Gwinnett.talk

By Jay Johnston

March 23, 2006 06:59 AM | Link to this

Build it, Build it, Build it. We have tossed this around long enough. People will never get out of their cars if we never provide options. The economic potential around the proposed rail stations would be a huge shot in the arm to those areas.

By cheryl

March 23, 2006 06:59 AM | Link to this

This is an excellent idea that is long overdue. How many more automobiles can our interstates tolerate? I was in the northeast last summer and rode the train from Salem to Boston. I wondered “why don’t we have this in the Atlanta area?” It’s time to do something progressive that will ease the traffic. I fully support and would use this train. Why should we continue to get tax dollars for building more roads when we are not willing to use other methods of transportation?

By wawa

March 23, 2006 09:51 AM | Link to this

Waste of time and money! It sounds very romantic but with the way Atl is laid out I don’t see it being very useful.I’m sure it would be great for the Bulldog games and some students coming home for the weekend but other than that I can’t see the rail line doing much more.Use the money for the outer perimeter BUILD MORE ROADS.

By College Student

March 23, 2006 09:57 AM | Link to this

Why a rail to Athens? The only people going that way are those who are affiliated with UGA in some way. Why not use the money and make MARTA more effective in the Metro area? I mean we are already fixing 316/85 for the Dawg Fans, why don’t we just use the money and paint the highway red and silver?

By John

March 23, 2006 12:28 PM | Link to this

I think it would be great because it would ease the morning and eve commute congestion and it would increase property value as demand to live in close proximity to a commuter train would be a big moving factor. Look at all the leading metro areas like DC and NY, their cities thrive because of the alternate transportaion systems the cities offer. Let’s get it done, sooner than later! Let’s raise the bar on our quality of life.

By LG

March 23, 2006 01:18 PM | Link to this

I think it would be great. The tracks are a mile away from my house, and a half mile away from my work. I’d ride it Monday-Friday.

By Mike

March 23, 2006 02:55 PM | Link to this

Build it, I would love to take the train into Athens to see a game or take classes. It would be cheaper and even faster than the crowded HWY 316. Plus, it would give UGA fans a chance to sober up after a football game. Built it, I would use it.

By John

March 23, 2006 05:08 PM | Link to this

People, let’s do math: If a train car carries 50 people, a 10-car train carries 500. At 15-minute intervals, you can move 4 trains (2000) people per hour. If used for 3 hours (6am-9am) by commuters, 6000 people have been moved from origin to destination. Big deal.

If 300,000 people commute from Gwinnett County (for example) 6000 is 2%. It’s a drop in the bucket. It’s insignificant, but it’s insignificance that costs several hundred million dollars. Why waste that sort of $$$ on something so trivial?

We already have a mass transit system: automobiles.

By Bill Wright II

March 23, 2006 09:07 PM | Link to this

I believe that it would be a great idea that would help students at UGA be able to get their eaiser with less danger. It would help workers. BUT,it must be done AT NO cost to tax payers. It either pays for itself or it goes under!

By John

March 23, 2006 10:00 PM | Link to this

I seriously doubt 300,000 people commute from Gwinnett. Furthermore, I think you should equate the number to cars on the roads during the commuting hours and it would be a far cry from 300,000. The train would take a much larger percentage of cars off the roads and therefore reduce congestion.

By Carl B

March 23, 2006 10:00 PM | Link to this

Great idea, but first Gwinnett County should be made to pony up and contribute to MARTA, that is the first mass transit system that should be allowed to transit thru that county, if and only if that happens, and when Gwinnett County ponies up its fair share for the traffic problems in the Atlanta Metro Area, should we think of extending it on to Athens. We need MARTA trains up the I85 corridor (Cobb County: listen up, I75 as well) GCTA and CCT busses to Atlanta are not helping traffic, Only Trains that don’t get held up in the highway traffic snarls will help. We need a NYC style of transit, not an LA style.

By John

March 23, 2006 10:05 PM | Link to this

One other thought; the goal here is to decrease the automobiles from the current mass transit system. That is the source of the problem and it is a huge problem for this area.

By tom doniphon

March 24, 2006 12:00 AM | Link to this

So, Gwinnett should be “made” to pay for MARTA? Spoken like a true fascist. The residents of Gwinnett have voted time & again they they DO NOT WANT marta. What part of this don’t you understand?

If the choo choo helps, so be it.