Ga.-Tenn. high-speed rail ideas unveiled (Link to maps, public comment included)
September 19, 2007 at 12:15 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsIn a public display that drew more journalists, agency officials and consultants than the general public, the Georgia Department of Transportation unveiled several plans for a high-speed passenger rail line connecting Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tenn., Tuesday at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, the first of three such presentations set to take place in Georgia and our neighbor to the north over the next two days.
It was the first step in a multiyear, $10.1 million study to determine the feasibility, impact, layout and scope of the project, which is estimated to cost $4 billion to $5 billion. If deemed worthy, construction may only begin in 2020.
More transit goodness after the jump!
The routes vary greatly. Among the ideas proposed include whether the Hartsfield-Jackson International-based train — be it steel high-speed rail or maglev, and capable of gunning to speeds of 200 mph on flat and open distances — should: run along the I-75 median in a straight shot to Chattanooga; shoot over to Rome and then bullet north; or head north and then take a more eastern route. Included in these proposed plans are different offshoots. The I-75 route would have several stops along the way, including downtown, the Galleria, Town Center in Kennesaw, Cartersville, Ringgold, Lovell Field (in Tenn.) and downtown Chattanooga. The trains would be passenger-only and carry light cargo, much like Amtrak operates.
Why the high price? Right-of-way purchases are only expected to go up in time, and cost of materials, operating equipment and labor will be high. Karl Schaarschmidt, one of the original MARTA designers and a consultant on the project, predicts one of its costliest segments to be from the airport to the Galleria, owing to the city’s congestion and the difficulty of erecting an aerial structure in an urban area.
Right-of-way purchases would not be much of a concern if the I-75 route is chosen; GDOT already holds the rights. The line out to Rome would involve heavy purchasing — viewing satellite photos of the line one sees the proposed route going right over people’s homes.
The I-75 route, DOT officials estimate, would take 90 minutes from start to finish. The Rome route would clock in shorter at 60 minutes because of fewer stops and long distances enabling high-speed travel.
Because the agency is only five months into the 30-month study, it is too premature to discuss fares and operating plans, such as how many trains would be running at one time.
This is really in the early stages and officials and consultants are hungry for input. To pore over the maps and ideas GDOT proposed Tuesday night, go here. (Note: Many of the PDF files are large. Grab a snack and then come back to feast your eyes.) Public comment is encouraged and can be sent here. Make sure you note the comment is for “transportation/program studies” in the subject and that you include that you’re focused on the high-speed rail line between Atlanta and Chattanooga.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
I’m conflicted – I wish there was money like the proposed amount here being spent primarily on extending transit rail throughout metro ATL, but then I also think the Atlanta-Chattanooga choo choo would be awesome, especially with Chattanooga’s economy continuing to grow. Of course it’s possible that, in the end, money will be spent on neither project.
I guess it would be good for them to go ahead and buy what land they might need right now before the sprawl of coprorate and higher-end residential property makes the purchase frobiddingly expensive or impossible.