iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

More MARTA audit from the city has revenues accrued per year that mismatch from what the city has otherwise reported 🤐 That’s another comparison for me on another day…

That’s good only if no TAD is created. If it is created, as is already being discussed at city hall, don’t you want a say in where that money goes? I get saying “no TAD!”, but if they do it anyhow, I’d rather have $$$ going to specific items instead of arbitrary slush fund.

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Around 1/3 of the Hotel Motel tax is spoken for until 2050, then iirc opens up. We should also take a hard look at what that remainder of the tax $$$ is being positioned for prior to 2050. There is opportunity here and each rock should be turned over just in case.

Absolutely nobody is going to love the timeframe post 2050- however we should also leverage the Hotel Motel tax to fund transit & trail costs. Forget funding a stadium for a billionaire. #1 tourist destination is the Beltline and we absolutely should be backing it with more $.

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$7Bil Plan: Use More MARTA funds for both capital & OpEx costs as intended in 2016 referendum. Allocate % of 5 year TSPLSOT / Bond packages for transit & TOD w/ affordable housing. Allocate % of *new* TAD for same^^ Build Campbellton, Infill Stations, Beltline Rail… NEXT!

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I thought about including Clifton as still moving forward, since it’s had several meetings & iirc the LPA identified. Tbh- want sure what to put it and Streetcar East. Others moving forward already have RFP, contractors, or should be moving to construction in mayor’s term.

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North Ave has high probability to move forward. From a budget perspective, looks like North & Peachtree should advance without issue. North Ave’s biggest issues are right of way constraints that will impact traffic. Commuters are going to hate it west of North Ave to Northside.

Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Reminder: Atlanta Beltline Rail is a *subset* of transit expansion projects funded back in 2016. Many are already moving forward: -Capitol Ave -Cleveland -Metropolitan -Campbellton -Murphy Crossing Beltline rail projects have not progressed in years. Monday’s vote helps get us out of the mud.

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Turns out electeds throughout the city care about being good (better?) stewards of our money and advancing long planned projects!

Kelsea Bond 🌹 @kelseabondatl.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Reposted by Eric

Better Atlanta Transit wasn’t “paying attention” to my election yet they followed up 3 times begging me to fill out their questionnaire hmmmh

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

And aren’t 60+, like the average age of the 5 people that associate with BAT

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Reposted by Eric

Kelsea Bond 🌹 @kelseabondatl.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Better Atlanta Transit is an astroturfed campaign of wealthy nimbies who stand to profit from keeping the Beltline exclusive. The Beltline is a public asset we all paid into, not your personal backyard, believe it or not 🤷‍♀️ Also hilarious that one of you is going rouge posting on Bluesky lol

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Reposted by Eric

Steven Imle @stevenimle.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

This has to be a joke right? Only councilmember in the city fighting for working people and then you get the "it's a linear park for me and my dog" crowd pretending like they care about good stewardship of our money.

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

These fuckers don’t show up for transit projects other than trying to kill the singular transit project with dedicated right of way separated from car traffic. Kelsey’s not stopping anything- they’re accelerating a funded project people have been waiting decades for.

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Reposted by Eric

Alex Ip 葉清霖 @alexip718.com · 13/09/2026

Why demand immunity unless you are sure that your constituents have lawsuits lined up, and that you will lose said lawsuits

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

This stance by the city in active litigation poses significant risk to public infrastructure and lives throughout the entire state of Georgia. The trial deserves broader coverage & both elected officials and non-elected officials should step in to take ownership & resolve. @mattacpc.bsky.social

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Insult to injury following death of Mr. Sood at the Shared Peachtree project removed, City of Atlanta is trying to change state law: 🚨 if I’m understand correctly: Governments would be immune from financial claims regarding negligence of public infrastructure maintenance 🚨 @jasondozier.bsky.social

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

For everyone keeping track, I’ve highlighted which City of Atlanta’s More MARTA projects are behind schedule. Answer: Every single fucking one. This is after changing project priorities a 5th time, though the 2018 plan adopted also had 15 Versions. Leadership is failing.

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Went out for a sandwich. Could not decide on a sandwich.

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Okay okay they added the blue dot back in before the vote. Original map was from back in March of 2016. They added the blue dot perhaps around June I was able to trace back.

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Service enhancements can be used from More MARTA, however they cannot be used to get back to status quo. Throwing more money at getting bus service to where it used to be is not the role of the More MARTA fund. Tbh it’s an item I think is critical to be funded from regular budgets.

Lmao I knew that Five Points renovation wasn’t on the More MARTA technical assessment as a major project, only “General maintenance and aesthetic improvement; Install new signage/wayfinding” What I overlooked was the project wasn’t even on the initial map voters approved 👀

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$1.5B for General Expansion lands nearly all of the BRT, ART, & platform extension (helps run green line further east & reduce wait times at those stations). One missing project is Northside Drive… which if we budget appropriately, may be able to be accommodated. Clifton fits.

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While we definitely should plan per project, for some thinking about allocations may be easier to digest: $1.5B General Expansion $1.5B Beltline Rail $0.5B Infill Stations $0.5B Service Enhancements & Maintenance

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With More @MARTAtransit on pace to clear $4 Billion, we should allocate budgets for specific projects & categories: 1. General Expansion (Campbellton, ART, Bankhead platform extension) 2. Beltline Rail 3. Infill Stations 4. Service Enhc. & Maint. (Bus, 5P, Transit Centers)

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Resolution still over a week out prior to vote. They’ve got time to sign on. A handful hadn’t been spoken to 1:1 yet to sign on earlier this week when first announced.

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Better than everyone else just continuing to sit on their ass

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The number of Atlanta City Council Members signing on the resolution to advance Beltline Rail is growing… Not all signatures included yet. The great thing? We have enough money to advance the rail in addition to various other projects. Sample in pic 2. Let’s get moving!

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Atlanta leadership circles be like:

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If I got to change up / add in few more projects… I probably would. NW, North, & parts of SE Atlanta kind of hosed from the existing list.

Now things I *DO NOT* love about the plan: - Westside land use is over indexed on single family homes - North & Northwest transit service overlooked - Railroad crossings still a PITA - Regional expansions limited - HRT costs high so limited ability to expand - Current oversight

Does it pen out? Yep, including with 40% buffer. Attaching the funding options and route costs for posterity. I even inflated the 5P Reno costs to $125 mil (we REALLY should not be covering $200mil for it from More MARTA fund).

- Campbellton moves forward ASAP - Eastside Beltline gets built up to Piedmont Park - Southside Beltline connected to Eastside - Westside goes to Boone infill- green line trumps redundancy -Streetcar West connecting AUC, who now has 3 stations - North Ave & Clifton funded

Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Here’s where my head is for More MARTA expansion, with mostly existing projects: - Cap 5P Reno at $50mil - Cap Service Enhancements at $125mil - Buy Hulsey Yard for TOD & Station - Mville & MC Infill Stations Bolster w/ 5yr Bonds/TSPLOST & new TAD for additional $1.5 - $3 Bil

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FINALLY!!! The content we’re all here for!

Emilie P Bush @emiliebush.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Reposted by Eric

That feels like Atlanta politics running at normal.

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

BeltLine Transit Study Meeting = nothing burger. 🍔 No timeline for rail. No elected officials on site. No MARTA & limited Beltline leaders. BeltLine *TO START* design for Murphy Crossing, wanting 10-20%. Taxpayers raised a shitton of money & there’s little to show for it.

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Eric @howephil.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

👏 ~$900mil will be collected by end of this year & ~$1.2 Billion by end of Andre’s term. Waiting on leadership to fulfill their obligation to constituents, deliver the damn projects we are paying for.