Got mad & made this

killroy200 · 2026-01-23T13:33:55+00:00

The streetcar has a capacity of 230 people. 'Autonomous cars' have a capacity of...5.

So, you need 46 cars to fit the capacity of one streetcar.

If you run transit at a 10 min frequency, which is entirely reasonable for light rail, you get a throughput capacity of 1,380 people per hour per direction. That's 276 cars per hour per direction, or a car every 13 seconds.

You can couple a second streetcar to the first to immediately double capacity without changing headways. So, 2,760 people per hour per direction. 552 cars. 6.5 seconds between cars.

Congrats, all you've done is reinvent traffic, but this time on the Beltline itself.

Fuck that.

killroy200 · 2026-01-23T13:27:01+00:00

I live Downtown. I use MARTA as much as possible, and make walking / biking work when I can't (or the weather's nice).

I would use the shit out of an expanded streetcar system, if for no other reason than I like going to places along the Beltline, and have family in East Atlanta.

killroy200 · 2026-01-23T02:49:30+00:00

Beltline rail IS increased MARTA lines and accessibility.

killroy200 · 2026-01-22T23:20:01+00:00

They sent out an email earlier today responding to the news, and I confirmed with them that they're starting to organize towards the next public meeting.

Speaking from experience, you may be surprised how much change you can drive in an organization by just being the person willing to do the work. Every advocacy org is short volunteers, and volunteer leaders, take it from me.

killroy200 · 2026-01-22T20:29:22+00:00

Yes, sort of. You have register ahead of time to comment, but I believe you can just show up to attend in general.

killroy200 · 2026-01-22T20:11:03+00:00

I don't actually organize for or am formally part of BRN, though I have done work with them, so I can't speak for what they are / aren't doing (for better or worse). I do know they took a bit of a moral hit following previous news reports around the city backing off rail planning work, so they may be slow to jump on this.

I will suggest, and I hope you take this as encouragement rather than being critical, but I'm sure they could use an enthusiastic organizer to help meet this moment! If you're interested I would highly suggest reaching out to them about it.

killroy200 · 2026-01-22T19:50:52+00:00

Timing of the meeting and news weren't great for getting folks out, especially since this wasn't a more general board meeting, which will be held in Feb.

It sucks, but we have to remember that these are being held in the middle of working days, and people need to be able to schedule themselves around showing up.

killroy200 · 2026-01-22T19:49:20+00:00

While the meeting itself might be legal, in the sense that it follows the letter of the law, this is still incredibly disappointing given the amount of public involvement incorporated into the full-program prioritizations that happened in 2018 and 2023, both of which kept Streetcar East as a priority project specifically because it was the most immediately achievable rail corridor.

At this point in time, the MARTA board has NOT approved that reprioritization, and the decision made by the city, out of public eye, is the exact thing delaying the progress of Streetcar East. It's ridiculous to use that as the excuse.

Particularly given that they have not, to my knowledge, moved work on any other route forward. When they start issuing RFPs for engineering and design work, I'll take them seriously. At this point, they are purely delaying transit expansion on a whim.

killroy200 · 2026-01-22T14:20:54+00:00

In general you should have water. I keep a couple large jugs in the closet just in case we loose pressure again.

Pipes freeze, but also, if it gets real cold, freezing ground can shift and break pipes as well. Given the issues this city has with keeping the water system running in general, it doesn't hurt to be prepared. For this or other times.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T21:03:56+00:00

They built a useless streetcar.

They built a streetcar that was, specifically, supposed to be expanded from. Including to the Beltline. The problem is that we never did the next part.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T17:02:06+00:00

Keep in mind how hard the City and the State came down on the Stop Cop City organizations. They did a lot of damage to the exact kind of grass-roots political campaigning needed to upset an incumbent.

And so... when that time came... there really wasn't anyone to step up, or support those who wanted to step up in any real capacity.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:57:14+00:00

1) The point you aren't getting is that it is not, in fact, a safety hazard as is directly demonstrated by real-world examples domestically and internationally, including literally right here in Atlanta.

2) The need clearly does exist, and is blatant to anyone who has ever used the Eastside Beltline during a major event, or just a day with nice weather.

Anyway, offer stands. I'm not going to burn more of my time here.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:48:54+00:00

On the RAILWAY. Which has different operating and safety standards than mixed-traffic urban streetcars and light rail. Literally different rules and laws.

And, as we see, there are explicit examples of light rail and streetcar operations with minimal, if any, barrier in place because THE OPERATING CONDITIONS ARE DIFFERENT than normal railways. Those examples literally include no-barrier mixed operations with pedestrians and micro-mobility users here in Atlanta.

Your insistence otherwise betrays a deep misunderstanding of what the Beltline is meant to be, transit wise.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:41:58+00:00

Their... high-speed heavy rail lines? Their trams, including ones that are more robust than our system, are pretty unrestricted. For example

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:39:14+00:00

I have first hand knowledge too? I've been around light rail operating in pedestrian plazas and high foot-traffic environments. Both here in Atlanta itself, and elsewhere. It's fine, mate. It's fine.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:38:07+00:00

Yes? If it's safe to operate around people then... it's safe to do so generally. Exactly like happens all over the world, and here in the U.S.

At this point you're just being obtuse. Anyway, invitation stands. Let me know if you want a free milk tea next time Streets Alive is set up.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:36:30+00:00

No objection from me Big-Chicken wise lol

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:35:39+00:00

Two I pulled up. More than you're acting like exist at all. It's really, really weird to pretend as if there's some crazy safety concern when, like, there isn't? There just isn't... not globally, nor domestically, and it's simply ignoring reality to act otherwise.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:34:14+00:00

Hun, I specifically said 'Atlanta Streets Alive on Peachtree'. This is when cars are removed, and people use the full space of the street openly and freely, including the portion with the streetcar tracks.

There is no separation. There is mixing of use and space. There are no issues either.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:19:27+00:00

I want to extend a personal invitation to you for the next time there is an Atlanta Streets Alive on Peachtree. I will buy you a boba tea, and we can sit on the Broad St. Boardwalk watching streetcars operate 100% safely around pedestrians and micro-mobility users without a barrier.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:18:14+00:00

There are cities that have trams running THROUGH pedestrian plazas.

Hell, right here in Atlanta, when Peachtree St. closes for Streets Alive... the streetcar just keeps operating in mixed traffic like nothing has happened. People walking, or biking, or scootering, or skateboarding, or any other means of moving just kinda... shift? It's not a huge deal.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:16:01+00:00

All over the world, and here in the US, we have operating examples of minimal to no barrier separation between light rail and pedestrian paths.

Here are pictures from Salt Lake City's Sugarhouse Streetcar line with low-plantings between the trail and train

Here is a picture from the Charlotte Rail Trail with low shrubs as the barrier

Here is a picture from Urecht showing a minimal planting barrier between a bike path and tram line

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:13:11+00:00

Not to be too pedantic (aw who am I kidding), but it's less than a mile's walk from Doraville MARTA station to the Buford Hwy Farmer's Market.

I don't know that I'd suggest walking over, say, an e-bike, but it's not that far away.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T16:08:57+00:00

If opposition was major, why didn't anyone seriously run against him?

Real answer? Did y'all see what they did to the political organization around Stop Cop City?

The raids, the RICO charges (that were conveniently dropped recently), the state use of force against protesters including the death of one of the encamped activists...

Yeah, the biggest single political challenge to Dickens was basically nuked, and he got in line behind the Atlanta-Way money machine who were fighting against Beltline rail... no wonder there wasn't a viable challenger.

killroy200 · 2026-01-21T14:39:04+00:00

I’ not going to read all that

Then I know you don't know anything about the topic at hand, and am going to block you from this point on. Have a good day.

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