Macon mayor pushing Atlanta-Macon commuter rail line (Columbus, Savannah: loan, quality of life)

[Airforceguy]

I'm really excited by all of the progress Macon-Bibb has been making since Mayor Reichert has been in office. I know a proposal like this is years away from beginning, if at all, but its nice to see Macon pushing aggressively for this.

It’s been decades since there was passenger rail service between the two, but he thinks a string of cities working together could build enough power and money to drive a locomotive that the region needs.

But he will have to curve around a mountain of freight as well as find serious funds where there are none now.

Reichert said population and traffic growth in the entire region will make “alternate transportation arrangements” necessary.

“You think you’ve seen congestion? You haven’t,” he said.

If Georgia bypasses big infrastructure work such as passenger rail, “we’re going to ruin the quality of life that we find so wonderful down here,” Reichert said. “It is essential that we start now.”

Reichert started his latest push for passenger rail last month with a summit in Atlanta that included regional mayors and representatives from state and federal government agencies.

There they discussed some legal avenues that would allow cities to set special taxes to pay for rail development and operations. They also discussed a low-cost federal loan program for rail projects.

Reichert said what makes his plan new is that it binds governments on the local level. Then together they can raise the cash to attract necessary state and private partners.

Or, as Reichert put it, make local governments the “third leg of the stool.”

Two rail lines already connect Macon and Atlanta. The major one is farther east and goes through McDonough. The other runs through Jonesboro, Griffin and Forsyth. Norfolk Southern owns both lines and uses them to carry giant steel boxes and hoppers full of cargo from all over the world.

Reichert and other passenger rail fans are eyeing the Jonesboro line and would like to share it with freight trains.

Read more here: Macon mayor launches new rail push | The Telegraph

Macon mayor launches new rail push | The Telegraph

[NewtownMacon478]

I hope everyone jumps on board, This would be a huge boost for the Macon/Middle Ga area.

[mkmoore]

If this came to fruition (which I hope it does), I hope they connect to Heartsfield-Jackson in some way. I would choose this over driving to the airport or downtown ANY day. What would be even cooler is if Macon could somehow use the old passenger terminal, but I won't get my hopes up about that one.

[deuk1219]

A passenger rail service from Chattanooga all the way through Savannah is what makes sense for the whole region. Unfortunately, I'm just dreaming.

[demonta4]

Originally Posted by mkmoore

If this came to fruition (which I hope it does), I hope they connect to Heartsfield-Jackson in some way. I would choose this over driving to the airport or downtown ANY day. What would be even cooler is if Macon could somehow use the old passenger terminal, but I won't get my hopes up about that one.

I doubt it will directly connect to the airport because MARTA is planning rail on the same right of way.

[CuriouserGeorge]

It's my feeling that passenger trains of one flavor or another are in the future, and they will eventually come, whether as high-speed rail or as slower intra-city trains. By my guesstimate, this will take at least 15 years to get rolling, but in 20 or 25 years all the major Georgia cities will be inter-connected or working on it. It only makes sense in my mind to do so, and I can envision passenger trains traveling from Rome in the north to Savannah and Valdosta to the south, and Columbus to Macon to Augusta across the center of the state. Macon will become a hub and benefit greatly as a result. I believe it is the only major Georgia city to still have its old train station, and this will be an attraction as well.

As an aside, during the 50's I rode the famed Nancy Hanks a few times from Atlanta to Macon, and recall vividly, once, how shocked I was at the cost of a hamburger aboard the train. It was $1! At a time when McDonalds was opening in Macon and selling burgers for maybe a nickel or dime, the cost of a train burger was out of reach for a family of limited means such as mine. On another occasion, I was returning some books to the library in Warner Robins and lied to the librarian about wanting to recheck one novel because I wasn't finished reading it. In actuality, I simply couldn't find it, and was hoping the extra time would allow me to do so. Imagine my great surprise when the librarian said she already had it! Turned out that I had left it on the train, but someone had found it and made sure it was returned to the library in Warner Robins. I've never forgotten that wonderful act of kindness and generosity.

[Airforceguy]

Gov Deal is being cautious with this proposal....

“As with most major expenditures, and of course passenger rail would constitute a major expenditure to make it workable, the question is sustainability. Most passenger rail systems do not in and of themselves produce enough revenue to sustain themselves,” Deal said. “So, therefore, you have to tap into revenue of the state or federal government as the case may be, or even local jurisdictions.”

Simply put, passenger rail usually needs a subsidy.

But before Deal can say if it’s worth any money from Georgia’s coffers, he listed some questions that he said lack answers right now.

First, would enough people use any passenger rail to make it come close to being sustainable?

Then, how big would the gap be, and would filling that gap be acceptable to the public?

The cost questions, if not the political ones, could be answered by the Georgia Department of Transportation. The department is working on an update of state rail policy that may include millions of dollars in studies of potential passenger rail connections in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Macon or Columbus.

Read more here: Gov. Deal cautious at passenger rail pitch | The Telegraph

Gov. Deal cautious at passenger rail pitch | The Telegraph

[SavannahLife]

The studies alone will cost millions?