Macon-Bibb County leaders push for passenger rail from Macon to Atlanta (Lovejoy: sales, leasing)

[NewtownMacon478]

Mayor Robert Reichert has long advocated for the return of passenger rail service from Macon to Atlanta.
Moffett said Thursday that the mayor would like midstate legislators to continue that effort. Regular passenger service from Middle Georgia to the state’s capital ended in 1971.

There have been questions from state leaders such as Gov. Nathan Deal, whose final term ends in a few weeks, about the financial viability of restarting the service.


https://www.macon.com/news/local/article222712715.html

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by NewtownMacon478

Mayor Robert Reichert has long advocated for the return of passenger rail service from Macon to Atlanta.
Moffett said Thursday that the mayor would like midstate legislators to continue that effort. Regular passenger service from Middle Georgia to the state’s capital ended in 1971.

There have been questions from state leaders such as Gov. Nathan Deal, whose final term ends in a few weeks, about the financial viability of restarting the service.


https://www.macon.com/news/local/article222712715.html

Financial viability will depend on where you want to cut the 'financial returns' line. If you're looking at purely ticket sales, then I doubt it'll get there. If you look at buying a bunch of land around future station sites, and leasing it to developers to build transit-oriented-developments, then you'll get quite a bit closer. If you do that, and then consider the boosts to the state's tax rolls from all the additional development on non-owned land, new jobs those new people work, and the various sales from goods those people would consume, then you'll be well past break-even.

Passenger rail, like most other public infrastructure, is an investment. Yeah it'd be great if it could turn a direct profit, but there are so many positive externalities that generate secondary and tertiary financial returns that it's not actually a loss if that doesn't happen.

Of course, Macon has TONS of unused land, under-developed lots, and empty buildings within a half-mile of the station. It can make some huge plans surrounding new downtown developments that can directly fund any rail line via lease-agreements. This can, of course, be cut and pasted all along the line, and in each station-town. Each one would be able to claim affordable, transit-connected housing opportunities for commuters heading in both directions, and could likely easily fill new developments for that.

That's not even considering just how much money MARTA, in Atlanta, is already throwing at the line with its planned East-Point to Lovejoy commuter rail line. This'll be a route which any future passenger trains to & from Macon can make use of, and which is being fully paid for out of MARTA's budget; specifically Clayton County's portion of it.

[NewtownMacon]

I really hope to see a viable plan get developed, because if done correctly it would be a huge economic impact for Macon and all of the cities along the line.

[chipspeed]

would be cool to have passenger rail but just to atlanta im not sure would be a big sale how about having Amtrack coming into macon? that would be better.