All Transit is Not Created Equal
Eleventeen reasons why LIGHT rail is the only choice for the ATLANTA Beltline.
Last week the ‘Atlanta BeltLine Light Rail’ was specifically named by Transportation Secretary Buttigieg as a project he’d like to see funded with federal dollars. But here at home, there is hand-wringing and doubt at MARTA as to whether light rail will work. They ordered more studies. Why are we still talking about this 20 years after the BeltLine vision captured the hearts and minds of our city?
Since 2005, at least three separate expert reviews came to the same official conclusion: the best transit mode for the BeltLine is light rail. But questions persist, so let’s review why light rail is the way to go.
Electric-powered trains, following tracks embedded in grass, deliver a better rider experience while safely, quickly and compactly carrying three times the number of passengers as buses. They will closely resemble the streetcar running through downtown, and can easily be accessed regardless of one’s physical ability or age. Light rail has the capacity to handle surges in ridership associated with special events and peak demand at commuter hours.
Rail will use existing bridges and tunnels designed for trains, rather than having to widen or replace them at extra cost. Although upfront costs for light rail are higher, once operation and maintenance is factored in, it’s actually a more cost-effective solution. Just like investing in energy efficient items for your home, light rail in the BeltLine setting pays off in the long run. It also takes up less space than the alternatives. Bi-directional rail takes the least width, leaving more room for people, trees, art, and public and green spaces.
The BeltLine is designed for higher density residential and commercial development, which requires higher-volume transit. Real progress with affordable housing, in quantity and quality, is only possible with increased density. And with direct connections to MARTA at new infill stations (link pages 18 & 71), we can begin to address transit equity in a meaningful way in Atlanta and repair the damage of prior decades that divided and separated Atlantans along racial lines.
Buses or autonomous vehicles simply don’t have the capacity to satisfy the BeltLine’s current or future needs. The environmental benefits would fall short as well, most notably in surface air quality for people using the trail. The only way to significantly reduce cars, traffic, and parking towers is with high-capacity light rail transit. And, frankly, it would fundamentally change the nature of the BeltLine. Grass, plants and trees that make it a greenway would be paved over to accommodate vehicles with tires.
We already knew, but it’s worth repeating: light rail along the BeltLine offers a greener and future-forward solution that is the better long-term value.