Streetcars are an integral part of the story of Atlanta. The first streetcar line, which connected Peachtree Street with what is now Spelman College, opened in 1871. During the early 20th century, Atlanta’s population tripled as streetcars helped expand the city limits to nearby suburbs, creating a vibrant and easily accessible metropolis.
Today, Atlanta is the center of the fastest-growing region in the United States and home to the world’s busiest passenger airport. We host leading research universities and are among the top three U.S. cities with the most Fortune 500 headquarters. But “easily accessible” is not a term many would use to describe us these days.
Fortunately, the city is moving forward with an impressive regional transportation plan that emphasizes reasonable alternative choices. This year, we’ll see one part of it begin service: the Atlanta Streetcar.
Streetcars are more than the “next new thing” in urban transportation. With a growing number of people — both younger workers and empty nesters — choosing to move into or near large cities, streetcars make sense because they can easily connect passengers with a wide array of activities and jobs in urban corridors. They also allow these same city dwellers to have more transportation choices, and give those looking for a more sustainable lifestyle the option of being car-free.
For those going farther afield or coming into the city from the suburbs, streetcars provide inner-city connectivity from larger regional transit systems, helping reduce congestion downtown. A single streetcar can transport as many people as 177 automobiles — and, being electric, they do it more efficiently and with fewer emissions.
While the Atlanta Streetcar will be a new mode of transportation in the downtown area, it’s not a new idea. The streetcar is part of the city’s long-term Connect Atlanta plan, which was developed to accommodate growth while maintaining the quality of life desired by an increasingly diverse population. The Atlanta Streetcar is a critical piece of Atlanta’s transit future, and that will include expansion of the streetcar in a citywide network that will link to major employment centers in Midtown, Georgia Tech and the Atlanta University Center.
With phase one of the Atlanta Streetcar nearing completion, the look and feel of downtown Atlanta is already changing. The access the streetcar will provide to millions of visitors heading to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Centennial Olympic Park will further enhance our reputation as an exciting place to live, learn, work, shop and play.
Atlanta is growing, and growing quickly. To accommodate this growth, particularly in the downtown area, it is crucial that we diversify our transit options. Our city grew with the streetcar before; with the new Atlanta Streetcar, it will grow more, and more sustainably, again.
Tim Borchers is executive director of Atlanta Streetcar Inc.
