MARTA isn't the only agency with big transit plans.
Atlanta's intown suburbs have monorail fever. Two more cities have followed the lead of Sandy Springs in eyeing a Disney-style monorail system to keep cars off the roads.
Gebbia's idea, one he says came to him several times while pondering ways to reduce traffic and move people around the Brookhaven area more efficiently, is to have a Monorail loop that connects several dense, or about-to-become dense, areas in and bordering Brookhaven.
Then there's the city of Chamblee. From Doug Richards of 11Alive fame:
Thomas Hogan, a city councilman in neighboring Chamblee, [said] is "optimistic his idea may have merit." He says Chamblee will be interested in seeing the results of Brookhaven's study -- with an eye on a potential partnership.
It's an idea that would require hundreds of millions of dollars. Or billions. Both cities, as well as Sandy Springs, said they would be coordinating any future plans with MARTA. And that may be the big take-away from these ruminations. Certain pockets of GOP-dominated metro Atlanta have pushed past the "to-be-or-not-to-be" phase when it comes to commuter rail. The debate now is over what kind of commuter rail would be best.
On the other hand, the last time a small city sought a monorail, things didn't end well.
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Late Wednesday, we had a quiet conversation with one of the state Capitol's more influential lawmakers, who pointed out the key hurdle facing those pushing the legalization of casino gambling in Georgia.
What advocates currently lack is a high-ranking Republican leader willing to go to bat for them. It is a very necessary first step. Think about last year's vote on the transportation funding bill of 2015. From the beginning, everyone understood that it would require a combination of Republican and Democratic votes.
But Democrats wouldn't come for free. They had their price for cooperation, which included the shelving of a GOP attack on early voting in Georgia. But enforcement of that bargain required the support of a governor and/or House speaker and/or lieutenant governor.
A proposed constitutional amendment to permit casino gambling will likewise require bipartisan support. But to whom do Democrats in the Legislature apply in the deal-making process? Who will guarantee that their price is met?
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Former state lawmaker Ed Lindsey will be back at the Capitol next year - with the Thompson Victory Group lobbying firm.
The Buckhead Republican, who left the state House last year to launch a failed bid for a seat in the federal counterpart, said he wants to work on "big tent initiatives." He's joining a team that includes Howard Franklin and Graham Thompson.
"For a decade I’ve been concerned about public policy, particularly in the areas of economic growth and business development," he said. "I want to expand opportunities and doing this lobbying work allows me to do that."
He added: "I’m grateful that someone wants to pay me to do that which I truly enjoy – good, sound public policy."
It also could mean the end of his political ambitions. When asked if that's the case, Lindsey said only that he has no plans to run for office again.
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