MARTA pondering maglev trains for Braves fans
September 16, 2009 at 3:47 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsAtlanta Unsheltered’s Jeanne Bonner says there’s preliminary talk of using magnetic levitation trains to ferry Atlanta Braves fans from Five Points to Turner Field.
The issue came up yesterday at a meeting of MARTOC, a joint committee of the Georgia House and Senate that oversees MARTA’s budget.
I’m waiting for more details from the MARTA folks. There’s talk of lots of things, but where are we on this? I think the very preliminary stages.
What’s cool is if the project were to get off the ground, it could involve a Powder Springs company called American Maglev Technology. The company has a test track near its headquarters where it tests out a lighter vehicle version of the maglev technology.
Atlanta Unfiltered’s Jim Walls has more:
MARTA general manager Beverly Scott [offered information about the concept on] Monday in response to a question from state Rep. Harry Geisinger of the Legislature’s MARTA Oversight Committee.
Scott said she was “very impressed” after taking a ride for a block or two on American Maglev Technology’s test track in Powder Springs.
Walls reports that MARTA is “drilling the numbers” on the concept. Geisinger’s also tickled at the idea running a similar train in North Fulton. (Now, to that we say “Monorail!!!!!!“)
Bonner stresses that transit officials are simply looking into the project’s financial feasibility, which could be an obstacle. MARTA say the agency could face continued revenue shortfalls for the next several years thanks to the difficult economy and state-imposed funding restrictions.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Huh. I’ve never heard maglev proposed for such a short distance. Surely if they are actually considering this – and I sort of doubt it – they’re planning a longer line. A line running from five points to Turner Field seems like a waste. It wouldn’t be much of an improvement over the shuttles.
Furthermore, there seem like a lot more people out there hawking crazy new modes of transportation than should be taken seriously. The Simpsons astutely picked up on this idea. Let’s build more transit, please, but let’s stick with modes we know work. Leave the monorails and short-distance maglevs and PRT systems to Dubai and China.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I always thought that MARTA rail doesn’t serve Turner Field/Fulton County Stadium because the Fulton County Recreation Authority and the Braves didn’t want people taking mass transit because it would eat into their parking revenues. Today, people just don’t show up because it’s a hassle.
Well, Braves, you made your bed, now sleep in it.
September 16th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Running a maglev from Turner Field to Five Points is a total waste. Why would be doing this for people who come in from outside the perimeter for the sole purpose of a venue for a sporting event?
Horse-puckey. I need to see some more World Series wins first!
September 16th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
I gotta say, this would be a total waste. Such a short distance, seasonal usage, and the price tag!?! PLEASE….
Lets get some commuter rail going in ATL, that along with the beltline will help transform commuting in atlanta. Be more realistic MARTA!
September 16th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Hmm, I can really see working stiffs commuting from that disused quarry to the Old 4th Ward in huge numbers on a daily basis. (The GA Tech experts were equally incredulous, so don’t take my word for it.) The Beltline as transit is even more insane than maglev for Braves fans.
September 17th, 2009 at 10:43 am
I agree, it’s a waste. The little money marta has needs to be spent on more useful transportation projects. Peachtree streetcar anyone? It would be useful to those of us who actually live in the city and want to get around easier on a dialy basis (not just for sporting events) To be fair, though, maglev trains are awesome. I took the maglev in shanghai, china that connects pudong airport to the city metro system. It went up to about 260mi/h. It just has no business here in this particular situation.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Whatever happened to the C-Loop proposal as a complement to the Beltline? This could run from the Zoo/Grant Park, straight west down Georgia Avenue to Turner Field, north up to Five Points, and then northeast eventually up to Emory (a vastly under-served area in terms of mass transit availability).
September 17th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Forty or so years ago, Alderman and later Mayor Sam Massell suggested buying the monorail from the New York World’s Fair and using it to connect Underground with the stadium. It got voted down.
September 18th, 2009 at 9:02 am
How about a gondola instead? Better yet, a zeppelin platform on top of the BOA building?