Thursday, April 7, 2011
Transit High-speed rail funding would build new $39 million Amtrak station near Atlantic Station
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Thu, Apr 7, 2011 at 9:18 AM
- Google Maps
- See that purple blob? At the Northside Drive and 17th Street intersection near Atlantic Station? That's where state officials want to build an Amtrak train station.
According to the application the Georgia Department of Transportation submitted to the feds, the state and Amtrak want to relocate Atlanta's rail passenger service from its current — and dare we say cool — Brookwood facility to a 6.5-acre parcel of land it owns near the intersection of 17th Street and Northside Drive. The state's asking for $23 million in federal cash to fund the design and construction of a "12,000 to 16,000-square-foot station facility, passenger platforms and shelters, parking facility, and layover track." The cash-strapped state's "in-kind" match would be the land, with Amtrak contributing other "in-kind" funds.
According to GDOT's application, the project, which has the support of North Carolina, Alabama and the city, could create 431 jobs. Depending on how the state moves forward with the project, the design process could begin in May and the station could open as early as next July. A transit-oriented development would most likely follow.
But wait! Isn't GDOT planning to build a fancy downtown train terminal? Yes — eventually.
But that process could take almost 10 years. And the cramped Amtrak Brookwood station, which the state says is serving 16 percent more riders than it did in 2009, is slowly crumbling and requires immediate attention. (No word on what would happen to the cool circa. 1918 Brookwood building, which sits on land owned by Norfolk Southern, if the feds award the cash to Georgia.)
GDOT officials say the new station:
>> Be more accessible. Though it overlooks I-75/85, the current Brookwood station is neither very accessible from interstates nor directly served by public transit. The new station would benefit from the recently opened I-75/85 exits. Cobb County has proposed a light-rail line connecting Cumberland Mall and the Arts Center as part of its transportation-tax wishlist. That line could possibly pass through Atlantic Station.
>> Ease freight traffic. Thanks to safety regulations and tight track space, freight trains must stop when Amtrak trains pull into the station. The new station design would allow Amtrak trains to pull off the main line — and shave as much as six hours off freight trains' daily wait times.
>> Be safer and more convenient. Two weeks ago, state officials closed the Brookwood station's miniscule parking lot because of structural issues. What's more, the application says, the platform piers are deteriorating. Fixing these issues could result in temporary loss of Atlanta Amtrak service and major traffic jams. A new station would help Amtrak meet ridership needs into the future and ensure Atlanta remains one of the only stops on a future New York-New Orleans route.
And those are just a few of the examples. We're working on converting GDOT's application to a version we can upload. Check back in a bit to see if we've had any success.
Oh, and for you insider baseball types: The nearly 7-acre parcel eyed for the new station comes with an interesting history. In 2002, the State Road and Tollway Authority under then-Gov. Roy Barnes purchased the property from AIG for more than $10 million. Barnes envisioned the land being a stop along a future commuter-rail network. Only problem: SRTA used Ga. 400 toll funds to seal the deal. Sonny Perdue successfully blasted the transaction on the campaign trail — and helped send Barnes back to Cobb County. Perdue — much to the dismay of transit advocates — placed the property on the market in 2008 but had no luck.
Comments (27)
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Atlantic Station would certainly be a more impressive space to look at when getting off an Amtrak train than the current location. But it's still a pain-in-the-ass distance from the Arts Center MARTA Station when you're carrying a bunch of luggage (big pieces of luggage don't fit well on those otherwise very convenient -- and free -- AS shuttles, by the way).
I think the Amtrak relocation idea is good as long as it's bundled with some very definite plans for transit improvements near Atlantic Station. Providing a more-frequent MARTA bus loop would be cool.
Just when you got over the shock of Republicans talking about commuter rail they suddenly become Amtrack proponents. Watch out for flying pigs!
They would get out and look at the IKEA no? Not sure how an Amtrak station lends itself to Transit Oriented Development.
Does this help, hurt or not impact the Beltline?
Bottom line I'm questioning the need but don't have enough info to make a final judgment.
My initial response is to think this is a positive thing. If you're re-building an AmTrak station within walking distance to Atlantic station that will be a hub for regional high speed rail travel, you'll conceviably have business/social travelers coming into this area from B'Ham, Charlotte, etc. It will be good for the hotels, restaurants, and retail around there. Of course, when developed, the station needs to be as little isolated as possible. High speed trains aren't noisy, so it's entirely possible that you coudl develop apartments with ground floor retail right next to the station, to provide more fluidity and access to Atlantic Station as a whole. If this project is developed as a train station that doesn't have access or connectivity to the surrounding area, people will arrive by train and then hop in rental cars and cabs and go elsewhere, bypassing Atlantic Station entirely...
If it's going to cost less than $23 million to hobble Brookwood Station along, then I suppose this is worth the trouble. If it's not, they should fix Brookwood station well enough to get it through until the big trains station downtown is built.
Also, frankly, anyone who's actually caught the Crescent can tell you: Brookwood Station can be called a lot of things, but cramped isn't one of them. The complete lack of anything other than 1 hour parking is an issue though.
What about the new multi-modal passenger terminal at the Gulch? Isn't that supposed to be Atlanta's new place for all things train related. This is another example of one hand not talking to the other.
No doubt that a new Amtrak Station is needed, but even if it does take another 10 years before the MMPT is built in the Gulch, won't this Amtrak strop be redundant and obsolete? I supposed in the future it could be used for a commuter trains stop.
It takes almost 14 hours to get from Atlanta to Savannah on Amtrak. Until there's rail that connects places in an efficient manner, who cares about Amtrak.
Considering one would have to change trains in Washington DC to get from Atlanta to Savannah, I bet it takes a lot longer than 14 hours.
I always wondered why not relocate the station to Lenox, especially if this is really only a temporary station. Amtrak/NS rail is already right next to the MARTA rail station, providing transfers to multiple bus routes, the North-South rail line, and access to a major business district with hotels and restaurants. Amtrak stations outside of the Northeast Corridor don't exactly need a lot of waiting room (a lot of them nowadays look like portable offices like the kind added to overcrowded elementary schools), and a public agency (MARTA) already owns that property. I'm sure you could construct an Amtrak station facility without a massive disruption of MARTA bus operations. The big cost would likely be in adding passenger platforms down on the tracks, but if nothing else it could continue to serve as a Buckhead mainline station once the downtown MMPT is built.
My family lived pretty near the Brookwood Amtrak station for a few years. It's really a beautiful old building and we used to drop inside and watch the people waiting for trains occasionally on our walks. It's not a bad station, but it's got a connectivity problem with the rest of the city (and a crazy parking problem). That's just not a great spot for travelers to arrive in and depart from.
Whatever happens, I hope that building can be re-used and doesn't get torn down.
Or the state can sell the land and use the proceeds for more pressing matters. A $23 million project isn't exactly going to yield Grand Central, or Union or even 30th Street station.
It seems that anytime GA sees the possibility of Federal grants we jump on it regardless of the use (its like using a a coupon for a product that you really didnt need).
What is interesting was the blurb about shaving time off of freight train operations. If that is the case lets hope there is a quid pro quo and the freight companies further contribute to belt line development etc., since they will be getting the benefit of this project.
@federico, I aggree with you. The Lenox MARTA station connection would make a much better train stop if it's not going to go all the way Downtown.
If you look at the Concept 3 map you see a rail connection with the Lenox station. However this most likely is planned to be a commuter train stop.
http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/5469/be…
Intercity rail works best if the Atlanta station includes MARTA rail. (Note: passengers arriving in Atlanta would, and should, have the same 3 options a passenger arriving at our airport has: MARTA, taxi, and car rental - plus for some destinations an option not available at the airport: walking.)
Therefore, the one place where intercity rapid rail makes sense is the multimodal station Downtown, next to the 5 Points MARTA.
The Atlantic station site might be a good spot for a commuter rail stop, but not for the main intercity high-speed station.
So it's not convienent to MARTA, the Beltline, or the new passenger terminal downtown? Then WFT?!!!!
The current location is far more transit accessible. The #110 bus goes by it every 15 minutes, with a direct connection to Buckhead, Midtown, and Downtown.
Why not ask for this money for the downtown multi-modal station, and build the Amtrak station there, where it will have direct access to MARTA rail? Then build-on the rest of the multi-modal station later?
I've heard lots of good reasons why this project isn't a good idea and not really any why its a good idea other than saving the Freight some time.
Unfortunately, this really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. First of all, the proposed Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal at the Gulch simply doesn't work well in the context of the AMTRAK Crescent. The Crescent passes thru the edge of Atlanta on the north/northwest tangent; from the northeast to the southwest. If you look at a the lay-out of railroad right-of-way in and around Atlanta you will quickly see that the only ready link from that line to the Gulch is the line that runs north-south thru town, under the Georgia World Congress Center. That means one way in, and the same way back out. It takes a tremendous amount of real estate to turn a train around; many times more than whats available... So I ask; once the train has arrived at the main station in the Gulch, how is it going to leave? Backwards?
That wouldn’t be so difficult if this were really for high speed rail, since like MARTA trains, high speed trains are double-ended. The driver would simply have to walk to the other end… But AMTRAK trains, other than Acela, in the Northeast are typical locomotives pulling wagons.
Also, the fact that there would be no connection to the MARTA rail system would make what is now an unacceptable situation even worse. There is hope that someday a proposed light-rail line, running from Kennesaw State, thru Marietta, and finally connecting to Art Center Station would be developed, but that’s just a line on a map right now… Considering that according to traveling statistics, a large number of AMTRAK travelers boarding or debarking in Atlanta are actually trying to get to and from the airport; a connection to the North-South MARTA rail line is vital.
One reader suggested moving the station adjacent to Lenox. That’s makes by far the most sense of anything else discussed here, but I think an even better, more strategic location would be adjacent to the MARTA maintenance facility at Armour Yard, just south of Lindbergh Station... This would be the convergence point of several proposed lines of transit, including the Beltline, light rail service between Lindbergh, Emory, and Decatur; the Atlanta to Athens Commuter rail line; possible commuter rail to Gainesville, and of course the existing MARTA North and Northeast lines. This would also be a great TOD redevelopment opportunity.
The Concept3 Transit Master Plan adopted by the ARC in 2008 shows Armour Station just as I have described, as a second multi-modal station, supporting the main one in the Gulch. This would involve more than the money that they are applying for...but I think we should follow the plan.
I wonder how much surface area will be a parking lot or how big the deck will be? This is not solving our dependence on our individual automobile as a society. Plus, it is cheaper and quicker to fly. They need to invest into highspeed trains
Mason Hicks ,
You make some Excellent points. Its just another great reason why there needs to be an infill station at Armour Yard AND a dense, urban TOD around it. There would also be a Beltline connection there. Unfortunately, the DOT does not seem to be operating with much vision for the last decade or two.
atlanta development is so schizophrenic.
a $23 million dollar temporary facility, not counting the cost of the land, when planning for another facility that will do the same thing but actually connect to marta?
another $700 billion dollar stadium a few blocks away from the existing one?
a $2 billion beltline and $300 million dollar streetcar while neglecting marta?
dammit people, it's like a bunch of children running around with blank checks, everyone has their individual projects while neglecting a sustainable cohesive vision.
imagine if we just had one great public transit system that connected to everything like D.C., the image below is envious and depressing when compared to our piecemeal approach.
http://dcguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010…
Is it possible to get politicians who know just a little about urban development and design?
A good point was made that this has little connectivity to all these major projects (Beltline, The Gulch, etc.) the city has planned. Of course, since the vast mahority of the Beltline is a waste of resources, and the Gulch with be the biggest waste of developmental resources this city has seen in a long time, it would be better to scrap those two, possibly move ahead with this new station, and adress the needs of the city, not the desire to be on the front page of the local paper and appease their development partnerships. For example, a MARTA loop line - that extends off of the Midtown station Westward, runs up Howell Mill (with stops at 10th St & Huff), then cuts down 17th, with 2 stops in Atlantic Station, and circles back to Piedmont with a stop at the top end of the Park - would connect AS to the rest of the city, and provide connectivity to a big swath of Midtown West. Couple this with a MARTA line (preferably, but a streetcar would be the seocnd option) that runs down Ponce From Peachtree to Moreland. Now you have a city that actuall provides public transportation and connectivity options in between in-town nieghborhoods. Next step is to re-zone a lot of the land on/around these lines as high density mixed use, and offer incentives to developers to build a mix of market rate and 80/20 affordable apartments as infill development.
We, the American people, need to start asking the question "What's the worst thing that would happen if we don't spend this money?", and compare the answer, with our U.S. economy falling off a cliff.
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