Atlanta/Marietta rail line dusted off (Smyrna, Mableton: lawyer, zoned, lease)

[netdragon]

A funding mechanism for the Atlanta/Marietta rail line concept for the rail line through Vinings, Cumberland, Smyrna and Marietta has been determined based on future lease revenues of the CSX rail. Good news! I hope the momentum continues.

OnlineAthens.com | Opinion | Good news for Athens-Atlanta commuter rail 04/14/08

[netdragon]

Another: Marietta rail hopes gain steam | ajc.com

George Zier, a lawyer in the state attorney general's office, delivered those findings to a special meeting at the state Department of Transportation.

The committee recommended that the full DOT board, meeting next week, get its staff working on the new funding.

The new funding source is a rail line that the state already owns, which generates about $6 million to $7 million a year in lease payments from CSX railroad.

The money currently goes to the state, so the Legislature would have to vote to give it up. On the bright side, lawmakers wouldn't be faced with appropriating money to the commuter rail every year.

"I think it's exciting," said House Transportation Committee Chairman Vance Smith, who attended the meeting. "Our ears perk up when you say no appropriations."

The existing rail corridor to Athens would need double-tracking and significant reconstruction at a couple points, driving the line's cost to $700 million, according to a study Zier cited by R.L. Banks; by comparison the Marietta line would cost about $42 million.

A clear winner from the presentation is the southern line through Lovejoy. Millions of federal dollars were earmarked for it years ago.

[netdragon]

Here's a possible route for the rail. Notice that in Atlanta, it could go a different route (directly to the East, closer to 75), but it'd have to switch rail lines in Oakdale.

I think that it'd be healthy if there were a mix of large (with parking garages) and small stations. Large stations would be near highways or major roads and adjoining high density mixed zoned districts. I think possible large stations with parking garages could be:
* S. Cobb and Atlanta Road intersection near Marietta Center
* Windy Hill/Atlanta Road (Belmont Hills)
* Cumberland Mall
* Atlanta Rd near Oakdale (future spurs possible here along other lines that cross)
* Marietta Blvd/West Marietta Street (Spur to Atlantic Station)
* Five Points

Small stations would be in areas that are good for walking to/from adjoining residential or commercial areas, could be:
* Marietta Square
* Austell Rd intersection with Atlanta Rd
* Pat Mell Rd intersection with Atlanta Rd
* Smyrna Market Village / Jonquil Plaza (with pedestrian ramp to Spring Rd)
* Vinings village
* Cumberland Parkway in Gilmore (near Beech Haven Trail and police precinct)
* Bolton Rd
* Centennial Olympic Park

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by netdragon

Another: Marietta rail hopes gain steam | ajc.com

Yeah, but it says, "The committee recommended that the full DOT board, meeting next week, get its staff working on the new funding."

Does the DOT have anyone left who isn't sleeping with each other that can work on it?? The chairman quit because he's having an affair with the gal who's still there in office. The guy who took over his position just quit after a few days because of two filings of sexual misconduct by him. Geez - top notch department we got there!

Maybe this should be called the DOT "Love Train"?

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Yeah, but it says, "The committee recommended that the full DOT board, meeting next week, get its staff working on the new funding."

Does the DOT have anyone left who isn't sleeping with each other that can work on it?? The chairman quit because he's having an affair with the gal who's still there in office. The guy who took over his position just quit after a few days because of two filings of sexual misconduct by him. Geez - top notch department we got there!

Maybe this should be called the DOT "Love Train"?

Yeah, well now we know why they're never getting any work done...

[netdragon]

Hehe, everybody's so cynical . Reminds me of the metro, I used to come from (Hartford) except that Hartford has even more to be cynical about because it only has 1 non-bus transit line (BRT to New Britian). At least Atlanta already has MARTA. We just have to keep pushing. They'll eventually get it done.

[wxjay]

Originally Posted by netdragon

Here's a possible route for the rail. Notice that in Atlanta, it could go a different route (directly to the East, closer to 75), but it'd have to switch rail lines in Oakdale.

I think that it'd be healthy if there were a mix of large (with parking garages) and small stations. Large stations would be near highways or major roads and adjoining high density mixed zoned districts. I think possible large stations with parking garages could be:
* S. Cobb and Atlanta Road intersection near Marietta Center
* Windy Hill/Atlanta Road (Belmont Hills)
* Cumberland Mall
* Atlanta Rd near Oakdale (future spurs possible here along other lines that cross)
* Marietta Blvd/West Marietta Street (Spur to Atlantic Station)
* Five Points

Small stations would be in areas that are good for walking to/from adjoining residential or commercial areas, could be:
* Marietta Square
* Austell Rd intersection with Atlanta Rd
* Pat Mell Rd intersection with Atlanta Rd
* Smyrna Market Village / Jonquil Plaza (with pedestrian ramp to Spring Rd)
* Vinings village
* Cumberland Parkway in Gilmore (near Beech Haven Trail and police precinct)
* Bolton Rd
* Centennial Olympic Park

That is WAY too many stops for a commuter rail. You would only need half of those stops (say, Marietta, Cumberland Mall, Marietta St., and then Five Points). Having too many "local' or "small" stations are useless for a commuter rail. It's not a light rail line.

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by wxjay

That is WAY too many stops for a commuter rail. You would only need half of those stops (say, Marietta, Cumberland Mall, Marietta St., and then Five Points). Having too many "local' or "small" stations are useless for a commuter rail. It's not a light rail line.

Skipping from the Cumberland Mall to Marietta Street would pretty much leave out all of West Cobb and most of South Cobb a way to park and hop on a train en-route into the city. Additionally, Marietta Street is very close to Five Points (look at the map above to see the distances involved), so It'd make more sense, then, to consider Atlanta Rd as the next stop after Five Points, especially since it is right off 285. By the time people in Northern or Western Smyrna, Western Vinings, or Mableton reach the Cumberland mall, they may as well just have driven the rest of the way... Then there's Windy Hill, which is both very close to the center of Smyrna, and also a major artery for Cobb County. You have to keep in mind how it could tie into shuttles, busses, and other transit in the future. To compare to existing commuter rail, Metro North from NYC to New Haven, CT has a stop in every city, and even 2 in Greenwich. To skip over Smyrna and Vinings doesn't make sense. Furthermore, there can always be express trains, just like Metro North has in my previous example.

It probably makese sense to get rid of the "small" stations in my list then, and just go with the big stations:
* S. Cobb and Atlanta Road intersection near Marietta Center
* Windy Hill/Atlanta Road (Belmont Hills)
* Cumberland Mall
* Atlanta Rd near Oakdale (future spurs possible here along other lines that cross)
* Marietta Blvd/West Marietta Street (Spur to Atlantic Station)
* Five Points

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by netdragon

It probably makes sense to get rid of the "small" stations in my list then, and just go with the big stations:
* S. Cobb and Atlanta Road intersection near Marietta Center
* Windy Hill/Atlanta Road (Belmont Hills)
* Cumberland Mall
* Atlanta Rd near Oakdale (future spurs possible here along other lines that cross)
* Marietta Blvd/West Marietta Street (Spur to Atlantic Station)
* Five Points

How awesome would this be for Cobb? Better yet if they could extend it further into the county...

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by wxjay

That is WAY too many stops for a commuter rail. You would only need half of those stops (say, Marietta, Cumberland Mall, Marietta St., and then Five Points). Having too many "local' or "small" stations are useless for a commuter rail. It's not a light rail line.

Yes, commuter rail has fewer stops. That's why the corridor should be used for commuter rail and light rail.

The light rail would follow the rail route until Vinings/Cumberland and then go roughly along I-75.

The commuter rail would continue along the rail corridor.

Please see map...

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