Politicians are often accused of shifting stances in accordance with the prevailing public sentiment. On the other hand, sometimes their positions evolve because of what they actually believe is the right thing to do. That takes courage — and that’s what Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens seems to be doing in deciding whether or not to put a streetcar on the Beltline.
Moreover, it’s a stretch to say he has changed at all. The mayor has consistently stated his support for an alternative transit option along the Beltline. It’s just a matter of what that should be. A streetcar or something else.
The pro-streetcar arguments are short: Streetcars were part of the original plan from decades ago, and they are somehow synonymous with diversity and equity.
The arguments against them are numerous.
They start with the fact that it would cost $230 million (and probably much more) for only a 2.3-mile segment. There are other, far less intrusive options at a much-reduced cost. Dickens suggested one: driverless pods.
Streetcars made sense in the 19th and 20th centuries. But transportation technology has progressed in leaps and bounds since then, as evidenced by the mayor’s suggestion.
Credit: handout
Credit: handout
Moreover, the mayor recently announced plans that the city will build four new MARTA stations, create a new rapid transit bus route from the redeveloped Bowen Homes community to Ponce City Market and add several more miles of paved trail on the Beltline itself. All of this has been met with broad approval, despite Dickens saying nary a word about the streetcar.
Getting back to that, if a 2.3-mile rail line would cost at least $230 million, the mind boggles at what the cost would be for a streetcar that covers the entire 22 mile Beltline loop. On top of that, it is estimated such a project would take more than a decade to complete. You want to bet on that happening?
Of course, if the already-existing downtown streetcar proved popular, that might provide impetus for its expansion. The sad fact, however, is that it trundles almost riderless on a daily basis. If you are wondering about the financial consequences, consider this: The streetcar’s operating expenses for 2022 totaled about $5 million, whereas fare revenue amounted to only a bit more than $35,000, forcing taxpayers to pick up the difference. Any extension would make taxpayers dig deeper into their pockets.
And it’s not just that modern transportation alternatives leave streetcars in the dust. Since the Beltline’s inception, the area around it has been totally transformed. Prudence dictates that intervening developments be taken into account before starting a massive and hugely disruptive undertaking.
How disruptive? Because of the extended streetcar footprint, the city would need to invoke eminent domain to gobble up nearby private property, jeopardizing homes and small businesses. Many of these businesses have already expressed alarm that this would cause a dramatic drop in their revenue, perhaps as much as 50 percent.
It would also lead to cutting down hundreds of trees and desecrating whole swathes of meadows that are habitats for butterflies, among other species. Does that seem like a good idea at a time when green space is coveted?
Even more concerning is the probable degradation of the Beltline itself caused by having rails put right next to it — this at a time when it is exploding with users. If there is a criticism of the Beltline, it’s that it poses a hazard for pedestrians and joggers trying not to be mowed down by reckless skateboarders, bicyclists and motorized vehicles whizzing by. Having walkers/runners on a separate path from wheeled vehicles deserves a close look. Yet, adding a streetcar on top of the existing Beltline would preclude that from happening and aggravate an already fraught situation.
The other card that streetcar proponents like to play is equating it with diversity and equity. Frankly, that’s silly. An extravagant streetcar that is intended to serve some of our wealthiest neighborhoods on the Eastside is hardly equitable.
Councilwoman Marci Overstreet, who represents Southwest Atlanta, has come to the same conclusion. She would like to see the aforementioned $230 million spent instead on the dire transportation needs in her own district, which is lacking even sidewalks in some areas.
Let’s remind ourselves that transportation is a means to an end, not the end itself. If underserved communities that rely on public transit can obtain better service at less cost and destruction than streetcars offer, isn’t that worth examining? The mayor apparently thinks so.
And, insofar as diversity is concerned, one need only walk the Beltline on any given day to witness diversity in all its glory. There is no reason to think a streetcar would improve it. Indeed, the opposite could prove to be the case.
Most of us want more and better public transportation to alleviate Atlanta’s notorious traffic gridlock, as I’m sure the mayor does.
Many of the arguments against and the arguments for an alternative to building a Beltline streetcar have only recently been brought to the fore and focused on. That the mayor is giving them a close look shows wisdom and deserves our plaudits. It’s the right thing to do.
Jay Miller, a semi-retired lawyer who lives in Atlanta, is an active supporter of Better Atlanta Transit.
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