2/26: A central transit vision
The AJC Editorial Board
Present-day struggles make the future difficult to discern. Yet that’s what great, leading-edge cities and states do.
The ability to assemble scattered hints and hunches into a vision for tomorrow, however hazy, sets apart leaders from followers. That collective talent enabled much of the Atlanta metro’s success.
All of which makes intriguing the still-on-the-drawing-board concept of the Multimodal Passenger Terminal (MMPT) proposed for that part of downtown known as the “Gulch.” This valley of concrete and steel was created as Atlanta grew up and out of the area around the Zero Milepost where the railroads began here. It’s no accident that Atlanta was first named Terminus. Two centuries later, that’s still an apt descriptor for this logistics and business capital of the Southeast.
The big, open question for Atlanta and the Gulch plan is what all that means in the 21st century, especially now as we continue to struggle away from a wicked recession. Questions of cost, commitment, feasibility and what exactly will best serve the future needs of Atlantans remain to be fleshed out. They are legitimate topics for further inquiry.
Read the rest of what the AJC Editorial Board has to say, along with commentary by A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District. Then have your say.
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21 comments Add your comment
Factfinder
February 26th, 2012
8:39 am
Marta has its problems and has all but forfeited any role in the future of mass transit for Greater Atlanta. But let’s drop the racist rants about who rides the trains. It isn’t helpful. Gwinnett has a police department too – so there must be crime out beyond where the tracks end. But it’s hard to single out surburbanites for such talk as it was the same argument used by Druid Hills & Emory liberals to keep Marta from running a badly needed rail spur to their neighborhood.
The BeltLine will prosper and encourage nodes of growth but it needs to be built on the cheap.
Beyond the perimeter, people will use rail – if it serves their needs. No one NEEDS to go to Central Atlanta any more. Just passing through to the airport, the dome, Turner Field, perhaps.
That said, it’s a pipe dream to think there is any hope for regional co-operation on this. The Atlanta political leadership is monomaniacal and the suburban politburo will listen to the rabid voices in their midst.
Same topic for discussion in 2022.
weary cobb commuter
February 26th, 2012
6:57 am
I agree with what logical dude says. We need to fund transportation so the state of Georgia can continue to be prosperous. The economy in Georgia over the last 10 years has not kept up with the nation and this is partially due to lack of leadership in transportation issues. Increase taxes for transportation, fund MARTA so that it can extend to Cobb. Continue rail up to Chattanooga. More HOV lanes with 2 persons until they gain use and build roads where necessary.
Logical Dude
February 26th, 2012
12:53 am
I’m still amazed at the ones posting about MARTA’s short-comings (crime!!! thugs!!!! we don’t want it!!!).
Welcome to the 21st century folks! A Centralized transit solution is a great idea, and if it’s MARTA, then that is the way to go. Maybe we should rebrand it TANG for Transit Authority North Georgia to make people realize what it really should be. Study after study after study has been done already.
We really don’t need any more studies until realistic funding is generated at the STATE level. Once we – as a STATE – realize that the 21st century is here, and transit funding is necessary to lead the way, then we can do another study to tweak the previous studies.
1) move from a cents per gallon gas tax to a percentage per gallon gas tax. Georgia is collecting the same revenue from gas taxes as the price of gas increases. Most other states charge a percentage, keeping the revenue stream in line with gas costs.
2) ignore those who say MARTA has all thugs and crime. It is comparably safe compared to other transit systems in the country.
3) Fund MARTA (or TANG?) to Mall of Georgia, Cobb County, and Lovejoy. This will help alleviate traffic as Atlanta grows. Plus a spur to Turner Field. (DUH).
4) Until the traffic allows, keep the HOT lanes HOV for two riders instead of three. The lane is underutilized because of this. change it back in the 5 or 10 years when it is forecast that ridership in the lane will have “too many” 2 person cars.
Will the last Democrat in Georgia please turn off the lights?.....
February 25th, 2012
11:32 pm
surly jb
February 25th, 2012
8:21 pm
Chip
February 25th, 2012
6:01 pm
I wholeheartedly agree that MARTA needs to get their sh** together (quality-of-service, SECURITY, frequency of trains, etc) and focus on improving service in the areas of Fulton and DeKalb that it serves before it can even think of expanding outside of those counties to serve Cobb and Gwinnett, which both would be much better served by luxury liner commuter rail service on existing freight rail tracks rather than MARTA heavy rail expansions or light rail construction.
surly jb
February 25th, 2012
8:21 pm
Ok, folks, has anybody actually taken MARTA from, say, Lindbergh to the Airport in late afternoon, or god forbid, at night? I didn’t think so. There are more threatening thugs per square foot on and off that train with absolutely ZERO visible security……….. think you’ll save a little money on the cab fare, and next thing you know you’re dead on the platform, shot 3 times for your iphone by a thrice-convicted felon who was (shock?) out, again. The murderer has yet to appear before a judge or jury…….or be mentioned in this newspaper, since. But the young man is still quite dead.
Chip
February 25th, 2012
6:01 pm
I find all this talk about “getting their crap together” and “deal with it” and “ram the train lines to Cobb and Gwinnett” both amusing and disturbing.
There’s a reason why the silly, useless, poorly-run, dangerous, crime infested, money-losing boondoggle known as MARTA doesn’t go to Cobb or Gwinnett. Here it is — are you listening? OK….
WE DON’T WANT IT!
If the fools living in Fulton and Dekalb want to continue paying for such a joke, that’s their problem but don’t bother us with it. Don’t want it, certainly don’t need it.
Oh, and the “Beltline”??? Please. Let’s just have a bonfire and burn a billion dollars in cash and save the headache and damage of construction.
dc
February 25th, 2012
2:14 pm
I’d love to see a study of what we could have in the way of roads, buses, trolleys and light rail if the money sunk into the Marta debacle over these many years had been spent there instead……the cost to the taxpayers for marta rail is outrageous. And buses and trolleys can be redeployed at will, whereas heavy rail is stuck in place (thus the stations that cost hundreds of millions and are basically empty whenever the train stops there).
In town longtime
February 25th, 2012
1:18 pm
The community that the “Gulch” served has long ago caught the last train out of downtown. There are no longer shops lining Peachtree and Whitehall streets, crowded midday streets with shoppers and workers. The trolley from King to Aquarium is a waste of valuable transit resources and likely to create another failed project, fulfilling the doomsay prophecies. We need a transit web that serves where the people are NOW not in 1965. East west trains from perimeter to cumberland. Downtown to Buckhead and Sandy Springs. The Belt Line is a marvelous idea and should be hastily built without the ceasless wrangling over the “design component.” Lay down the tracks, put up ticket kiosks and all aboard. We don’t need another trough for architects and “advocates” to suck out consulting dollars. Let the state get involved and ram the train lines to Cobb and Gwinnett — they will NOT cede control to the bungling MARTA board. There is no “Central Atlanta” any more – deal with it and get to work.
Mike
February 25th, 2012
12:52 pm
I agree with Joey… we already have a decent system/technology in place… why not expand upon it? Yes, heavy rail is expensive, but it is faster and carries more people than light rail… also, expanding MARTA heavy rail would allow for seamless connections (instead of having to transfer from heavy rail to light rail)… for example, expand MARTA to Alpharetta, Cumberland/Cobb Galleria, and Norcross… they could also build a heavy rail line along 285 from Norcross/Doraville along 285 to the Dunwoody Station… so if you live in Gwinnett and work in the Perimeter area you can take the train there without having to go in-town.
Light rail is better for inter-city travel, like The Beltline, which will connect most of Atlanta’s neighborhoods together and to MARTA.
We really need to invest in commuter rail for long distance travel… like to Canton, Cartersville, Buford/Gainesville, Athens, Hampton, Peachtree City, Newnan, Conyers, Villa Rica, etc. GDOT already has a commuter rail plan that is collecting dust on a shelf… it’s a good plan and I’m not sure why they this state and metro area can’t get their crap together and see the bigger picture already!
Joey
February 25th, 2012
12:32 pm
A commuter rail system with a hub at the new MMPT would be a huge plus. Commuter rail is realitivly cheap, the biggest obstacle is getting permission from the freight companies that own the tracks.
A cool thing about the MMPT is that it was taken off the TIA project list because Mayor Reed said there was private interest that could get it built.
I would also like to see an expansion of MARTA heavy rail rather than new light rail. Also Central Atlanta would greatly benifet from a Completed beltline streetcar network.