Atlanta Roundtable Project List Currently Allocating 58% of Funds to Transit
Decatur Metro | August 11, 2011Green Building Chronicle reports that the 5 member Atlanta Transportation Roundtable (which I like to call “Floyd & Co.”) allocated 58% of funding from the potential 1-cent sales tax to transit at this morning’s meeting.
However, the current project list is still $445 million over its $6.1 billion target, so some projects – be it road or rail – will need to be cut. They plan to make those final cuts Monday at 1pm, according to the Chronicle.
Still on the list with a $700 million allocation is the Clifton Corridor line, which would mostly like have the largest potential impact on Decatur area residents, linking the Emory area to Lindbergh MARTA station with either light rail, heavy rail or a bus line. Another new DeKalb project JUST added to the list is a $250 million down-payment to extend the MARTA blue line east past Indian Creek Station out I-20.
Here’s a PDF of the current project list, courtesy of the ARC.
In related news, Green Building Chronicle also reported yesterday from a Clifton Corridor public workshop last night and came back with a bunch of really interesting tidbits about the project, including which questions are still unanswered and which hurdles it still must be overcome. Here’s a great little blurb…
The new line would break away from MARTA’s heavy rail line south of Lindbergh Station at the Armour Yard maintenance facility and follow an existing CSX right-of-way across I-85, Cheshire Bridge Road and Briarcliff Road, then on past the CDC, Emory and the VA Medical Center.
A key remaining decision is which technology to use: Heavy-rail would allow MARTA trains to be routed toward Emory on a spur, without requiring transfers. But heavy rail is more expensive and technically difficult, so it would have to stop at North Decatur and Clairmont roads. Most of a heavy rail line would likely be underground.
Light rail or bus-rapid transit would carry fewer passengers and would require MARTA rail riders to transfer at Lindbergh Station. But those two options would allow for more stops and could continue along Scott Boulevard toward the DeKalb Medical Center before hooking down to the Avondale Station. Most of light-rail or bus-rapid-transit line would likely be at grade.
The thorniest issue that came up at last night’s workshop revolved around the residential area between Cheshire Bridge Avenue and Briarcliff Road. Neighborhood organizations there actually favor the project — so long as it ends up being light-rail line, which would do more to serve the residents, rather than heavy rail, which would simply go under the neighborhoods and have fewer stops.
Also of note to those that have expressed concern that the project isn’t currently fully funded by the tax: the Chronicle notes that it’s not that farfetched to think that Emory and other big area employers might pick up part of the tab to have the line built.
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We will never reach good outcomes as long as basic facts remain elusive. How depressing.
Like what?
Always interested in your perspective.
For example, tossing around percentages is problematic.
Is it remotely accurate to say that more than 50% of the investment would go to transit? 50% of 85%? How do we calculate for the local projects (15% of the tax revenue that will be eligible for 9:1 matching for roads)? How do we account for reallocation of existing revenue (GDOT won’t leave federal funds on the table)? … the apples to oranges O&M?
The factors you cite are part of the reason I’ve drawn my own personal line in the sand: all additional cuts have to be roads or my vote is “no.”
I did not attend the Clifton Corridor meeting, but the details appear at odds with MARTA’s assessment. Projected ridership begs HRT; the ROW would need to be exclusive but not underground. This alignment does not favor street-side boardings; the same goes for the development footprint surrounding likely stations.
It’s normal for such meetings to stray from common sense, but I think we should be careful in how we represent such reports.
3 options for transit. At grade or underground. Construction in 8 years or maybe 10 or maybe never.
Maybe stopping at North Decatur and Clairmont, maybe DeKalb Medical Center, maybe Avondale.
Maybe there will be funding, maybe not.
No wonder people tune out of the discussion.
“Another new DeKalb project JUST added to the list is a $250 million down-payment to extend the MARTA blue line east past Indian Creek Station out I-20.”
Sounds like the demands Mr. Ellis made had some effect…
“the Chronicle notes that it’s not that farfetched to think that Emory and other big area employers might pick up part of the tab to have the line built.”
I suspect there will be a LOT of pressure on Emory to kick in on this, from both government and business leaders.
Emory is tax-exempt, right? If so, yeah, asking them to kick in a little for these capital improvements seems reasonable. They’re sitting on a lot of Coca-Cola money.
Let’s say Emory is really generous and kicks in $100 million towards a public project (though I think there is close to zero chance of that). That brings us to $800 million in funding, still AT LEAST $200 million short of full funding, and perhaps $700 million short. Where will the rest of that money come from?
To start this project without a known, dedicated and full funding source is recklessness, pure and simple.
As awful and Machiavellian as it may sound, I say cut roads in counties where there will be little voter support for this anyway (Fayette and Henry perhaps?)
Yep. Also, they’ve got far fewer votes:
Fayette County population 106,567
Henry County population 203,922
DeKalb County population 691,893
So making DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Fulton happy is the key.
The TIA requires the regional roundtable to approve the project list. The big four have only 9 of 21 votes (Fayette has 2, DeKalb has 2).
So. .. We need the big 4, Atlanta, and Clayton. Correct?
Maybe. I see that as a risky strategy for a regional collaboration. The smaller counties could align with each other. The big four aren’t very cohesive. Clayton would be in a powerful position. Fulton and DeKalb could lose out in a major way.
If you can consider that, you might consider dropping the TIA. Clayton could move forward with its referendum to join MARTA. Clayton joins. MARTA is restructured. Fulton and DeKalb throw in a second penny for a new capital expansion program (10 years possibly), in concert with relaxing the split on the first penny. Perhaps Rockdale joins, in concert with a decent plan for south DeKalb service extension. Gwinnett may be eager to join after this point; Cobb may still be conflicted.
I was thinking of the general election vote on the tax increase, and shaping the project list so that it would be most likely to be approved. You’re right about the roundtable, that it needs more than the big 4 alone, but Brianc’s point is pertinent there.
Yes, but I believe any regional approach should attempt to include, however indirectly, rather than exclude.
I made a related remark Wednesday evening….
http://www.decaturmetro.com/2011/08/09/transportation-sales-tax-south-dekalb-wants-rail-too/#comment-131189
I agree with that as a general principle–everybody pays, so everybody should get some benefits–but since the pool of money is limited, inevitably there will be tradeoffs that make the package more attractive some some people and less to others. And then the electoral considerations brianc mentions kick it.
I’d like to see inclusion too, but the reality in the current political environment, I’m afraid, is that in certain places hordes are going to turn out to vote against this–even if it had 100% roads. Then there is the other group that will vote against it if it has anything for MARTA. They are going to use strategies designed to divide people and to inspire fear, using the same old race and class code words. I have no doubt about that. Sometimes it’s possible to be magnanimous. Sometimes you have to be the bigger #!*hole.
It is interesting that we don’t hear much about the relative affects of the transit vs roads alternatives on our air quality. Based on this snippet from the Baltimore Sun website, maybe we should.
On a list of 252 locations in 40 states, ranked nationally by the number of Code Orange Air Quality days so far this year, the Baltimore Metropolitan area comes in with a dismal rank of 17. Only Atlanta, Ga. and 15 places in California did worse. Code Orange means that air pollution levels are considered dangerous for children and other sensitive groups.
The list, compiled by the Natural Resources Defense Council from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data, has East San Bernardino, Calif., as the worst, with 54 Code Orange days between Jan. 1 and Aug. 8 this year.
Atlanta has tallied 28 Code Orange days so far, placing the city in 12th place. Metro Baltimore posted 24 Code Orange days, earning a rank of 17. Houston-Galveston, Texas, with all their petroleum emissions, did a little better, finishing 18th, with 22 Code Orange days. Metro Washington had 20 Code Orange days, and ranked 24th.