MARTA has decided to build Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes on the long-delayed Clifton Corridor to connect Lindbergh and Avondale Estates.

Guess the social media outrage calling for more rail.

Look, I realize we were promised rail years ago, and we’ve all been paying extra sales tax for the past seven years in anticipation that MARTA will soon take us to more places in the city. But that was then, this is now and frankly, I’m not getting any younger. I will go by bus.

Now that I’ve lived in my Midtown apartment for almost two years, I’ve become a regular MARTA rider. I used it almost daily over the holidays for shopping and meeting friends up north. I like to leave the driving to someone else.

But my main complaint – from childhood – is that MARTA does not go anywhere. Admittedly, I’m spoiled by too many visits to London, Paris and New York, where public transport goes everywhere. We have a long way to go to catch up with these cities, although I fully understand that it won’t happen in my lifetime.

So I support BRT to help expand our meager network. And I will tell you why.

I think there is some confusion about how BRT works, and I also firmly believe there is a snobbish resistance to busing in general. I used to be one of those snobs.

As MARTA has shown, Clifton BRT line which will connect Lindbergh to Avondale Estates – with important stops at the Emory and CDC campuses – will operate on dedicated lanes. That means not getting caught in traffic like the Atlanta streetcar.

Along the BRT, there will be the same stations as the train or tram, and they will get you to your destination just as quickly. It is also cheaper and faster to build and maintain. According to MARTA, the rail line will cost $2.9 billion and the BRT will cost $1.3 billion. That’s still a steep price, but that other billion could go toward another much-needed BRT line.

Since Google is your friend, a quick search will reveal that there are many BRT success stories in the United States, including San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and even Los Angeles with its 18-mile Orange Line.

I’ve become a fan of the bus on my last two trips to London. I was one of those snobs who would have preferred to take the subway, but my dear friend Agnes scoffed at my cocky attitude. Although I used to ride the famous red double-decker cars, I grew to love them and now prefer the bus to the subway. Except at rush hour.

My two cents to MARTA is don’t care about ART – it’s arterial rapid transit where buses mix with other traffic. We all know ATL traffic is a nightmare even on surface streets, so to sell more extensive bus service to the masses, give them a better impression of BRT and make all lanes.

Personally, I’d like to see some rail/BRT combos to the Westside, Grant Park, and East Atlanta. The Summerhill BRT connecting Five Points to the surrounding area is a good start – and so is construction it finally started. I’m ready to go.

Let’s get off our high horses and make Atlanta move.

MARTA has decided to build Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes on the long-delayed Clifton Corridor to connect Lindbergh and Avondale Estates.

Guess the social media outrage calling for more rail.

Look, I realize we were promised rail years ago, and we’ve all been paying extra sales tax for the past seven years in anticipation that MARTA will soon take us to more places in the city. But that was then, this is now and frankly, I’m not getting any younger. I will go by bus.

Now that I’ve lived in my Midtown apartment for almost two years, I’ve become a regular MARTA rider. I used it almost daily over the holidays for shopping and meeting friends up north. I like to leave the driving to someone else.

But my main complaint – from childhood – is that MARTA does not go anywhere. Admittedly, I’m spoiled by too many visits to London, Paris and New York, where public transport goes everywhere. We have a long way to go to catch up with these cities, although I fully understand that it won’t happen in my lifetime.

So I support BRT to help expand our meager network. And I will tell you why.

I think there is some confusion about how BRT works, and I also firmly believe there is a snobbish resistance to busing in general. I used to be one of those snobs.

As MARTA has shown, Clifton BRT line which will connect Lindbergh to Avondale Estates – with important stops at the Emory and CDC campuses – will operate on dedicated lanes. That means not getting caught in traffic like the Atlanta streetcar.

Along the BRT, there will be the same stations as the train or tram, and they will get you to your destination just as quickly. It is also cheaper and faster to build and maintain. According to MARTA, the rail line will cost $2.9 billion and the BRT will cost $1.3 billion. That’s still a steep price, but that other billion could go toward another much-needed BRT line.

Since Google is your friend, a quick search will reveal that there are many BRT success stories in the United States, including San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and even Los Angeles with its 18-mile Orange Line.

I’ve become a fan of the bus on my last two trips to London. I was one of those snobs who would have preferred to take the subway, but my dear friend Agnes scoffed at my cocky attitude. Although I used to ride the famous red double-decker cars, I grew to love them and now prefer the bus to the subway. Except at rush hour.

My two cents to MARTA is don’t care about ART – it’s arterial rapid transit where buses mix with other traffic. We all know ATL traffic is a nightmare even on surface streets, so to sell more extensive bus service to the masses, give them a better impression of BRT and make all lanes.

Personally, I’d like to see some rail/BRT combos to the Westside, Grant Park, and East Atlanta. The Summerhill BRT connecting Five Points to the surrounding area is a good start – and so is construction it finally started. I’m ready to go.

Let’s get off our high horses and make Atlanta move.