Rail planners desperate for community support

Facing some high-ranking skeptics and a tight budget, planners of a proposed Atlanta-Lovejoy commuter rail line find themselves forced to offer some creative funding sources to keep the project alive.

GDOT Intermodal Committee board chairman E.C. McClinton insists that political support, both within the Gold Dome and in the outlying communities along the rail line, must be broad.

"We're going to have to ask the cities and counties on the line to step up," McClinton said. "This thing has to have as much support as possible."

Under proposal are the formation of community improvement districts along the rail line. To set up a community improvement district, half of commercial property owners representing 75 percent of the tax digest value must consent, and legislative approval is required.

Selling naming rights of the stations, a la stadiums and arenas, was another possibility considered. Read more...

Source: Rail planners trying to keep project alive, MaconTelegraph.com

As a citizen/businessman of downtown Hampton, Georgia, I propose that we may be ideal for a Community Improvement District. I would venture to say that the commercial property owner tax digest value component could be met. Or, does anyone like the ring of "Speedway Station?" I'm sure that Atlanta Motor Speedway could find some value in naming rights to the Station.

AJC Mass Transit Forum

What will it take to get us out of our cars and into a bus, train or the new trainlike trolleys called bus rapid transit? Visit the ajc.com Transit Forum to see what others are saying and to voice your own opinions...

Last month I made an appeal to contact Governor Perdue in support of the Lovejoy-Atlanta Commuter Rail Initiative. Many of you did. The Govenor's office is the last hurdle in the Commuter Rail becoming reality. I've published the Governor's response to my appeal, below. Unfortunately the response reveals either a misunderstanding, or worse, a misrepresentation of the facts. The assertion that rail usage is 10 - 12 years away is simply untrue. Railcar rolling stock takes two years to deliver as it is built to order. Local GDOT office has confirmed that if rolling stock were ordered today the existing rail corridor from Lovejoy to Atlanta could be ready in time for the delivery. That's two years, not ten or twelve. The money allocated for the commuter rail cannot be spent on anything but the rail and will be forfeited if not used. Therefore the "current budget situation" has no bearing on spending Federal dollars allocated to a logical solution to efficient transportation. Fiscal responsibility would dictate that the total investment of 350 million dollars required to complete the long overdue Atlanta-Macon route would not be better spent in building only nine miles of the HOV lanes the Rapid Buses will run on.

Once again, I invite you to send a message to Gov. Perdue if you feel so inclined. The Governor's response follows:

Dear Mr. Sisco:

Thank you for your message regarding a proposed commuter rail system for
Georgia. As we all know, efficient transportation has long been one of
the keys to quality of life and a robust economy in our state.

To that end, in September 2003 I announced the "Georgia Gets Going"
transportation bond package, totaling $424 million, to provide an infusion
of capital to some important projects that will increase mobility where
this is most needed. This investment underlines the state's duty to
support the implementation of a regional transit system in the Atlanta
region. These are regionally significant, cost-effective transportation
projects. County and state authorities are working together to eliminate
traffic bottlenecks and offer commuters additional choices for their
commute.

Rail options are a consideration in Georgia's bond program. $4 million
has been earmarked to secure $29 million in federal funding for a future
Atlanta-to-Macon commuter rail line. $4.2 million will also be spent for
the acquisition and rehabilitation of a short-line railroad, designed to
preserve service to industry in Lowndes, Cook and Berrien Counties.
However, previously-considered commuter rail plans may be fiscally
inadvisable at the present time, given Georgia's current budget situation.
If we were to build a heavy rail system now, the first rider would board
it 10 or 12 years from now. While it may well be considered at a later
date, I do not believe we can afford to wait that long for traffic
solutions. Our priority must be to look for the biggest return on our
investment.

A network of express bus routes will be established, with train-style
stations along 13 of Atlanta's busiest roads. Over the next few years,
express bus service will grow to 25 routes to major activity centers,
including downtown and midtown Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson International
Airport, MARTA stations and shopping malls. This bus system would be far
less expensive than expanding MARTA rail, which presently can only serve
Fulton and DeKalb Counties.

I firmly believe that if we concentrate our efforts on achieving the
common-sense solutions now and planning additional cost-effective projects
for the near future, we will be able to make improvements that will
benefit people in a reasonable period of time. I want to caution you,
however, that we will not be able to rely on quick fixes for Georgia's
long-term transportation needs. These problems have developed over time,
and it will require energy, difficult decisions and considerable patience
before we as a state can implement a comprehensive plan that will serve
the needs of our citizenry as a whole.

Thank you again for letting me know of your interest in this issue, and I
hope you will continue to participate in future discussions as we progress
toward our common goal.


Sincerely,
Sonny Perdue

San Diego's 'City of Villages' concept, touted as a "models for the rest of the city," could serve as a such for the city of Atlanta, as well

Plans to develop five pilot villages as examples of how San Diego should grow over the next 20 years were approved unanimously by the San Diego City Council earlier this month.

Mayor Dick Murphy said the projects "will be role models for the rest of the city" in revitalizing older communities, providing affordable housing and reducing traffic congestion.

The pilot villages combine housing and centers of employment and recreation with access to mass transit. They are meant to demonstrate how older urban neighborhoods could be redeveloped as alternatives to sprawl in what planners call a "City of Villages" concept. Read more...

What an awesome concept for Atlanta to adopt! The BeltLine provides the framework...

"Consider this. If a 150 pound person walked briskly to a store or post
office that was five blocks away every day for a year, that person
would weigh 10 fewer pounds at the end of that time, according to the
CDC."
------- Connie Rausch Director, Butler County (KS) Dept. on Aging
http://www.eldoradotimes.com/articles/2004/02/12/news/news44.txt

Transit villages are becoming popular -- and economically successful -- throughout Southern California.

Full story: New generation is right on track

Source: Los Angeles Times, Feb 08, 2004.

Golf Cart bill goes to Gov.

The governor's signature is all that is standing between unlicensed golf cart drivers in Peachtree City and their carts. Use of the golf carts has drawn people to the Fayette County community where some of the 34,000 residents have registered 9,000 golf carts that putter along 88 miles of paved golf cart paths. Read more...

Source: ajc.com

California transportation funds to be tied to housing

For the first time in recent history, a member of the California governor's Cabinet has called for a link between state transportation dollars and housing construction.

Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak says "We have not been getting enough return on our investment. We have improved capacity in some areas but we have increased congestion because we have an inefficient land-use pattern that has hurt our economic competitiveness."

"Highway or transit improvements in job-rich communities that reject new homes and force workers to drive long distances "are absolutely unacceptable," McPeak said. Read more...

Title: "Transportation funds to be tied to housing"
Source: ContraCostaTimes.com

Smart and Smarter

New homebuyers taking advantage of Fannie Mae's new Smart Commute Mortgage (applies to home purchases within 1/2 mile of transit stations or 1/4 mile of bus stops) will enjoy a special bonus. MARTA has agreed to sweeten the deal by giving new home buyers a six-month MARTA pass worth about $315.

MARTA gets even smarter

MARTA customers may now obtain the best train and bus routes to reach their destination by accessing MARTA’s Trip Planner. This new trip planner allows you to use the Internet, day or night, to obtain trip information or route directions by using street addresses and street intersections as origin and destination locations. You will also be able to get directions to places of interest or events. Try it here...

Transit Tipping Point for Atlanta?

Two-thirds of Atlanta-area commuters may consider leaving their cars at home if they had a mass transit system that was fast, inexpensive and easy to use, according to a marketing survey commissioned by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and several private business groups. Read more...

Source: http://www.accessnorthga.com/