I’ll take the bus – and you should, too

EDITOR'S NOTE

Collin Kelley

As we were going to press on this issue, MARTA announced it had chosen to create bus rapid transit (BRT) lanes on the long-delayed Clifton Corridor to connect Lindbergh and Avondale Estates.

Cue the social media outrage demanding more rail. Look, I get that we were promised rail all those years ago and we’ve all been paying extra sales tax for the past seven years in anticipation of MARTA moving us rapidly to more places in the city. But that was then, this is now and, frankly, I ain’t getting any younger. I’ll take the bus.

Now that I’ve been ensconced in my Midtown flat for nearly two years, I’ve become a regular MARTA rail rider. I used it almost daily over the holidays for shopping and to meet up with friends on the northside. I like leaving the driving to someone else.

But my main complaint – since I was a kid – is that MARTA doesn’t go anywhere. I’m admittedly spoiled by too many visits to London, Paris, and New York, where public transport goes everywhere. We’ve got a long way to go to catch up to those cities, although I’m fully aware that it’s not going to happen in my lifetime.

So, I support BRT and more of it to help expand our paltry network. And I’ll tell you why.

I think there’s some confusion as to how true BRT operates and I also firmly believe that there’s a snobby resistance to riding buses in general. I used to be one of them if I’m being totally honest.

As outlined by MARTA, the BRT line that will connect Lindbergh to Avondale Estates – with crucial stops at the Emory and CDC campuses – will run in dedicated lanes. That means not getting caught up in road traffic like the beleaguered Atlanta Streetcar.

There will be stations along the BRT just like a train or tram and it will get you to your destination just as quickly. It’s cheaper and faster to build and maintain, too. According to MARTA, a rail line would cost $2.9 billion, while BRT would cost $1.3 billion. That’s still a hefty price tag, but that other billion could go to another much-needed BRT line.

Since Google is your friend, a quick search will show that there are plenty of BRT success stories across the United States, including Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and even sprawling Los Angeles with its 18-mile Orange Line.

I became a bus devotee during my last couple of trips to London. I was one of those snobs who would rather take the Underground, but my dear friend Agnes scoffed at my snooty attitude. While I’d taken the famed red double-deckers before, I learned to love them and now prefer the bus to the Tube. Unless it’s rush hour.

My two cents to MARTA is don’t bother with ART – that’s arterial rapid transit – where the buses mingle with other traffic. We all know ATL’s traffic is a nightmare even on the surface streets, so to sell more bus service to the masses, give them the ultimate BRT experience and make it all dedicated lanes.

Personally, I’d love to see some rail/BRT combos to the Westside, Grant Park, and East Atlanta. The Summerhill BRT connecting Five Points to the neighborhood is a good start – if MARTA will ever get a move on with it. I’m ready to ride.

Let’s get off our high horses and get Atlanta moving.