 Distance based pricing would be a boom for those most likely to use MARTA, intowners. Why should someone from Cumming pay the same for a twenty five mile trip from North Springs to the airport as someone from Atlanta taking a mile and half trip from Peachtree Center to Midtown? At thirty cents per passenger mile, the rider from Cumming uses $7.50 worth of services while the intown rider (who also pays taxes into the system) uses only $.45 worth of services but they both should pay $1.75? Distance based fares would make things more expensive for those in the suburbs but cheaper for those in the city. Suburbanites have made their decisions on where to live and should pay the cost of doing so. Traffic is never going to get better. Even if we spend the fifty billion required to build everything in the twenty five year regional road plan, traffic is still projected to get worse and worse. If they don't want to pay the cost of transit, why should those living in the city be expected to subsidize them? With all of the new residents moving intown, especially near transit lines, it is essential that the system focus on providing a resonably priced service to them. These people are the most likely to use the service. If we miss the opportunity to get these people onto transit instead of driving everywhere, the city is going to become even worse gridlocked than GA400. Distance based pricing would be a boom for those most likely to use MARTA, intowners. Why should someone from Cumming pay the same for a twenty five mile trip from North Springs to the airport as someone from Atlanta taking a mile and half trip from Peachtree Center to Midtown? At thirty cents per passenger mile, the rider from Cumming uses $7.50 worth of services while the intown rider (who also pays taxes into the system) uses only $.45 worth of services but they both should pay $1.75?

Distance based fares would make things more expensive for those in the suburbs but cheaper for those in the city. Suburbanites have made their decisions on where to live and should pay the cost of doing so. Traffic is never going to get better. Even if we spend the fifty billion required to build everything in the twenty five year regional road plan, traffic is still projected to get worse and worse. If they don’t want to pay the cost of transit, why should those living in the city be expected to subsidize them?

With all of the new residents moving intown, especially near transit lines, it is essential that the system focus on providing a resonably priced service to them. These people are the most likely to use the service. If we miss the opportunity to get these people onto transit instead of driving everywhere, the city is going to become even worse gridlocked than GA400.

]]> By: Amber http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/199#comment-682 Amber Wed, 08 Mar 2006 00:34:49 +0000 http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/199#comment-682 I think distance based fare is a good thing. That's how the DC metro does it and it works great. The max cost doesn't have to be something exorbitant. But paying $1.75 to go from Arts Center to Lindbergh makes me lean toward just hopping in my car. I think distance based fare is a good thing. That’s how the DC metro does it and it works great. The max cost doesn’t have to be something exorbitant. But paying $1.75 to go from Arts Center to Lindbergh makes me lean toward just hopping in my car.

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