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DEL.ICIO.USFrom elsewhere: The DOT puts the skids on Atlanta’s Beltline, and Franklin is — well, upset
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thomas Wheatley at Creative Loafing reports that the Georgia Department of Transportation and AMTRAK have, at least for now, derailed the city of Atlanta’s 22-mile Beltline:
Late last year, the city asked Norfolk-Southern, the rail and shipping company who had still had control of the rail line, to formally abandon the property. The process was supposed to be complete on Jan. 22.
But according to a source with close knowledge of the abandonment process and a helluva letter Mayor Shirley Franklin wrote to U.S. Congressman John Lewis seeking his assistance, GDOT filed an out-of-the-blue motion with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to halt the abandonment process.
According to the mayor’s letter, GDOT “enlisted the help of AMTRAK, which on January 21st took the brazen action of using its federal status to initiate condemnation proceedings on the corridor.”
In other words, GDOT and AMTRAK have put the brakes on a vital piece of the Beltline — and for the time being, put the project’s future in limbo.
The Loaf includes this angry letter from Franklin to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, reporting on GDOT’s alleged perfidy:
“For a state agency to now flip-flop and at the last minute attempt to derail a well thought out and partially implemented plan is truly appalling. Sadly, from what I have witnessed over the years, GDOT’s actions are consistent with its past behavior, and it is this behavior that has caused Georgia and Atlanta to lose out on millions in federal funding.”
Here’s a stray thought: Kasim Reed, who wants to be the next mayor of Atlanta and is Shirley Franklin’s good friend, sits on the Senate Transportation Committee that could decide whether DOT will become the dried husk of a bureaucracy that certain top Republicans would like to see.
Comments
By william price
January 27, 2009 9:35 AM | Link to this
this action by gdot is absurd — amtrak would only use the rail lines two or three times a day and any commuter rail line would only use it once an hour or so.
they should go look at the corridor from baltimore to washington dc. maryland runs MARC commuter trains to DC several times per hour on the same lines as Amtrak uses.
gdot is hapless and does not want atlanta to solve its transportation woes. they want more highways and developers — but they are doing sonny’s bidding!
By Kee
January 27, 2009 9:41 AM | Link to this
I thought the city was broke and she still has all this going on.
What happened to her good sense.
By jm
January 27, 2009 4:48 PM | Link to this
This is a real effort by GDOT and the national rail guys to get high speed rail going in the Southeast. It is to be applauded. Hopefully room can be made for everyone along the corridor, as crowded as it might be. Interesting developments…. 2015 is the possible goal for high speed rail to Charlotte.
By jm
January 27, 2009 4:57 PM | Link to this
This is a real effort by GDOT and the national rail guys to get high speed rail going in the Southeast. It is to be applauded. Hopefully room can be made for everyone along the corridor, as crowded as it might be. Interesting developments…. 2015 is the possible goal for high speed rail to Charlotte.
By Shirley are you sure your a Democrat?
January 27, 2009 6:16 PM | Link to this
Is Shirley Franklin a republican in hiding? DOT is broke, why are we asking our wonderful governor for cash. GDOT would love to do the rail project. I just think its funny she’s trying to change the blame of her FAULTY administration to DOT to get the eyes off of her, for all her furloghs and layoffs that she already did to the city of Atlanta workers. It seems like everybody is jumping on the DOT at once and we have done nothing wrong. Ever wonder why this stuff never happened before Gena Evans took over, Sonny’s buddy? Also she is the director of SRTA. She runs both places. So she is double dipping, if she can get the money diverted from GDOT to SRTA then she can get rid of the DOT board. And the Governor says this is not political? Funny a supposed Democrat is jumping on the republicans bandwagon. The governor didn’t provide money for the rail project Shirley, he’s the one that’s not your buddy. Strange bedfellows.
By Last thing
January 27, 2009 6:27 PM | Link to this
Last thing, Gdot workers would take a furlough in a heartbeat rather then getting layed off. People act like because it didn’t happen to us, are they special. I wish they had already furloghed us to have us share the pain of all the other state agencies.
By **PAY ATTENTION**
January 28, 2009 1:49 PM | Link to this
To Shirley are you sure your a Democrat?
You are right.
Everyone seems to be jumping on the GDOT at the same time. Hey, isn’t the Gov. trying to “reorganize” the DOT right now? Why yes he is! Funny that his buddy running the DOT is directing both organizations? Maybe he is organizing the need for a reorganization. Connect the dots folks! The Gov. is on his way out he has nothing to lose this is just his last chance to stick it to a department that hasn’t kowtowed to his authority.