Conspiracy theory alert*: A crackhead was blamed, crooked bureaucrats’ public waste was the fuel, but MARTA lit the match
*this post is tongue-in-cheek (partially), as if I really have to explain myself
One of the snarky observations I made when I heard that the repair of I-85 was going to take until like Thanksgiving, was who stands to benefit the most from this? And I don’t think I’m entirely wrong with thinking that, because as most Americans know, little is done in the United States for free, regardless of the circumstances behind them, and as accidental as the burning and collapse of I-85 was, someone(s) will undoubtedly walk away from the scenario richer than they started.
From the onset, I would’ve suspected that part of the delay of repairing I-85 would be the extensive time it took for bureaucrats and talking heads to debate, broker and spin deals with crony companies to contract out the labor work for the bridge repair, to see how many people could pad their pockets as much as possible, before any work was actually planned much less executed. Naturally, these involved parties would the ones who would somehow take a disaster and turn it into a money-making endeavor, regardless of how miserable it’s making citizens and travelers with each passing day with a giant hole in I-85.
But then I read this article about how MARTA is this beacon of hope and change and a pioneer of alternate transportation, and I can’t help but wonder just how convenient this whole debacle has been for them. How MARTA is something of a savior and a far cry from the joke it typically has been known to be.
Almost as if they planned it or something . . .
I mean, I think there’s some logic behind it. The stretch of I-85 that went down, aside from the numerous travelers it inconveniences from passing through at the optimal distance through Atlanta, really doesn’t affect them nearly as much as it affects those who commute into city proper from the suburbs on a regular basis. It should be noted that the very chunk of I-85 that was put out of commission affects every single commuter headed towards notable regions like Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Doraville, Decatur and all of Gwinnett County as a whole.
And the very location in which I-85 went down conveniently was right where the northbound MARTA rail lines split into the directions most affected by the incapacitation of the roads. How convenient that when the roads go down, there’s a system of rail that conveniently services nearly the exact same route? With a willingness to change routine, there’s little reason to imagine that MARTA trains and buses couldn’t get a commuter from the suburbs from point A to point B in the same manner as their automobile would, right?
It all makes sense to me, in not just a tongue-in-cheek logic. Everyone in Atlanta bitches about traffic. Everyone in the actual city of Atlanta bitches about traffic, blaming suburban commuters for being the chief problem for it. MARTA is always trying to increase ridership, and in spite of CEO Keith Parker’s positive direction and leadership, numbers might be up, but not necessarily in drastic enough numbers to warrant making him the savior he was touted as when he first came to Atlanta. Now if only those from the most densely populated regions where MARTA actually serviced, actually used MARTA, perhaps that would solve a lot of problems concerning bad traffic and MARTA ridership at the same time? After all, those who live in the affected regions aren’t really Atlantans, but still enjoy the workforce in Atlanta without necessarily paying for it, so why not lamb them out to the slaughter?
A little too convenient, if you ask me.
MARTA ridership has gone up since the collapse, to no surprise, as nothing induces change faster than completely giving people almost no alternative. Car traffic however, hasn’t really changed that much yet, as there are still thousands of staunch drivers who are convinced that altering routes or giving themselves more time can overcome an impassable hole in the road, although there was one morning where I flew through the Downtown Connector at 7 am, which is typically unheard of otherwise. But that’s why the repair schedule is taking so long, so people have more than adequate time to decide to change their commuting habits, take MARTA and reinforce the behavior over many, many months.
In the end, thousands of commuters become MARTA riders, making MARTA money hand over fist from increased ridership. Those responsible for delegating, planning and executing the repair of I-85 all make money hand over fist, because nothing is free, everything is expensive and that’s the way infrastructure in America works. Those bitching about traffic just might get some relief from many changing their ways of living, and maybe they’ll benefit from this too, but that’s a less likely outcome, especially when money is removed from their fists from increased taxes because with fewer people coming in and out of Atlanta proper, profits across the board go down and wish to be recouped via taxes.
Ultimately, the bad guys appear to be in the most optimal positions to benefit, as is often the case, but none more than MARTA. Because they probably caused this whole debacle. Because behind the squeaky clean and visionary persona that the public sees, Keith Parker is a diabolical madman that wouldn’t not consider arson, destruction and making people miserable in order to achieve his own lofty aspirations.
Maybe this is a wild speculation, but I honestly feel like maybe there are facets of this theory that aren’t necessarily untrue, either. There seem to be way too many parties to potentially benefit from this whole situation for this to be blamed entirely on just some crackhead under a bridge.
