Amtrak in talks for new station at GM plant site (Atlanta: transfer to, buying)

[primaltech]

I was thinking Duluth because it has that Southeastern Railway Museum. Kind of an historic rail hub too, for the old line that used to go between there and Duluth, MN, which it was named after. Would be really cool to have it be a MARTA commuter rail and Amtrak station in one, right in the downtown.

Also because it's about halfway between Downtown Atlanta and Gainesville. And the Doraville stop would be about halfway between Downtown and Duluth. So that would be kinda perfect. Then you could do another stop in Mableton or somewhere.

However, when/if we're ever talking high speed rail, that line should bypass all the other smaller stops in GA, and just stop at the main MMPT in Downtown Atlanta, with the next stop being Greenville, and then Charlotte.

Yeah, I'm pipe dreamin' over here. Can't hurt.

[Zanarkand A East]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I was thinking Duluth because it has that Southeastern Railway Museum. Kind of an historic rail hub too, for the old line that used to go between there and Duluth, MN, which it was named after. Would be really cool to have it be a MARTA commuter rail and Amtrak station in one, right in the downtown.

Also because it's about halfway between Downtown Atlanta and Gainesville. And the Doraville stop would be about halfway between Downtown and Duluth. So that would be kinda perfect. Then you could do another stop in Mableton or somewhere.

However, when/if we're ever talking high speed rail, that line should bypass all the other smaller stops in GA, and just stop at the main MMPT in Downtown Atlanta, with the next stop being Greenville, and then Charlotte.

Yeah, I'm pipe dreamin' over here. Can't hurt.

^ This

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

i'm sorry, but you must be delusional if you think they'll ever allow the beltline to carry heavy rail ever again. it's not going to happen. it's a political impossibility. we need to start thinking up other ways we can connect amtrak's line to downtown, because that stretch is just out of the equation at this point.

i am honestly surprised no one has suggested this:



it would cost a fraction of both the political and financial capital that it would take to relay heavy freight rail along the beltline, and would only require a new rail connection at armour. certainly not a cheap proposal, but if amtrak wants to keep its rail service exactly the same and not reroute, this could be a solution.

Without question. Any proposal to use the Eastside Beltline for any sort of heavy rail will be DOA.

I have believed in that very reroute that you proposed for years. But this is the first map of such a reroute that I've seen here.

Or they could just do this:

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Amtrak Looking to Doraville for New Atlanta Station, Report Suggests

Oooooooh. Can't believe I missed this one! If they can't get the downtown MMPT going, then Doraville definitely represents a good opportunity for a new Amtrak station.

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

I think the Doraville site would be a very good one with the MARTA station there and plenty of space for potential parking, both of which the current location severly lacks.

Indeed. If MARTA could allow Amtrak users to park in the Doraville deck, then for the first time we would actually have on-site, long-term parking for Amtrak. I think that lack of this is one of several obstacles against people choosing to ride Amtrak.

Originally Posted by skbl17

Because of the reality of metro Atlanta transportation.

You, me, and every other MARTA/GRTA/Amtrak supporter on this site can keep clamoring for more rail and more TODs, which would be a good thing, but the fact remains that as of now, 90%+ of metro Atlanta commuters use their cars. Heck, when I use MARTA, I have to use my car to make the short trip from my house to the Doraville station. I assume the situation is the same for a lot of MARTA riders: drive from your home to the station, then take the train to and from your destination. Ridership on MARTA is on the increase, but many of those commuters aren't using buses and Uber to get to the rail stations.

So yes, parking has to be part of the equation, if not for the simple fact that Atlanta is a car-centric metro. Even the urbanist-minded TODs planned for stations like Brookhaven feature parking decks. Density in Midtown has seen a dramatic increase, but have you ever noticed that most of the new developments feature multi-story parking decks?

- skbl17

As much as I favor an all-of-the-above approach to transportation, sadly I agree with every word of this post.

Originally Posted by jsvh

Nope. Parking is so overbuilt we offer almost all of it for free yet it still sits empty almost all the time. Not sure how you could any stronger indicator of over supply.




Nope they aren't. Even though most of them are free they still sit empty most of the time. Luckily MARTA leadership is smart and is replacing the parking lots with transit oriented developments which will boost ridership.


Before:


After:

*drools at those images

[0nyxStation]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Good to see they aren't going to wait on the MMPT, but hopefully it's a fairly simple but functional station that can be closed once the MMPT is up and going and they have the route down the beltline into it secured.

I dont see the MMPT happening its been a pipe dream for a long time

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by 0nyxStation

I dont see the MMPT happening its been a pipe dream for a long time

I could see a few things happening:

• MARTA passes its .5 cent sales tax in Fulton, CoA, and Dekalb.
  
  
• MARTA and Atlanta agree that $1 - $2 Bil. of the full $8 Bil. be dedicated to LRT around the Beltline and high-priority streetcar routes, which still allows the Clifton Corridor, Connect 400, and I-20 East expansions.
  
  
• Atlanta Offers its own .5 cent sales tax on top of the MARTA tax. This one is much shorter, and would go to paying for the remainder of the streetcars.

  OR

• Atlanta Offers its own .5 cent sales tax on top of the MARTA tax. This one is a bit shorter, and would go to securing funds for both the remaining streetcars and the MMPT.
  
  
• Fulton and DeKalb are given the opportunity to enact their own .5 cent sales tax on top of the MARTA tax to expand Commuter rail within their boundaries, using the MMPT as a hub.

Granted, this is all up in the air, but I could see some of this at least being tried.

[HayateWind]

I don't understand why they couldn't serve both Doarville and the MMPT. There are tons of cities where Amtrak station are nothing but 10-20 miles apart, the same could be easily done here. There are also tons of stations where trains currently have to back out too and I know Amtrak didn't want to do that but I don't see them passing up an opportunity like the MMPT and serving the actual City of Atlanta.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by HayateWind

I don't understand why they couldn't serve both Doarville and the MMPT. There are tons of cities where Amtrak station are nothing but 10-20 miles apart, the same could be easily done here. There are also tons of stations where trains currently have to back out too and I know Amtrak didn't want to do that but I don't see them passing up an opportunity like the MMPT and serving the actual City of Atlanta.

I think that is an excellent suggestion.

[primaltech]

Yeah, I'm 100% for a Doraville Amtrak station, with park & ride and serving the 285 corridor and the suburbs.

But I am 100% against that being the only "Atlanta" Amtrak station. That's kind of ridiculous, even with MARTA. Downtown needs an Amtrak station, or Atlanta can't call it self a major city, much less the freakin' hub of the southeast.

CofA needs AT LEAST 1 Amtrak station. If not one at Five Points and 1 also at Lenox, halfway between downtown and Doraville, and also nicely connected to MARTA.

[flyonpa]

So two stops with in a few miles... Yea, AmTrak is going to do that. (AmTrak Does about 150 passenger on each of the two trains per day, We are not talking alot of people moving thru AmTrak)

I'm Surprised they still do the Flag Stop in Gainesville for 6500/year.

[0nyxStation]

Originally Posted by cqholt

WTF do you mean my likes? That is very insulting. I have never once insulted you.
I was simply asking, because it seems to me we have an overabundance of free parking. Not every development needs new parking, shared parking facilities would free up more land to be developed and produce tax money. Surface parking generates no money and takes up valuable land. Besides holiday shopping season, how many times are mall parking lots used over 60%? Same with roadways, we build all this capacity, for it to only be used 4-6 hours each weekday.

I dont think she was insulting you, Cqholt you go hard for the trains and TODs but I understand where you are coming from. The issue not really the automobile its the automobile culture.