New Connect The Comet Website - 2017 major year (Atlanta, Marietta: lease, house)

[netdragon]

Check out the new The Connect the Comet Campaign - Let's connect to the Atlanta Beltline! website and please join! 2017 is an important year b/c although the CSX lease will renew in 2019, this is the year for negotiations.

[primaltech]

If I had to pick, I'd rather this abandoned rail line be used for commuter rail transit, over the multi-use trail. But the best case would be if they could do both.

[tikigod311]

I love this effort!

[cqholt]

But then all 'thugs' from Atlanta will 'ride bikes to rob Cobb!'

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by primaltech

If I had to pick, I'd rather this abandoned rail line be used for commuter rail transit, over the multi-use trail. But the best case would be if they could do both.

This rail line is the rail line that turns into the Silver Comet Trail as it is. I don;'t think there's near enough ROW to change it over to Commuter rail.

I, for one, want to to be the trail since my house sits very close to it.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

This rail line is the rail line that turns into the Silver Comet Trail as it is. I don;'t think there's near enough ROW to change it over to Commuter rail.

I, for one, want to to be the trail since my house sits very close to it.

There's not much value in this particular section as a lead for Commuter rail, since it ends rather far from any other active rail corridor, and is on the inconvenient side of Howell Wye.

It'll make more sense for any new commuter line to either use, or follow the currently active CSX line North East towards Marietta.

So, I'm excited to see the Commet brought down to the city.

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

There's not much value in this particular section as a lead for Commuter rail, since it ends rather far from any other active rail corridor, and is on the inconvenient side of Howell Wye.

It'll make more sense for any new commuter line to either use, or follow the currently active CSX line North East towards Marietta.

So, I'm excited to see the Commet brought down to the city.

But that line goes thru the middle of Tilford Yard. Whereas the abandoned line would better serve the I-75 and NW Atlanta/Buckhead corridor, and allow you to put key park&ride stations at Moore's Mill and Collier.

Seems like you could construct a small amount of new track/right of way, to make that line connect to both the line that goes up thru Vinings/Smyrna/Marietta, and also the line that goes thru Mableton/Austell.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by primaltech

But that line goes thru the middle of Tilford Yard. Whereas the abandoned line would better serve the I-75 and NW Atlanta/Buckhead corridor, and allow you to put key park&ride stations at Moore's Mill and Collier.

Where would you plan on putting those stations?

This line also goes through a rail yard just south of Chattahoochee.

Seems like you could construct a small amount of new track/right of way, to make that line connect to both the line that goes up thru Vinings/Smyrna/Marietta, and also the line that goes thru Mableton/Austell.

Connect to what lines? The lines you refer to are pretty active, if we're talking about the same ones.

I can assure you that selling a lot of people on having a commuter train literally in their back yard, instead of a nice trail, is going to be a tough one. I'm not sure where I stand on it. I know the noise would drive me nuts, but the train wouldn't be able to go very fast in that area, and would have several road crossings (and even a housing development driveway crossing), which doesn't happen much in this city.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by primaltech

But that line goes thru the middle of Tilford Yard.

And to get to the section that Connect the Comet is planned for, you have to go through Howell Wye. We need to be avoiding the Wye as much as possible, and though other routes will need to get through / around it somehow, this one can simply avoid it by going along the southern edge of Tilford, without actually interacting with the yard, and then turning north at the end of the yard towards Vinings.

Whereas the abandoned line would better serve the I-75 and NW Atlanta/Buckhead corridor, and allow you to put key park&ride stations at Moore's Mill and Collier.

A better, long term option is to build Heavy Rail up I-75 instead, and not kill the option of this trail. Let commuter rail, be commuter rail, and let Heavy Rail take up most of the demand ITP. We don't need a bunch of park-n-rides slowing down commuter trains ITP when we could extend existing heavy rail, and even future light rail, infrastructure to take up the challenge much more appropriately.

Seems like you could construct a small amount of new track/right of way, to make that line connect to both the line that goes up thru Vinings/Smyrna/Marietta, and also the line that goes thru Mableton/Austell.

You'd end up creating roughly the same amount of new track, tunnels / aerials, etc. to reactivate this part of the line compared to building along other corridors, but you'd kill the possibility to use this for the bike connection. So, you don't gain much, and actually loose a transportation option.

[primaltech]

Are people really going to bike from OTP to the Beltline, as a transportation option? In this obese country?

They're definitely not going to walk that far.