Cobb residents blast light-proposal as transportion for poor and criminals, suggest state-of-the-art technology called 'roads'

Cobb County residents last night ripped a $857 million light-rail line linking Midtown Atlanta to the Cumberland area at a meeting held by local elected officials. The transit line, which would eventually run to the Acworth, is one of Cobb County's big-ticket items that could be funded by a 1-cent transportation tax voters will decide next year. Via the Marietta Daily Journal:

“If you look at the total funding commitment, the heavy emphasis is on transit, these archaic things that run on one or two rails,” Vinings resident Dick Cottrill said. “It’s been tried in Seattle. It’s been tried in Miami, it’s been tried in Los Angeles. It does not work. It is funding transportation for the indigent at a very, very great expense for taxpayers. MARTA itself is inefficient. MARTA does not function as it was intended to function.”

Cottrill said there is not nearly enough emphasis on road improvements in the project list.

“I think it is only reasonable that we in Cobb County not only look at what’s going on in Cobb County . . . but also look at the balance at what’s going on in this 10-county area, because here we go back to this magic of two pieces of iron with fixed wheels on it, and it does not work.”

And:

Darrell Galloway referenced an article he read by Sheriff Neil Warren about the implications for crime.

“What’s going to be the cost of extra law enforcement and public safety to be able to take care of the crime issues that automatically come in with mass transit?” Galloway asked.

DiMassimo said the national studies done on the topic state that crime does not rise when transit comes to an area.

“Did you read Sheriff Warren’s article? Galloway asked her.

We looked for Warren's article but couldn't find it anywhere. If you happen to come across it, leave a link in the comments or send me a cyberfax.

State Rep. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, suggested the tax revenues help fund a cheaper commuter rail line along state-owned tracks that would connect Atlanta to Cobb County. Which sounds like a very interesting idea. But we don't recall seeing that project on a list of road and transit lines that local officials submitted months ago to compete for funding from the tax. So, yeah, might be a bit late?