ATL Proposing New Amtrak Station

[Crescent Mark]

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/state-adds-to-cuts-963995.html

"Projects Long added include several I-285 interchanges, including a $500 million whopper at Ga. 400; road widenings such as Roosevelt Highway and Ga. 138; a new Amtrak station; 62 specific Atlanta bridge and road rehabilitation projects to replace the vague pot of money; and $497 million for the Xpress commuter bus system."

"In

These are some of the projects that State Transportation Planning Director Todd Long suggested the region consider:

* Downtown Atlanta multimodal passenger terminal, $50 million (a fraction of the total project cost)"

This is all a long way away if it even happens but this is definitely a POSITIVE sign for ATL. A new Amtrak station would be great. I'm sure they'd combine it with MARTA so extending MARTA up further north is even better for everyone. I'm not holding my breath on this but this seems like the city is actively trying to pursue a new train station and make train travel a priority in the city, especially after all of the traffic problems ATL has seen in recent years. A new multimodel station could serve Amtrak's Crescent, a MARTA station, and a future northern end of the ATL-Macon line they want to do. Sounds like a win-win to me!

 

[the_traveler]

Haven't they heard?

NOBODY rides trains anymore!

 

[GaSteve]

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/state-adds-to-cuts-963995.html

"Projects Long added include several I-285 interchanges, including a $500 million whopper at Ga. 400; road widenings such as Roosevelt Highway and Ga. 138; a new Amtrak station; 62 specific Atlanta bridge and road rehabilitation projects to replace the vague pot of money; and $497 million for the Xpress commuter bus system."

"In

These are some of the projects that State Transportation Planning Director Todd Long suggested the region consider:

* Downtown Atlanta multimodal passenger terminal, $50 million (a fraction of the total project cost)"

This is all a long way away if it even happens but this is definitely a POSITIVE sign for ATL. A new Amtrak station would be great. I'm sure they'd combine it with MARTA so extending MARTA up further north is even better for everyone. I'm not holding my breath on this but this seems like the city is actively trying to pursue a new train station and make train travel a priority in the city, especially after all of the traffic problems ATL has seen in recent years. A new multimodel station could serve Amtrak's Crescent, a MARTA station, and a future northern end of the ATL-Macon line they want to do. Sounds like a win-win to me!

You missed the $38 million for a "New Amtrak Station", which is not the same thing. The intermodal station, if it ever happens, would be downtown and there is no easy route for present Amtrak service to get to or from it without a long backup move. The proposed Amtrak station is the same thing that they didn't get any HSR money for last month. It's the one in the Atlantic Station location, where the state already owns the land.

 

[MattW]

For reference, you can see the various routes to the Atlanta stations, existing and proposed, that the Crescent would have to take. The non-Atlanta parts of the Crescent route go north at the north end of the "purple" line on the map, and west off the end of the purple and green lines. The MMPT is proposed to go in near (if not directly on) where the Union Station used to be.

Link to the map I created

 

[GaSteve]

For reference, you can see the various routes to the Atlanta stations, existing and proposed, that the Crescent would have to take. The non-Atlanta parts of the Crescent route go north at the north end of the "purple" line on the map, and west off the end of the purple and green lines. The MMPT is proposed to go in near (if not directly on) where the Union Station used to be.

Link to the map I created

The blue "beltline" route is no longer viable because the Atlanta Beltline multi-use corridor will now use that property as a result of an agreement with GDOT a couple of years ago. There may eventually be light rail on that route, but not conventional rail.

And, as I said, the "proposed" new station did not get any HSR funds, so there's no "hoping" to it.

 

[kyle]

Haven't they heard?

NOBODY rides trains anymore!

That's not true, Georgia doesn't invest in passenger rail like other regions of the country (i.e. west coast and northeast) because of the politcal climate in the Georgia. North Carolina and Virginia are doing well with their rail investments.

 

[me_little_me]

For reference, you can see the various routes to the Atlanta stations, existing and proposed, that the Crescent would have to take. The non-Atlanta parts of the Crescent route go north at the north end of the "purple" line on the map, and west off the end of the purple and green lines. The MMPT is proposed to go in near (if not directly on) where the Union Station used to be.

Link to the map I created

The blue "beltline" route is no longer viable because the Atlanta Beltline multi-use corridor will now use that property as a result of an agreement with GDOT a couple of years ago. There may eventually be light rail on that route, but not conventional rail.

And, as I said, the "proposed" new station did not get any HSR funds, so there's no "hoping" to it.

GA got virtually no money because GA was unwilling to put any skin in the game. The "Atlantc Station" station is only supposed to be in interim station until the multi-modal one (proposed for 20 years now) is built - probably in 2111.

 

[GaSteve]

For reference, you can see the various routes to the Atlanta stations, existing and proposed, that the Crescent would have to take. The non-Atlanta parts of the Crescent route go north at the north end of the "purple" line on the map, and west off the end of the purple and green lines. The MMPT is proposed to go in near (if not directly on) where the Union Station used to be.

Link to the map I created

The blue "beltline" route is no longer viable because the Atlanta Beltline multi-use corridor will now use that property as a result of an agreement with GDOT a couple of years ago. There may eventually be light rail on that route, but not conventional rail.

And, as I said, the "proposed" new station did not get any HSR funds, so there's no "hoping" to it.

GA got virtually no money because GA was unwilling to put any skin in the game. The "Atlantc Station" station is only supposed to be in interim station until the multi-modal one (proposed for 20 years now) is built - probably in 2111.

Amtrak does not want to use the multimodal station in the proposed location due to the need for a very long backup move in or out.

 

[MattW]

Which is why the DOT needs to grow a pair and take back the beltline for real railroad use.