Mr. LaBarge makes some insightful leadership and technology comments in his letter to the editor. He suggests that a system of heavy rail capacity is needed with light rail feeders.

However, heavy rail is too expensive, and light rail is also expensive and too "light" to do the job. There is another type of transit that has heavy rail capacity and is more flexible than light rail, while being affordable at a much lower cost than either. It is two-direction, single-beam heavy monorail.

A draft single-beam heavy monorail plan for Cobb County has it connecting from Kennesaw State University to Town Center mall, continuing to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, Marietta, Smyrna, Vinings, Cumberland and the Galleria, Atlantic Station and the Arts Center MARTA station. Another 12 stations on the line are located close to residential areas, museums, offices and schools, making it very convenient to homes and other lateral heavy monorail line connections, with a speed up to 70 miles per hour.

It costs less than light rail, is twice as fast as buses, and its capacity rivals heavy rail. But that's not all. Because the monorail is elevated, it doesn't interfere with traffic, being above cars and people, runs as fast as heavy rail and can be expanded easily throughout the region, to homes and jobs in east Cobb and Roswell, to Dallas, Acworth, Cartersville, and Canton.

Not just another Disney-type two-beam monorail, this is truly 21st century second-generation monorail technology. Compact design cuts off years of right-of-way battles and avoids most construction disruption usual for rail and bus systems. It can cut the costs of personal travel while at the same time shrink commute time from hours to minutes. It would reduce congestion.

This public-private system would free up money needed for maintenance and expansion of crowded roads, and would not compete for scarce state highway construction funds. Fares would cover costs.

Single-beam monorail doesn't need federal grants or annual subsidies from local taxes now paid to operate systems like MARTA and the CCT bus system. And the funding, available from private sources, is low-cost and simple, with no new taxes needed. The engineering is proven, and the high-paying skilled jobs will be a boost to the County. It would bring new economic growth to Cobb County and the region.

So, since they know it is available, feasible and affordable, and can help solve our traffic problems, why don't our civic leaders and elected officials bring it to Cobb? Will they tell us why?

William E. Owen

Marietta

Editor's note: Mr. Owen is a professional engineer with a background in aircraft design and degrees from Auburn and George Washington Universities. He is president of Georgia Monorail Consortium, Inc.

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