"TSPLOST would generate 200,000 jobs year over year for the region, said Leithead." Absolute mindless moronic stupidity. If you believe this I have some desert property to sell you in McIntosh County.

Bill after reading your posts I am beinging to understand you opposition to TSPLOST and how the its been promoted as being this only solution to our traffic woe's.

I still believe that its one of many solutions to funding transport inititives around the region.

The projects that its slated to fund won't make a single bit of difference to congestion. Transit projects do generate jobs and inward investment but sticking a traffic light on the corner of 5th and 3rd won't make GM suddenly decide to build a plant in your region, but a rail commuter/frieght route and interchange access to the interstate network along with tax breaks will.

But how would you fund what would have to be a multi hundred billion dollar project such on the scale of the highspeed rail projects in china and the new HS2 project in the UK. Now we don't need highspeed we need to walk before we even consider running. Public transport can be run at a profit it but it does need some radical thinking that envolves both public and private sector and a change in thinking to get people out of their cars.

Neil - if its a good investment with true economic viability, then let entrepreneurs do it with private capital.

Neil - the world is waking up to the reality that government only invest in economically unfeasible projects. Even NASA is outsourcing putting rockets into space. They launched one yesterday to re supply the space station. We've had 100 years of Liberal moronic nonsense that has accomplished nothing more than making us the brokest of broke nations in the history of the universe. The primary cause is what you state is a "Public/Private" relationship. The problem with this is the Public pays if it loses; the Private gets rich if it's a winner. So don't give the tea party crazy stuff. It's people like you who actually espouse the craziness.

btw Neil - if you look through history only Socialist play with real trains. Average people and citizens like to play with the toys.

Just as I start to think I can see some common ground in your arguement you go all tea party crazy. Not once have you formulated a discussion on On how you would solve the congestion problems in Metro Atlanta can be solved, its just no no no There is not a single infrastructure project in the world that isn't in some way financed or underwriten by the taxpater. If a bank won't budge to help someone stay in their home they are hardly going to finance Joe Bloggs the billions needed to solve our transit issues. Public/Private partnerships are the key.

You have on the one hand a network grinding to a halt over capacity and no matter what you do will continue to be over capacity due to Atlanta's growth. On the other hand you have a network that is under used. (This includes GRTA Xpress). Money doesn't need to be spent on widening this highway or improving that interchange. Money should be spent of firstly persuading people to move out of their and utilize the existing transit network, secondly use of tolls could be used to fund future expansion. e.g GA 400 move the toll to the marta exit make the toll the same price as the train the funds then used to expand the rail to exit 6 move the toll to exit 6 so on and so forth. Thirdly the MARTA needs to be disbanded and the routes and buses/trains franchiised out to the private sector with GRTA only involved with the infrastructure and regulation and not the day to day operations.

Neil - you typing the same talking points of the fanatics. First off, Atlanta is NOT growing. Second, the traffic is indicative of a healthy economy. Third traffic congestion will never end as long as people live so far from their work. The average commute time is high simply because people live so far from work.

Now you must understand one thing. Politicians are reacting to silly people complaining and they see it as a good way to reward friends and cronies from a slush fund. Do you know where politicians actually fixed traffic? Here.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-24/half-of-detroit-s-streetlights-may-go-out-as-city-shrinks.html

They ruined the economy and everyone left.

The silly people you talk of are the ones stuck in the mess day in day out. The commute time is higher comparing like for like for commuters travelling the same distance in areas where there is a higher density if transit options NY, NJ, MD etc etc.

I make a lot references to the UK because thats where I am originally from so I have easier pool of examples. The Journey from London to Birmingham is 121 miles, a journey I regularally took by train which took approx 1hr 20mins (average speed 91mph. My comute from Cumming to Sandy Springs is 27 miles by car on average takes the same time (Average speed 20mph). Using Xpress then marta the journey time pretty much halves and I dont have the stress of dealing with traffic my gas isn't being run down idling and breaks dont take a beating.

As I said before I agree with the reason behind your opposition I have the same view as you regarding politicians and also agree that they can not run a piss up in brewery to save their lives. Totally agree with the slush fund comment, oppose what the money is being spent on and forward better solutions instead of burying heads in the sand and pretending there isnt a problem.

Bill we are both fanatics in what we believe in. Some of us try and find common ground that we can work with, others just throw names about and try to belittle what is a serious issue with sarcastic comments and think that they are the sole voice of reason.

We all know goverment can't run squat so that is why none of my points actually envolve them running anything. It doesn't envolve a slush fund for their little pet projects. It envolves firstly using existing infrastructure to ease the pressure on road network that is bursting at the seems. Millions do not need to be spend to do that and you can make the whole system run more efficently getting the goverment out of the running of it. Once that is achieved then the discussion of expantion and funding can really get going.

Neil - I loved the comment "I'm British not European" that is exactly my feeling; "I'm Georgian not American" though I live in American. Yes I know the UK blew the rail before we got there, but we did help in Koln and other places.

You didn't know this obviously, but I did an exchange tour with 617 Squadron the Dambusters in Tornadoes. Marham AB.

Bill despite out differing opinions it has actually been a pleasure with the to and fro on this blog. What we should celebrate is the fact we are free to have the differing opinions and free to both agree and openlly say that our goverments on this side of the Atlantic or the other are incapable of running anything except into the ground.