ATLANTA TRANSIT (Marta, Beltline, Peachtree Streetcar, LovJoy Commuter, etc...)

[arjay57]

I wish I had more faith in Atlanta drivers. I'm sure it will all work out in the long run, but you know there's going to be some yahoo who thinks he can save 30 seconds by squeezing in ahead of the streetcar.

[Alfred E Neuman]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I wish I had more faith in Atlanta drivers. I'm sure it will all work out in the long run, but you know there's going to be some yahoo who thinks he can save 30 seconds by squeezing in ahead of the streetcar.

Cobb county or Gwinett?

[Terminus]

Originally Posted by Alfred E Neuman

Yes I was serious, Terminus. I appreciate you pointing me in the right direction. Please understand, some of us are enthusiasts not experts.

Sorry, I meant no offense. I'm a professional city planner and sometimes become very frustrated with the misinformation on this forum. You caught me after a bad day

[Alfred E Neuman]

Originally Posted by Terminus

Sorry, I meant no offense. I'm a professional city planner and sometimes become very frustrated with the misinformation on this forum. You caught me after a bad day

Understood. Better days are ahead.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Alfred E Neuman

Cobb county or Gwinett?

Heh. Could be either, though I think we've got plenty who live here in the city limits.

[smArTaLlone]

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/

The Atlanta Braves are partnering with a private company to build a maglev train from Marta's Georgia State station to Turner field. The Braves are working with American Maglev Technologies based in Marietta.

AMT is working with Grupo ACS based in Madrid, a multibillion-dollar engineering and construction firm that is expected to provide funding for the maglev project. The one-mile elevated track form Georgia State Marta station to Turner filed with tow vehicles is expected to cost about $30 million.

[Alfred E Neuman]

Originally Posted by smArTaLlone

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/

Could this affordable first step be the start of something bigger? Hoping.

[clexmond]

Originally Posted by smArTaLlone

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/

That would seem to involve a significant amount of public land. Everything around the station and Capital Ave. itself. This would have to involve a public partnership as well right?

[shivtim]

But Turner Field opened in 1996. Why would they build a shiny new maglev train out to this obsolete stadium that will just have to be torn down in a few years?

[ATLswede]

Originally Posted by clexmond

That would seem to involve a significant amount of public land. Everything around the station and Capital Ave. itself. This would have to involve a public partnership as well right?

Not necessarily. The City/State could either deed or lease just the right of way for a nominal sum so as not to violate the gratuities clause of the Georgia Constitution. Given what the GWCC has done for the Falcons, it doesn't seem like asking all that much.

The Braves have made it known for a while that they want better access to Turner Field. Sounds like they got tired of waiting for public funding for it. From a cost standpoint, this seems pretty affordable. Especially given that BJ Upton makes $20 million a year and has .177 batting average.

[ATLswede]

I'm all in favor of transportation infrastructure, but this strikes me as a little specious for one reason: it would require TWO transfers for the majority of fans (coming from the northern suburbs). First a transfer at Five Points, then another at GSU. Whether transferring twice is more convenient than just driving remains to be seen. People in other cities that are used to public transit probably won't think anything of it. But I don't have a high degree of confidence in the occassional suburban MARTA rider.

There is also the issue of how frequently it will run and whether it would run on non-game days. I guess there is not much reason to keep it running when there aren't Braves games, but at least the infrastructure would be in place for whenever the area around the stadium gets redeveloped.

[Alfred E Neuman]

It could kick start the massive live/work/entertainment complex on the old Fulton Cty Stadium footprint

[smArTaLlone]

This is the proposed route.


ATLswede you bring up a good point about the two transfers. That could get a little tedious but I suppose if you're going to take transit, you have to deal with those inconveniences just like dealing with traffic on the interstates. The possibility of privately funded transit infrastructure is exciting to me.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by ATLswede

Nevermind, I just saw the picture and saw the wooden power lines coming out of the middle of the sidewalk. You're both right. Why on earth wouldn't they bury those???

They probably will be replacing the old wooden poles with the new poles being installed. There's a valid reason why they don't want to bury the existing utility lines: so they will not have to install cathodic protection equipment. Often water and sewer lines are moved away from light rail or streetcar lines for this very reason.

More information on cathodic protection:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathodic_protection

All metals will rust in the ground unless they are protected. Copper, aluminum, and steel are all metals. The electric currents used to run streetcars and light rail vehicles will effect the corrosion rates of metals nearby, unless they are protected. That protection costs money!

[RudyJK]

Originally Posted by electricron

They probably will be replacing the old wooden poles with the new poles being installed. There's a valid reason why they don't want to bury the existing utility lines: so they will not have to install cathodic protection equipment. Often water and sewer lines are moved away from light rail or streetcar lines for this very reason.

More information on cathodic protection:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathodic_protection

All metals will rust in the ground unless they are protected. Copper, aluminum, and steel are all metals. The electric currents used to run streetcars and light rail vehicles will effect the corrosion rates of metals nearby, unless they are protected. That protection costs money!

Well. Who knew? That was a great education. Thanks.

[sunking1056]

Originally Posted by ATLswede

From a cost standpoint, this seems pretty affordable. Especially given that BJ Upton makes $20 million a year and has .177 batting average.

Psh, he's only making $15 million

[Matthew]

I haven't been to a Braves game in a while (I'm more of a football and hockey fan than baseball). I would go more often if I could ride a maglev train there (an excuse to ride a maglev!). How much extra would it cost to extend it to the Grant Park / zoo area, just a mile down the street? ....Or would it aesthetically look bad with the Victorian neighborhood, which may work better with a streetcar? However, a streetcar is another transfer at the ballpark for those going to the park/zoo.

[Frankster87]

Originally Posted by ATLswede

I'm all in favor of transportation infrastructure, but this strikes me as a little specious for one reason: it would require TWO transfers for the majority of fans (coming from the northern suburbs). First a transfer at Five Points, then another at GSU. Whether transferring twice is more convenient than just driving remains to be seen. People in other cities that are used to public transit probably won't think anything of it. But I don't have a high degree of confidence in the occassional suburban MARTA rider.

There is also the issue of how frequently it will run and whether it would run on non-game days. I guess there is not much reason to keep it running when there aren't Braves games, but at least the infrastructure would be in place for whenever the area around the stadium gets redeveloped.

It sounds like the line would run 2 trains and have a frequency of every 2 minutes. Not bad at all. Part of the deal is also having this thing run on non-game days, so there has to be something bigger planned here.

http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2013...eld-and-downtown-its-under-consideration

"And those talks, Mayor Kasim Reed says, include building transit between Downtown and Turner Field that a.) doesn't involve a bus and b.) doesn't just run on game days."

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print...tl_ucp3&b=1374709880%5E12339932&page=all

"It would take less than two minutes for each vehicle, which can carry about 200 passengers, to make the one-mile trip. The automated trains (meaning there would not be an operator) would travel as fast as 40 miles an hour, and trains would arrive every two minutes."

[Alfred E Neuman]

Any ideas of a cool name for the Braves Mag Lev?
For starters:

• The Attractor
• Fast Ball
• The Glide Path
• The Line Drive
• The Slider

[Libertarian]

Originally Posted by Alfred E Neuman

• The Slider

Now that's good!