How do you see the southeast and southwest sections of the beleline? (Reynolds: apartments, schools)

[arjay57]

How long before we the get trail in? What areas will it cover? How long before we get transit? Seems like like a place we really need it.

Will we be building apartments and restaurants along the line what we did with the northeast line?

[magnetar]

We'll have the trail open from Irwin St. to Kirkwood Ave. by next summer. The section from Glenwood to University has federal funding, so planning will take longer but the money's in place when the design and planning is complete. There's no money to get from Kirkwood to Glenwood yet. But the past year has changed a lot and opened up some new options; hopefully the next year will do the same.

By July we'll know whether a transit referendum is happening this November (hopefully) or next year. And we'll know which projects make the cut. Environmental assessments will be done for the east and west lines by the end of the year, so we'll know which routes they're going to take.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by magnetar

We'll have the trail open from Irwin St. to Kirkwood Ave. by next summer. The section from Glenwood to University has federal funding, so planning will take longer but the money's in place when the design and planning is complete. There's no money to get from Kirkwood to Glenwood yet. But the past year has changed a lot and opened up some new options; hopefully the next year will do the same.

By July we'll know whether a transit referendum is happening this November (hopefully) or next year. And we'll know which projects make the cut. Environmental assessments will be done for the east and west lines by the end of the year, so we'll know which routes they're going to take.

There is planning going forward though, no? Engineering work and such is underway for when funding becomes available, which could come through as redevelopments increase the revenue from the TADs.

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

There is planning going forward though, no? Engineering work and such is underway for when funding becomes available, which could come through as redevelopments increase the revenue from the TADs.

Absolutely, the design and planning for Kirkwood to Memorial is already done. It's ready to go as soon as there's money (about $6.5m if I remember correctly, mostly due to the cost of replacing the bridge over Mauldin). Memorial to Glenwood is in the design process now (I posted details in the other Beltline thread after last week's meeting) and should have a finished design by the end of this year, I think.

[atler8]

FYI:
Every day I am able to look down from my Marta train as it passes over the south central segment of The Beltline and happily note the ongoing progress made on the project in that area!

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by magnetar

Absolutely, the design and planning for Kirkwood to Memorial is already done. It's ready to go as soon as there's money (about $6.5m if I remember correctly, mostly due to the cost of replacing the bridge over Mauldin).

Is that for the multi-use trail only or are other things involved?

[cqholt]

The SW section will take longer to see Eastside Trail level development because it is not an already-popular area with great schools, etc. The SE will developer quicker, as we are already seeing in GP and OP.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by magnetar

about $6.5m if I remember correctly, mostly due to the cost of replacing the bridge over Mauldin).

Are they still planning on routing the transit away from the Reynoldstown Beltline? If so, why do they need to replace the bridge? They said some time back that the bridge had to be replaced because it can't support the weight of the railcars. But that's not a concern if they run the transit down Memorial instead of Wylie.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by JPD

Are they still planning on routing the transit away from the Reynoldstown Beltline? If so, why do they need to replace the bridge? They said some time back that the bridge had to be replaced because it can't support the weight of the railcars. But that's not a concern if they run the transit down Memorial instead of Wylie.

Yes the transit plan is to use Memorial Dr, but that doesn't mean that in the name or being quick or cheap that they should ignore a bridge that needs to be replaced.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Yes the transit plan is to use Memorial Dr, but that doesn't mean that in the name or being quick or cheap that they should ignore a bridge that needs to be replaced.

Sure, but they haven't made the case that the bridge needs to be replaced if it's only going to be used by peds and cyclists. The weight of rail was the reason they gave for replacing it.