Atlanta poised to capitalize 
on two new transit options

By A.J. Robinson

Two downtown transit projects were the subject of media attention over the summer — the Atlanta streetcar and the Multimodal Passenger Terminal (called the “MMPT” by local transportation planners).

Neither project is a new idea. Atlanta’s past is rich in historic passenger terminals and an extensive streetcar system.

Looking forward, these initiatives are partnerships that have potential to catalyze permanent change in our approach to travel and implementation of transportation projects.

The city of Atlanta, with support from MARTA and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, has reapplied for funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER II Discretionary Grant program for construction of an initial east-west Atlanta streetcar route across downtown. Atlanta’s bid to bring back streetcars will link Centennial Olympic Park with the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Sweet Auburn Preservation District.

Recently, the Georgia Department of Transportation issued a revised notice of intent to advance the long-awaited Downtown Multimodal Passenger Terminal through the procurement of a master developer in a formal public-private partnership. The reasons are plentiful for regional support of these two projects:

● Specific to streetcar service, improved east-west connectivity within downtown is needed, for commuters, residents and visitors.

Visitors will have improved access to Peachtree Street and the hotel district, and the service will provide missing circulation and direct connections to the existing transit services coming into downtown. The improved circulation will make downtown even more accessible, further supporting travelers’ use of transit and access to jobs and services.

Although MARTA rail has existed in our region for more than 20 years, we lack high-frequency, street-visible circulator services, like streetcars, which are needed if we are to advance other rail initiatives like regional commuter rail service, intercity rail and eventually high-speed rail. Once patrons depart from the trains of the future, easy access across that last mile of travel to their final destinations must be convenient and attractive. Streetcar and light rail serve these functions:

● Construction of a starter streetcar line in the city’s urban core will set the stage for the gradual implementation of a broader, citywide streetcar system. It will also lend support to the region’s advancement of its other rail projects. The city’s Connect Atlanta Plan, its first comprehensive transportation plan, proposes an extensive network of future streetcar service. The region’s adopted transit vision plan, known as Concept 3, proposes a number of streetcar and regional light-rail transit projects, including those proposed for the BeltLine, the I-20 east corridor and the northwest corridor. As a region, we must begin to implement our plans, not just produce studies. The Downtown Multimodal Passenger Terminal is a priority project included in both the Connect Atlanta Plan and the region’s Concept 3 transit vision; it is a project that has been in the planning stage for decades and it’s ripe for implementation.

● The current economic climate remains poor, yet we must invest in supporting property values. Previous streetcar projects have shown that the permanency of rail tracks is a proven economic development generator. Portland’s streetcar project catalyzed 140 projects worth $3.5 billion, and following its construction, property values increased by approximately 50 percent. In Seattle, a $51 million streetcar project (capital cost only) resulted in 3.3 million square feet of development. Based upon preliminary estimates, the Atlanta streetcar project will produce more than $167 million in quantifiable long-term benefits (discounted over 20 years).

Our federal government is committed to transit, and as a city and region we need to take advantage of this moment. Earlier this year, the DOT awarded $8 billion to states across the country to develop America’s first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service.

No funding was awarded to Georgia through that program, or through the first round of TIGER grants announced last fall. This month the federal government announced a six-year plan proposing additional investment in the nation’s rail transit systems, among other transportation programs. As a region and state we must leverage these opportunities to their fullest.

We are a young city. As folks continue to move here, we must recognize that rail is an accepted, attractive mode of transportation and plays a role in the economic viability and environmental sustainability of our city and region.

It has been years since the Atlanta region funded and implemented a major transportation investment in the city. We look forward to watching — and participating in — Atlanta’s advancement of transformational transportation projects like the Atlanta streetcar and the Downtown Multimodal Passenger Terminal.

A.J. Robinson is president of Central Atlanta Progress.