$1.2 billion downtown terminal on track for 2017 opening (Atlanta, Cleveland: home, taxes)

[tonygeorgia]

Hopefully Amtrak will move there

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by arjay57

You are forgetting the Mega Bus, Mathman.

If you build the terminal it is likely that trains will come there in due course. People are not going to leave a world class terminal sitting there empty.

Greyhound
Megabus
Cobb/Gwinnett Buses
Amtrak

Plus the people that are changing over in Atlanta can walk to our attractions across the street instead of hanging out on the street waiting for their bus

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

Greyhound
Megabus
Cobb/Gwinnett Buses
Amtrak

Plus the people that are changing over in Atlanta can walk to our attractions across the street instead of hanging out on the street waiting for their bus

All that for a $1.2 billion investment for services we already have? I don't anticipate Greyhound, Megabus, Cobb/Gwinnett buses, and Amtrak expanding their services because of a new terminal. There is only one Amtrak route through Atlanta.

[erick295]

I might be missing something obvious here but where did the idea that this is only going to be for buses come from? Surely that's not based solely on the fact that only bus operators came to the bus operators meeting..? Who else would go to a meeting like that? It says "commuter rail, MARTA, light-rail, streetcars and buses" right at the top of the article.

Also, why would we need to move Five Points to connect it? It's a block away. I assume there will be a tunnel connecting the two.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by erick295

I might be missing something obvious here but where did the idea that this is only going to be for buses come from? Surely that's not based solely on the fact that only bus operators came to the bus operators meeting..? Who else would go to a meeting like that? It says "commuter rail, MARTA, light-rail, streetcars and buses" right at the top of the article.

Again, what commuter rail and what light-rail? There will be one streetcar that comes close by it. That leaves MARTA buses and rail, and taxis which are already there. More or less building a larger Five Points station that costs over a billion dollars.

[erick295]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Again, what commuter rail and what light-rail?

From what I understand the GRPP is the reason this thing is being built to begin with and it's part of a much larger initiative. Again, I might be missing something obvious.

Passenger Rail

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

Build $1.2 billion terminal in hopes of drawing transportation options?

Well, if we don't have a terminal that's definitely not going to draw them.

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, if we don't have a terminal that's definitely not going to draw them.

You aren't building something that is attracting service though. Light rail and streetcar systems in this country are not a privately operated businesses that look for opportunities to expand. It isn't like attracting a manufacturing plant or a corporate headquarters. You would be spending $1.2 billion for a largely pointless building with the hopes that the sunk costs poured into the building encourage taxpayers to want more sink more money into these forms of transportation. That seems like an awful strategy and something that only government would consider a good idea.

Even if it were part of a large commuter rail system with one or two connecting streetcar routes, $1.2 billion is a massive number for a project like this. I could support the idea, but not before there is a concrete plan in place. The build it and they will come strategy is beyond fiscally irresponsible and is non-sensical.

[cqholt]

The majority of the money is coming from the private companies that are building the terminal. They will eventually build offices on and/or on-top of the terminal and make money that way. A small amount is coming from the feds, but the majority is coming from the 3 private developers. This will give Amtrak a new home, Brookwood is falling apart and holds-up freight trains, and a future home for commuter rail when GDOT gets off their butts.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

You aren't building something that is attracting service though. Light rail and streetcar systems in this country are not a privately operated businesses that look for opportunities to expand. It isn't like attracting a manufacturing plant or a corporate headquarters. You would be spending $1.2 billion for a largely pointless building with the hopes that the sunk costs poured into the building encourage taxpayers to want more sink more money into these forms of transportation. That seems like an awful strategy and something that only government would consider a good idea.

Even if it were part of a large commuter rail system with one or two connecting streetcar routes, $1.2 billion is a massive number for a project like this. I could support the idea, but not before there is a concrete plan in place. The build it and they will come strategy is beyond fiscally irresponsible and is non-sensical.

You make some great points, but CQ says private investors are putting up the money. As long as the taxpayers are not on the hook I don't see a problem with it.