The city of Atlanta is at the heart of the ninth-largest metro region, with more than 5 million residents in the 10-county area. The Atlanta Regional Commission projects this number will grow to more than 8 million by 2040. Atlanta knows it needs to better prepare for the continued influx of urban dwellers and it is now doing the single most important thing it can do to help address this issue: re-investing in rail to ensure a vibrant public transportation system for the city center.
The Atlanta streetcar is a critical piece of the city’s transportation puzzle. It will breathe new life into the heart of the city.
Rail has long been known to be a strong economic driver. As we’ve seen in other cities, the installation of rail tracks spurs economic development. In Portland, streetcars have helped bring development of some 140 real estate projects worth $3.5 billion, leading to an approximately 50 percent increase in land values. Charlotte has seen a $1.6 billion economic impact along its Lynx Blue Line since announcing its light rail project in 2003. Minneapolis’ new Green Line has seen more than $1.2 billion in development along the Central Corridor LRT line even before its trains have begun to carry passengers later this year.
Public transportation is experiencing a resurgence. The American Public Transportation Authority last week released figures showing public transportation now at its highest rates in more than 50 years. We think it’s more than economics at play; people want to stay connected (to email, texts and social media) at all times, even during their commutes. And people are demanding more reliable, cleaner transportation options.
Many of today’s younger professionals want to live and work in vibrant city centers. More cities are reclaiming their centers by encouraging more transportation and development of areas that have lain dormant. Cities are working to strengthen their cores and revive a sense of community in downtown areas again.
Thanks to the new streetcars, more Atlantans will have access to cleaner, more economical and convenient transportation alternatives. The streetcar will enhance connectivity between MARTA rail lines and bring together the eastern and western districts of the downtown area that have been separated by the interstate.
The new streetcar line is expected to generate investment opportunities on 80-plus acres of underutilized land and in 30 vacant buildings within a few blocks of the route. Residents, employees, students and visitors in these areas will experience a better quality of life, with direct connections to shops and restaurants, bike lanes, walking trails and convenient public transit options.
Atlanta, you are not just getting streetcars. Look more closely: This is a new, permanent addition to your transportation infrastructure and a serious, long-term commitment to the future of the city center of Atlanta. These newly built steel rails and structures are built to last, and will be a tangible reminder of Atlanta’s long-term investment in itself.
Ken Cornelius is the president of Siemens’ Cities Center of Competence. Siemens is building the Atlanta streetcars at its Sacramento, Calif., manufacturing facility, with drives for the streetcars being built in Alpharetta.
