I cannot believe tat it has been a week and nobody as anything to say about this topic. I expected at least 5 or 6 comments either way.

Does the silence mean that the citizens of our county are now more agreeable with what I said?

Or, does it mean that they don't care?

With the possibility of another 2 to 3 weeks of this gasoline shortage, as reported on local TV news, no guarantee that any specific gas station will receive any gas, and the only guarantee is that when you find gas, you will wait for at least 45 minutes to get to the pump the only price effective means to commute down GA-400 would be by expanding MARTA's Light Rail service up to and through Forsyth County.

There is no good reason not to expand public transportation. There are lots of bad reasons (racial ignorance, faulty political feelings, inaccurate fiscal calculations, and just simpleminded foolishness) but not really any good one. It will save money in the long run, be good for the environment and will be a boon on both sides of the line when people can hop the train and hang out as a family on the way to the various Atlanta attractions rather than battle construction and traffic all the way, pay the toll, pay to park... (MARTA parking is FREE for the first 24-hours). Anyway, I support this idea 100%. (I take MARTA every day, North Springs to Peachtree Center Station -- it does take a little longer, but the cost is much lower and I don't have to do the driving -- I get the sit and read for 30 minutes, twice a day -- something I haven't been able to do for years.)

I think everyone's been paying close attention to what has been going on in Washington.

I would like to have Marta but it has not been planned, so where would it go, in the middle of Market Blvd? That wouldn't be practical.

In the area between the North Springs Station and Windward Parkway I would recommend that the rails be run underground and have stations that would be under the current Park & Ride lots through Windward, as after Windward the highway narrows back to 4 lanes with the grassy median. From there I would recommend that the tracks run down the median of GA-400, like it does between Buckhead and Lindburgh Station, and then have stations either underground or above ground where there is a current Park & Ride lots or a large unimproved area where a station and Park & Ride Lot/Ramp could be built. There is locations adjacent to GA-400 at Exit 13, 16, 17, Browns Bridge Road, Martin Road, and ultimately ending at Jot-em-Down Road.

I know the next question would be "Where would the money come from to fund the project?" I think that those who drive up and down GA-400 (including my wife and I) should pay a $.25 for the first 2 axles and .25 per axle in addition, and that the toll booths be build on all of the on-ramps to GA-400 and remove that monstrosity that is all but worthless outside of Buckhead going Southbound. That way EVERYONE who uses GA-400 would pay the way for mass transit to help reduce the traffic congestion and the amount of pollutants, which the environmentalists say that causes our smog problems and requires us to have to participate in the Emissions Testing.

But since you mentioned Market Place Blvd, I would recommend that the County, if this were to ever come to fruition offer a free local shuttle buses that would loop from the Cumming Park & Ride Station to the Hospital, Market Place Blvd, Market Place Blvd Ext and then to Downtown Cumming and back to the Station. Doing so could help increase sales tax revenue that would cover the cost of the shuttle and hopefully lower the property taxes.

Lets get it done already!
MARTA coming up 400 to at least exit 14, if not further, needs to happen sooner rather than later!

With some planning, finding the ideal station locations can easily be done and there is more than enough room down the center of GA400 to allow for a rail line in each direction.

As previously started, A $.25 toll to support this is a reasonable option.

The benefits far outwiegh any possible negatives!

I have to really disagree with this here. It's a proven fact that Marta lines bring in "undesirables" and increase crime dramatically. With the constant barrage of advertising about the "wealth" of this county it is already beginning to bring in some of those who come here thinking they can get more hand-outs. We need to stop any proposed type of Marta going any where nearer to Forsyth County than it already is, which is already way too close. Luckily even if some politician gets their pocket padded enough to make it happen it could take years, which is long enough for me to get out.

I think that the "It will bring in the undesirables" argument is no longer valid. Perhaps it was once, but not anymore. why would they come? No jobs; can't steal much as how do they get stuff out without being seen by surveillance cameras and other passengers. However there is validity to increased auto theft.

Nevertheless, attention to transit here in Forsyth would greatly enhance the businesses here in the community and cut down on road congestion as well as pollution.

Even without an extension of MARTA, Forsyth County definitely needs to look at regular bus service within the county. And I don't mean Dial-a-Ride.
That is not serving the needs of those who do not have a regular schedule for their transportation needs.

It will come, but may take a few years. Especially with the downturn in our economy. But heck, I'd much rather ride a trolly car to do my errands than to drive my auto all over the city/county.

Ride.

Rick081963, If you think that you can take any wealth and move to an utopic place where crime is far enough away to not be able to approach where you live, is just that utopic. Burglars don't use mass transit, they will steal a car, van or truck and drive to their victim's residence or business and clean them out.

Mass transit is a cure for many of the ills of our County, air pollution and traffic congestion. I can understand that there is a segment of the population don't care about anything other than themselves and their money, however there are more people that are in the middle class in this county, than there are in the upper "elitist" class.

Some of those "undesirables" that you talk about could be prevented by passing and enforcing strong vagrancy, panhandling and loitering ordinances in our county, and have the Sheriff's Department work with MARTA Police, if MARTA were allowed to go through Forsyth County to help track and deter crime. Atlanta is the only major city in the United States that does not have mass transit going through its suburbs to help alleviate traffic and that is a black eye to our Region.

If the County will not budge on this, I will lobby the State Legislature to Order it, even if it requires the state utilizing immanent domain to force it.

You may have plenty of money to throw into commuting, but the majority of the residents of Forsyth County do not, and we cannot allow the minority to dictate to the majority. This is nothing more than Class Warfare or elitist!

MPMcMahon, you are right, larger crimes do involve the car stealing to poull them off but the smaller crimes, panhandling and even the type of people that move into an area with mass transit are a problem. Just look at East Point, College Park, Clayton County, etc. That's my point. Hey I take Marta from the North Rail Line into town, it's nice but I like it stopping there.

You are also right about passing laws about vagrancy and panhandling but look at what the City of Atlanta has done about it, little to nothing.

I can assure you I am not of the rich or elite but I am someone that got out of that type of area because of what the mass transit brought in.

Mr. McMahon, you have a very interesting view of what government can and cannot do, and well as a very interesting view of the laws of physics.

The main reason why there is no MARTA in Forsyth County is because there isn't any MARTA past North Springs. What do you propose to do? Have them build a direct rail line above all the rest of the communities between us and them without any stops so that you can ride the rails? I don't think so. You need A to happen before you get to B. A is having everyone else between us and North Springs agree, and for MARTA to be able to fund that rail line for you. You know what? Ain't gonna happen. Not in your lifetime, at least.

And now you're going to lobby the state legislature to ORDER MARTA to build all the way up here and have them use their powers of eminent domain to do so? Please tell me where the Government derives their JUST powers to make that happen?

And in case you missed this little point, while Atlanta's rail system is not as extensive as others across the nation, if you were to extend it as far out as Forsyth County, you'd have a rail line much farther out than most of the rail lines across America. Boston's MBTA barely covers the farthest distance we go to North Springs, and they're one of the oldest transit systems in America.

I am not so sure about MARTA in forsyth county, but do think we need buses.