Atlanta's Regional Rail and Transit Systems.

[Newnan]

You know, Atlanta is actually a perfect city for a streetcar because pretty much everything is situated along one street, Peachtree.

[Andrea]

I like the sound of this -- The Final Piece. Maybe this is closer to reality than I realized. They certainly have a heavy-hitting board of directors and the Core Findings Report makes a lot of sense to me. It also seems very feasible from a cost standpoint.

[ironchapman]

I like the sound of this -- The Final Piece. Maybe this is closer to reality than I realized. They certainly have a heavy-hitting board of directors and the Core Findings Report makes a lot of sense to me. It also seems very feasible from a cost standpoint.

Well, the image at the top of the picture certainly makes me feel excited just because it gives me a way to imagine what the streetcars will look like.

[teshadoh]

Final Piece huh? That should be interesting what the final piece is, but I wouldn't be surprised the final piece is the price tag.

[Metroinspect.]

Which sound better, cummter rail line or the belt line, because the cummter line will reduce the traffic in the metro to Atlanta where most traffic problem occur

[Martinman]

From the AJC

Atlanta Votes to give state site for train-bus station

The former Atlanta Constitution building downtown came one step closer to destruction Monday when the Atlanta City Council voted to give the property to the state so it can be replaced with a train and bus terminal

Edited October 18, 2005 by Martinman

[Andrea]

<sigh> I agree, Ryan.

From this week's Atlanta Business Chronicle:

No end in sight for metro sprawl

"Home builders say people willing to live as far out as they will build

With the recent intown boom, it might be easy for Atlanta city residents to conclude that a major shift is under way in the metro area's growth, drawing the population back in large numbers toward Atlanta's urban core.

And while the city of Atlanta has added about 4,600 new residents each year between 2000 and 2004, according to statistics provided by the Atlanta Regional Commission, cities and counties outside -- sometimes well outside -- the Perimeter continue to grow, leading to an ever-expanding definition of what constitutes the metro Atlanta area."

[Newnan]

This certainly is sobering news, but at least the intown growth is a step in the right direction. I mean, you didn't have to tell me that The Metro Area is still sprawling out; I see this everyday in Coweta County, but at least people are finally beginning to see the problems with Suburban Sprawl and are tyring to fight it. And in Coweta I see progress, now a lot of people here are fighting for wider sidewalks, a bus system, and more centralized growth when 10 years ago people here were fighting for bigger parking lots. Atlanta may still be sprawling out, but I think in the future it will sprawl out in a much smarter way.

[ironchapman]

<sigh> I agree, Ryan.

From this week's Atlanta Business Chronicle:

No end in sight for metro sprawl

Chattanooga, Birmingham, and Greenville, here we come!

You'd think people would get tired of the commute by the time the sprawl reached Carrollton.

[ironchapman]

The council has just OK'd the creation of a special tax district for the Beltline.

Now for Fulton County and the Atlanta School Board.

See Article (AJC)

Things are looking good, but we'll have tp wait for the other two authorities I mentioned to approve it.

Edited November 8, 2005 by ironchapman

[Hybrid0NE]

Anuway, I don't mean to be a party pooper, but in the euphoria that is the Beltline, we really do need to take a step back and look at the details before we commit the city to spending $2 billion (yes BILLION) on this project.

*kicks ryanmckibben out of the thread* "No party crashers allowed!" I think it would be awesome for the Beltline to get approved, any new transit in the city could spur more in underserved outlying areas *coughs*like Fake Urban Vinings/Galleria*coughs* and I wouldn't be stuck in traffic on 75 when I want to go intown. I can't take much of a stand since I live within sight of Kennesaw Mountain and the funds won't come from my pockets. Anyway... Go Beltline! Get 'er done Atlanta.

[ironchapman]

^Not just that, but a few panels have also said the Beltline would be financially feasible.

[ryanmckibben]

Whem are all of you guys/girls going to finally join the "in" crowd and move back into the city? We need people who understand the urban dynamic and what it takes to make a great urban environment.

[Student]

After the approval, what's the next step?

[ironchapman]

Probably convincing those railroad companies to move somewhere else.

Perhaps then we can build the darn thing

[Student]

Any ideas on what the cars actually looked like.

[ironchapman]

I don't think there are renderings on those yet, though I bet they'll probably look like typical light rail cars.

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

Edited November 8, 2005 by ironchapman

[ironchapman]

I'm not quite sure where to post this, but here it goes:

According to this article I found, big steps are being taken towards building a mag-lev train line between Georgia and Atlanta. Atlanta will pay $875,000 of it while Chattanooga pays $300,000, and it may be eligible for federal funding. Sounds like a nice idea of you ask me. Might make it easier to get to Chattanooga for when my family goes up there.

The Article (From The Chattanoogan)

Any thoughts?

[monsoon]

Mag-lev is a technology that wont see the practical light of day here anytime soon. It's too expensive, too much of an energy hog, and too noisy for anyone to want to use it. I don't know why these plans keep coming to light as they only waste valuable transit money.

[teshadoh]

I'm not quite sure where to post this, but here it goes:

According to this article I found, big steps are being taken towards building a mag-lev train line between Georgia and Atlanta. Atlanta will pay $875,000 of it while Chattanooga pays $300,000, and it may be eligible for federal funding. Sounds like a nice idea of you ask me. Might make it easier to get to Chattanooga for when my family goes up there.

The Article (From The Chattanoogan)

Any thoughts?

Atlanta isn't paying anything - it's GDOT and the suburban Cumberland Improvement District, nor is the ARC budgeting anything. This was largely deemed a dead deal around 5 years ago when this route lost a contest to other national routes.

[ryanmckibben]

I don't ever want to see this get built. For the amount of money this one line wold cost we could literally "string" the city of Atlanta with streetcar lines. If we spend even one cent studying this pork barrel project, it will be one cent too much.

[Andrea]

I totally agree with Ryan. Why on Earth would we fool around with a project like that when our city is literally strangling in traffic? Is the DOT contemplating that people are going to get off the Downtown Connector or I-285 and hop on a maglev to Chattanooga? I ran at Grant Park this morning and came through downtown on the way home, and northbound traffic was already stop and go at 6:00 a.m.

[Hybrid0NE]

I don't ever want to see this get built. For the amount of money this one line wold cost we could literally "string" the city of Atlanta with streetcar lines. If we spend even one cent studying this pork barrel project, it will be one cent too much.

Seriously, they should worry more about an alternative connecting Cumberland to Perimeter Center or Duluth to Downtown. They can funnel as many Chattanoogans into as Atlanta as they like with this maglev but they are going to be pretty upset when they find out they can't get around this city effectively.

[teshadoh]

^ There are other transit projects being planned - BRT linking Cumberland to Midtown & Kennesaw and an older plan for a light rail / BRT linking Cumberland to Perimeter & Doraville.

In fact the recent arts center project near I-75 includes plans for a transit station.

Edited November 9, 2005 by teshadoh

[Hybrid0NE]

^ There are other transit projects being planned - BRT linking Cumberland to Midtown & Kennesaw and an older plan for a light rail / BRT linking Cumberland to Perimeter & Doraville.

In fact the recent arts center project near I-75 includes plans for a transit station.

BRT... Am I the only one that thinks that is a joke? How rapid can a bus travel on I-75 or 285 between 7am and 9pm? Just stick a train down the middle of the highway and call it effective. I read somewhere that there are already cut-outs in the subway tunnel downtown for trains to route into Cobb County. MARTA should be allowed to absorb all these feeders and make transit more simplified.