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MARTA changes mind - now backing rail for Beltine!
MARTA staff alters stance on Beltline rail
By PAUL DONSKY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/11/06
Buses may not be the ticket on Atlanta's Beltline after all.
MARTA staff is recommending that rail cars roll on the planned 22-mile transit loop, even though a bus-based transit system would be at least one-third cheaper to build.
The MARTA board of directors is expected to discuss the issue today, with a final decision coming in January. The recommendation is an about-face for MARTA, which four months ago released a preliminary analysis favoring buses over rail, primarily because of cost.
A streetcar system would cost up to $838 million, MARTA officials said, compared to $571 million for bus rapid transit, a hybrid system that uses rail-like stations and buses designed to resemble rail cars.
Rail vehicles are significantly more expensive than buses, and train systems require extensive engineering, such as the installation of overhead electricity cables.
But rail emerged as the overwhelming favorite during a series of public meetings last summer. Rail vehicles, such as streetcars, were seen as providing a cleaner, more charming way to move people about the Beltline than buses, which emit pollutants and tend to be noisy.
MARTA board chairman Ed Wall said rail is worth the extra investment.
"It's quaint, people like it, they feel better about taking public transportation," he said.
The city of Atlanta and Beltline leaders have come out in favor of a rail transit system as well, Wall said.
At a MARTA board meeting last week, several people urged the transit system to avoid the cheapest alternative and go with rail, which they said better fits with the parks and trails planned along the route.
"A rail line drawing its power from an overhead trolley wire is quiet and clean, much more compatible with the park environment," said Jim Dexter, vice president of the Georgia Association of Railroad Passengers.
"A unique window of opportunity is opening," he told the board. "If it's done with care, the Beltline could become a signature accomplishment for Atlanta, identifying the city much as the Arch identifies St. Louis, Central Park identifies New York and cable cars identify San Francisco.
"Let's not do this cheap. Let's do it right."
MARTA staff also is recommending that transit be built along the entire 22-mile length of the Beltline, rejecting cheaper alternatives that would have built a three-quarters loop that avoids an active freight rail corridor in northwest Atlanta.
MARTA staff isn't specifying what kind of rail vehicle should be used — light rail or the slightly smaller, more nimble modern streetcar. The Beltline as now configured has many tight turns that probably would rule out light rail, but MARTA officials said the route could change as the planning process continues.
The MARTA board's decision is part of an effort to secure federal grants to cover about half the cost of the Beltline transit system's cost. The remainder would come from property taxes on new development along the Beltline that have been earmarked to pay for the planned loop of trails, transit and parks.
But federal money may be a longshot. The grant process is competitive and favors big transit projects that relieve congestion. The Beltline is unusual: It's designed to alleviate future traffic problems by attracting development that would otherwise go to already crowded areas.
Beltline officials have said a rail line can be built without federal money, though the project might need to be scaled down to fit the budget. It's also possible that Washington will help pay for one leg of the transit loop.
But don't expect any vehicles to be rolling on the Beltline soon. Indeed, the massive project will have to be built in stages, like MARTA's rail system, a process that could take up to 25 years. The first stretch may not be complete for a decade.
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