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.
That’s no small job, given that the MMPT idea seems at least as much about real estate development as it is about transportation.
All of which lends merit to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s $12.2 million contract to a seasoned group of firms to flesh out the concept. In itself, that relatively modest expenditure is a notable move, given lawmakers’ present unwillingness to step up their funding game for transportation projects.
In addition to framing up a land-use blueprint, GDOT’s chosen developers are to come up with funding options built around a P3 concept, short for public-private partnership.
Without having final costs in hand, that seems a workable strategy, especially since a GDOT project information memo states that “private debt and equity will be required for private, revenue-generating uses.” They should stick with that. Using private-sector money to raise new commercial and residential buildings in the Gulch is how things should work. Doing so allows precious public dollars to be targeted primarily toward projects that will improve transportation mobility.
And our epic immobility certainly demands innovative solutions — as soon as humanly possible.
While congestion problems are with us right now, the transportation aspect of the MMPT takes us right back to that long-term vision thing.
That’s because exactly what type of passenger terminal may be needed in the Gulch will hinge on future decisions by voters and government at the federal, state and local levels. As a summary economic impact report points out, “Planning for the MMPT is still conceptual and most of the transit network that would be served by the terminal does not currently exist.”
At a minimum, there could be economies of scale and scope as well as service improvements to be gained by consolidating existing bus, MARTA rail and other transit options at a central site, given that the region’s various operators funnel a lot of service into downtown already.
And, with gas prices currently flowing toward $4 a gallon, it’s easier to imagine a time not too many years ahead when improved ground transportation will make a lot more sense to more people. Or that new neighborhoods springing up around a next-generation passenger terminal will prove attractive places to live and work. That’s what other major cities that we battle for growth and jobs are betting on.
Beyond that, it’s up to Georgians and Atlantans to envision — and fund — the future. We’d suggest it’s a pretty sure thing that tomorrow’s Atlanta will be significantly different from our metropolis of today. How well we meet those needs will determine our region’s success.
Andre Jackson, for the Editorial Board.
About the Author
