By P

November 15, 2006 12:56 PM | Link to this

Forget tunnels, more roads and elevated highways, we need massive expansion on Marta’s rail service. If you look at the 25 year forecast for Atlanta’s growth, we’ll need three times the amount of roads to handle our population projections. However, if we utilize $25 billion earmarked for our roads into expanding mass transit, we’ll be able to accommodate most of the future growth via new subway lines elevated or subterranean with only nominal road expansions. If we go with new roads, what happens in another 25 years, triple decker roads and more tunnels?

It’s unreasonable to avoid the mass transit alternative, especially when you consider what gasoline will cost in another 10, 20 or 30 years…

By J Smith

November 15, 2006 01:19 PM | Link to this

Tunnels or a good plan to help ease traffic for the Atlanta. They should also run some Marta trains or some sort of public transit thru those tunnels and double deck highways. Trains need to go in more places in the Atlanta metro area. This plan should start yesterday.

By W

November 15, 2006 01:36 PM | Link to this

They’ve got to be kidding.

Of course this is a self serving out of date 1950’s style study from an oil and automotive foundation.

By Kelly

November 15, 2006 01:43 PM | Link to this

I Live in Gainesville and commute to Old Milton Pkwy exit 10 on 400 … Traffic is Crazy at 8am takes a soild hour to go 4 exits (Exit 14 where traffic starts, to exit 10)Yes we need tunnels for “Autos” No TRUCKS NO Construction trailers. trains ?? w.f. heck ! WE dont even have trains up here thats for ATL to deal with , there problem. Most people Drive to work or carpool not ride a damn nasty train

By JP

November 15, 2006 02:13 PM | Link to this

After going to cities with adequate or better rail systems, it’s easy to see how deficient Atlanta’s really is. New York, London, even Washington. If Atlanta is to be world-class, its transit needs a serious upgrade.

By C Lassiter

November 15, 2006 02:15 PM | Link to this

Since the Metro Atlanta area counties and cities refuse to build more bridges over the Chattahoochee River to allow more crossings and easing traffic on existing roadways, let’s build tunnels instead. While we are at it, why not build pedestrian tunnels under metro intersections along with more sidewalks.

By JP

November 15, 2006 02:51 PM | Link to this

We should consider what others have suggested, that is, a world class transit system.

By stop it

November 15, 2006 03:30 PM | Link to this

three words trains, trains, and more trains, well five words. anyways GRTA needs too quit asking can we build a train station and just do it thats the only answer. forget tunnels and more words

By Sean

November 15, 2006 03:46 PM | Link to this

There is a REASON that tunnels will be a bad idea, cost way too much money, and will not alleviate traffic in Atlanta in our lifetime. Many longtime Atlantans know why and if you think hard the answer will not “stone” you.

Ask yourself why Marta opted to not put most of its train lines underground? Better yet just look at the picture underneath the front page article in this morning’s AJC.

It’s that big hunk of rock that sticks up out of the ground at the border of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. The rest of that stone sits underground through out the Metro Area.

By No Way

November 15, 2006 04:53 PM | Link to this

Funny how most of the redesign would be on the south side…… when the north side needs it so much more….. autos are not the answer…. expand the train system, tell those big baby developers to put his money where his mouth is and build the Beltline, provide more shuttles to underserved areas …. and yes, get the State to help pay for it. Its made millions off the city now its time to give back….

By PAT

November 15, 2006 05:12 PM | Link to this

One other note to add here. Has anyone seen the fiasco in Boston with the Big Dig? We may not have the water to contend with, but we sure have a much larger area in question and we’ll definitely pay much more than $25B to make this happen…

By Jeff

November 15, 2006 05:32 PM | Link to this

I’m surprised they didn’t suggest dirigibles - but I guess that’s too much like mass transit.

How about individual helium ballons for our cars, with propellers to power/steer the vehicles?

Makes about as much sense as tunnels.

By Drive On

November 15, 2006 09:20 PM | Link to this

Mass transit is not the solution, that is, if by mass transit you mean MARTA, the corrupt incompetent entity. MARTA is not wanted outside Atlanta, which is stuck with it. It’s been voted down time & again. So, have another vote and see MARTA be rejected for the umpteenth time. Tunnel sounds good IF, after many deep miles are finished, a giant deposit of TNT is ignited and the cesspool of Atlanta falls into it, never to plague the fair state of Georgia again.

By jabba17

November 15, 2006 09:56 PM | Link to this

From a road geek:

Ga. 400 was originally proposed to follow the route of the tunnel, with I-675 its southernmost leg. Look on a highway map from the 1960s. I-675 was originally intended to be the southernmost part of Ga. 400.

Also, the route from Langford Parkway at the Connector to I-20 was supposed to be I-420. No truth to the rumor that the road was killed because all the stoners would be stealing the signs…

Neither of these routes are a new idea.

My $0.02: We need more roads AND more transit—and more TOD (transit-oriented development, meaning dense intown/brownfield/highrise development) to support the transit.

You can’t alleviate sprawl with transit—it’s never dense enough. But you can make urban density much more attractive with it.

About tunneling through rock, it beats the dickens over tunneling through a water table. Compare the Big Dig with the Peachtree Center MARTA station, IIRC ~200 feet underground.

By Cap

November 15, 2006 11:44 PM | Link to this

Why build new roadways through the heart of sprawl which would only encourage more drivership? The tunnels would be obsolete the day they open. A controlled access highway should be built through the railroad gulch on the west side of downtown to connect with Langford Pkwy (lakewood freeway)

By Skip

November 16, 2006 07:47 AM | Link to this

More connectors for more bottlenecks. Did they not study the fact that on this main US corridor, locals and tourists already do not know how to merge? And $25B today, another $75B needed for all the digs…and then increased oil costs each year after. Sure this is realistic.

By Ken

November 16, 2006 08:21 AM | Link to this

I’m an Atlanta commuter and have the “priviledge” of sitting in traffic every day. It is always great to learn of proposed suggestions that might aid in the releaving of the congestion. One question I ask, after a solution is agreed upon, what will I do with all the extra time I’ll gain?

By julie

November 16, 2006 09:48 AM | Link to this

How bout GRTA stepping up & FORCING outer counties to allow extensions of MARTA?? Isnt most of our congestion caused by the influx of drivers from Cobb, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Paudling, Bartow (just to name the few I am more familiar with)?! More roads arent the answer; a smarter Mass Transit system…one that GOES WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE is the best answer. The best idea was one floating around in the late 70s… put a rapid system up the middle of I-75 & I-85, with park & rides at the exits….

By PeeWee

November 16, 2006 02:23 PM | Link to this

Do NOT spend money on roads! Period! Atlanta has done that, & everyone can see the result. With each new road, more drivers are encouraged, instead of using mass transit. The result, Insurance costs have skyrocketed, traffic accidents skyrocketed, deaths and serious injury up dramatically, air quality down, parking availability way down & cost have skyrocketed, fuel costs way up, auto maintenance significantly up, auto costs significantly up, roads have become a burden on neighborhoods, and quality of life way, way down. Had we put road money into mass transit beginning in 1978, we would now have a fine mass transit system, which would costs much, much less to maintain than the current road population, and this group of scholars think we should add more roads… we can’t afford to maintain the roads we have now. Roads in a metropolitan area like Atlanta are dinosaurs, and destined for extinction, Don’t spend our tax money on roads! Besides, mass transit systems will rebuild neighborhoods, getting us out of our autos and back into be social with one another. Such improved interaction will ultimately lead to less crime, better understanding of one another, and a tighter knit community. Health, both mental & physical, will improve. STOP using our tax dollars to build roads!

By Jesse

November 18, 2006 08:22 PM | Link to this

More roads lead to more cars, pure and simple. Why should we jepoardize the future of Atlanta, because everyone from Gwinnett, Cobb, Henry, Cherokee, Paudling, and Bartow insist on driving their massive Ford Excursions into the city everyday.

And for those who say transit doesn’t work, then just look at that horribly, non-mobile place called New York CIty. Wow did they sure get it wrong.

Even though we’re 48th in nation when it comes to SAT’s, most of us can figure out that $25,000,000,000 could probably build more rail than roads going through soild rock.