MARTA expansion on life support?

Last week, this AJC report appeared to dash all hopes of MARTA expansion progress due to resistance from "six GOP senators whose districts touch the north Fulton region" who did not support SB313:

"SB313, the bill that would authorize MARTA to pursue a massive $8 billion expansion up through north Fulton County and east to Emory University, failed to make the Senate Rules Committee calendar and won’t receive a Crossover Day vote on Monday." ... read the rest here.

Support for MARTA expansion has been growing, in sharp contrast to the summer of 2012, when a T-SPLOST was defeated in all ten counties that voted on it.

But... is there hope? The AJC  reports today that some legislators won't stop believing and are discussing  a separate, local legislation bill not subject to cross-over day that would include the "city of Atlanta and perhaps DeKalb County to vote  on whether to pay an additional half-percent sales tax increase."

The push is justified: recently, Curbed Atlanta reported that per surveys of likely voters conducted last October by the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Fulton and DeKalb County residents are now firmly in favor of expanding MARTA.

The Metro Atlanta Chamber survey indicates that public opinion about the GA DOT and MARTA is much improved. Also from the survey:

from http://atlanta.curbed.com/archives/2016/02/12/marta-expansions-
unprecidented-support-in-11-charts-1.php

The Clifton Corridor MARTA expansion appeared to be highly supported by survey respondents.

from http://atlanta.curbed.com/archives/2016/02/12/marta-
expansions-unprecidented-support-in-11-charts-1.php

Click to enlarage. Note that the Clifton Corridor is a large employment center and also
the only one not served by MARTA. From http://macpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/
2016/02/HNTB-Transit-Report-Printable-version.pdf

Why should MARTA expand its reach? In its "Economic Benefits of Investing in Traffic" report (October 2015), the Metro Chamber of Commerce suggests that every $1 invested in transit yields $4 in gains to the community, as measured in increased personal and disposable income, reduced travel times, growth in jobs and GRP (gross regional product).

The report benchmarks Atlanta metro investment in MARTA and concludes that we rank last among peer cities when railways are considered.

Millennials and seniors are identified as key populations that demand public transport in the Atlanta metro area:

• millenials are a growing percentage of the workforce and as a group, favor having multiple options for transport. Companies consider workforce availability when choosing work sites.

• seniors are often dependent on transit and Atlanta's senior population is on the rise. 

MARTA has proposed three expansion projects for high employment areas currently underserved by transport. By year 2040, these projects would allow access to transit to over half a million Atlanta Metro workers:

Clifton Corridor: 197,000 jobs
1-20 East: 190,000 jobs
GA 400: 203,000 jobs

SB313's failure to advance was a surprise, given strong endorsements:

ARC's Atlanta Region Plan Vision

• the AJC supported investment in transportation infrastructure and urged the legislature to invest in transit (MARTA in particular). 

• the Atlanta Regional Commission's just-released long-range blueprint for success (with year 2040 as the target) also highlighted the importance of MARTA expansion projects (see that plan here).

• In an op ed, Emory University also chimed in to unlock the gridlock.

Light rail would be a boon to our community. MARTA representatives attended our community meeting last February 15 and that report is available here. 

MARTA / Clifton Corridor presentation to the Medlock neighborhood

MARTA representatives attended the MANA community meeting on February 15, 2016  to discuss the proposed Clifton Corridor expansion that would bring light rail connectivity to our area.  The Clifton Corridor encompasses some of the largest employers in the area: Emory University, Emory Hospital, the Centers for Disease Control, Children’s Healthcare, and Veteran’s Administration Hospital. The overall plan attempts to address current congestion while projecting for the area's needs as far as yr 2040. The Clifton Corridor rail would connect Lindberg and Avondale stations, with multiple in-between stops.

In contrast to heavy rail (like MARTA trains that are powered by ground-level electrified third rail), light rail would be powered by overhead lines. Typically, light rail travels less quickly than heavy rail but offers stops that are more closely spaced. Compared to buses, light rail travels faster (due to right of way) and has higher capacity.

Public meetings and discussions have been ongoing for years (see our Clifton Corridor posts and MARTA's Clifton Corridor page) and through public input meetings, MARTA  is coming closer to defining the locally preferred alternative (LPA) plan.

Current LPA (click to enlarge)

The presentation below includes maps of alternatives being considered, with highlights for our Medlock neighborhood. All options include stops at Emory University / CDC, Suburban Plaza and DeKalb Medical. The current LPA includes Clairmont Rd. service to the VA Hospital. Other alternatives bypass Clairmont and provide service along North Decatur Rd. only, or along North Decatur Rd. and Haywood Drive.

The Haywood Drive option would potentially reduce Clifton Road traffic by 50%. North Decatur Road would have to be widened to allow for a dedicated lane.

MARTA has additional information on federal funding for these types of projects. In a best-case scenario (the proposed T-SPLOST garners support at the November election and additional federal funds for the project are secured), the project could be completed as early as 2025.

The last page of the presentation includes contact information, as MARTA continues to receive input about this plan.



These images provide some ideas of what light rail vehicles and stations may look like (images shared by MARTA).

MARTA Seeks Input from Businesses On Clifton Corridor

For other news on the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative, see http://www.itsmarta.com/Clifton-Corr.aspx

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT:	Alisa T. Jackson
Oct. 13, 2015		404.804.1717

MARTA Seeking Input from Businesses On Clifton Corridor  

Starting this week, MARTA representatives will go door-to-door visiting businesses along the Clifton Corridor to provide updates about one of the region’s most congested areas and one of the largest job centers in the metro area. Upon completion, the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative will provide a direct transit link between the Lindbergh Center Station in the City of Atlanta and the Avondale Station in DeKalb County. MARTA’s expansion into the corridor would serve such major job centers as Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Date	*Location	Time
Tuesday, Oct. 13	Cheshire Bridge Road/ N. Decatur Road/Clairmont Road	9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 14	Scott Boulevard/Church Street & DeKalb Industrial Way	9 a.m.-6 p.m
Thursday, Oct. 15	Zonolite/Emory Point/DeKalb Industrial	9 a.m.-6 p.m
Monday, Oct. 19	DeKalb Industrial Way/N. Decatur Road	9 a.m.-6 p.m

*Businesses along these thoroughfares will be visited.

Throughout the planning process, MARTA’s Clifton Corridor Planning Team will continue to inform and educate various corridor stakeholders by hosting or participating in public forums and community events.

For information on the project and schedule of activities, visit www.itsmarta.com/Clifton-Corr.aspx.  Or, if you need more detail on a specific topic or to request the MARTA Clifton Corridor information tent at your next community event, please contact MARTA by email at Clifton@itsmarta.com.

Stay connected: Facebook Clifton-Corridor-Transit-Initiative or Twitter-@CliftonCorridor 

MARTA survey

Commissioner Rader alerts us to a MARTA study that is "investigating ways to improve access to bus, rail and Mobility (paratransit) services." This comprehensive analysis will request feedback from  both employees and the general public.

Visit the Comprehensive Operations Analysis site at http://www.itsmarta.com/marta-coa.aspx for additional information. It includes a link to a brief survey.

To learn about MARTA's proposed expansion in the Clifton Corridor area, go to http://www.itsmarta.com/Clifton-Corr.aspx. Note the menu items on the right margin (fact sheets, maps, etc.). The project suffered a big setback in 2012 when a 1% transportation-focused tax (T-SPLOST) did not muster sufficient support.

Food for thought. As we ponder improvements to public transportation, a recent item in The Economist might provide some food for thought. "Rolling blunder" tackles the recent emphasis on streetcars and the federal subsidies that buoy them. Although popular and fiscally viable in some cases, the article warns that many streetcar and light rail projects are not cost-effective and fail to serve all constituents equally. Buses, they say, are often a "nimbler" solution that is more cost-effective to implement, adjust and maintain (buses, of course, get stuck in traffic unless they have dedicated lanes). Atlanta's own streetcars are currently in test mode; see a recent AJC update here. For highlights on what makes the world's best public transportation systems so good, see http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20130416-living-in-great-cities-for-public-transport/1

Reminder: Regional Transportation Tax Focus of Town Hall at Emory [Apr 25]

Regional Transportation Tax Focus of Town Hall at Emory April 25

WHAT:   “Decision Time: The Clifton Corridor & Atlanta’s Transportation Future,” an Emory Town Hall with local government and transportation leaders to discuss the July 31 regional sales tax referendum that would support development of light rail service along the Clifton Corridor and transportation improvements throughout metro Atlanta.

WHO:  The panel discussion and audience Q&A will be moderated by local broadcast news reporter Sally Sears. Panelists include:

· Burrell Ellis, DeKalb County CEO

· Bill Floyd, Mayor, City of Decatur

· Beverly Scott, CEO & GM, MARTA

· Mike Alexander, chief of the Atlanta Regional Commission, Division of Research

WHEN:  Wednesday, April 25, 6:30-8 p.m.

WHERE:  Glenn Memorial, 1660 North Decatur Road NE, Atlanta

PARKING: Fishburne Parking Deck, http://tinyurl.com/FishburnParking. Additional parking also is available in the Lowergate South Parking Deck and the Oxford Road Parking Deck. http://tinyurl.com/EmoryTownHallParking

Emory University’s Office of Sustainability Initiatives, Bike Emory, and the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs, will host a special transportation town hall open to the community on April 25.

The Town Hall will feature discussion on the regional transportation 1 percent sales tax that the metro-Atlanta region will have the opportunity to vote on July 31. Panelists will address the impact of this referendum on the Clifton Corridor and Atlanta, as well as answer questions. Voter registration and absentee ballot requests will be available at the event.

The 1 percent sales tax is expected to generate $7.22 billion in the 10-county metro Atlanta region over a 10-year period and will be dedicated to specific transportation projects and improvements approved last October by elected officials representing the metro region. From this revenue, the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative is slated to receive $700 million to fund construction of the rail line and an additional $25 million for a new bridge and associated road improvements at Clifton and Haygood roads.

For more information: http://bit.ly/IY9EMt

Additional press on MARTA expansion plans

Rather than passively waiting for the T-SPLOST vote next July, MARTA board members have chosen proactive optimism:

The board green-lighted a plan to seek $1.6 billion in federal funds to build the Clifton Corridor light rail from the Lindbergh Center station in north Atlanta to the Avondale station east of Decatur and also create an all-day express bus service from south DeKalb to job centers in the metro area. 

In a surprise move, the board also approved seeking federal money for a heavy-rail extension from the Indian Creek station to the Mall at Stonecrest, a move largely seen as an attempt to mollify angry south DeKalb residents. Those residents and their politicians have threatened to try to derail the regional transportation sales tax referendum because its project list doesn't include rail for them. continue reading @ AJC

The Atlanta Business Chronicle also reports on the Board's decision, adding that although T-SPLOST penny tax is only a "downpayment" on this massive project, voter support improves the odds of receiving federal funds in the future.

The penny tax would raise $6.14 billion over 10 years for highway and transit projects of regional significance, including $700 million for the Clifton Corridor rail line and $225 million for transit improvements along the I-20 corridor. . .

The Clifton Corridor light-rail line would extend 8.8 miles from MARTA’s Lindbergh Center station to the Avondale station. Part of the proposed alignment would run in the median of Clifton Road near Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The I-20 project would connect MARTA’s Indian Creek station with the Mall at Stonecrest via heavy rail. Bus rapid transit service, a step up from regular buses, would operate between downtown Atlanta and a new MARTA station on Wesley Chapel Road. continue reading @ Atlanta Business Chronicle

MARTA releases concepts of Clifton Corridor plan

See http://www.itsmarta.com/clifton-corr-maps.aspx for concepts of how light rail might connect Lindbergh station to Avondale station.

In particular, see Section 8: Scott Boulevard to Church Street, which shows a subterranean rail station at Suburban Plaza.

Here is a  close-up of a possible Suburban Plaza layout (note this is zooming in on the North Decatur Rd / Church St. corner).

A bird's eye view of the whole Clifton Corridor plan is available here.

The AJC again reported on this topic yesterday and offers a great summary; here's a taste but go read the whole thing:

...MARTA officials stress this is only a plan to run light rail from the Lindbergh Center station south east to the Avondale rail station. It still has years of environmental and engineering studies -- and possible cost changes -- before construction could start, if funding is located. 

Second, the project would get a $700 million jump-start if voters approve the regional one-percent sales tax for transportation on July 31, which would fund the first phase of the line, from the Lindbergh station to the job center around Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in DeKalb County. That is how much is earmarked for Clifton Corridor light rail -- and it will give the agency more clout to seek federal grants.

No sales tax passage means MARTA would have to come up with hundreds of millions of dollars to be competitive for federal grants. The Federal Transit Administration often requires the local transit authority to pay 50 percent of the larger rail projects, according to the grants listed on the FTA website. 

Depending on your point of view, the project promises to be a boon to the corridor or a boondoggle. . . .  continue reading @ AJC

Clifton Corridor / MARTA documents

MARTA has updated its Clifton Corridor website with lots of fun documents and maps. The Existing and Future Trends Report is particularly chock-full of information about what is and what could be.

Note that MANA falls within the "Clifton Corridor" as show in this screen capture from the above report:

Clifton Corridor boundary (dashed black line) per the Alternatives Analysis report

More details on MARTA @ Suburban Plaza, Emory, CDC

more info...

Link to proposed plan (and map): CCA_LPA_FACTSHEET_3_20_2012.pdf

MARTA Planning staff have completed the review of community feedback and technical analysis and have finalized a recommended locally preferred alternative (LPA) for the Clifton Corridor.  The LPA is the alternative that, based on technical analysis and stakeholder input, would most effectively address the needs of the corridor and goals and objectives of the project.The LRT 1 Alternative has been identified as the recommended LPA (see attachment), which includes 8.8 miles of new light rail service from Lindbergh Center Station in north-central Atlanta to Avondale Station in west-central DeKalb County.  The alternative includes 10 light rail station platforms and would provide direct service to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Emory University and Hospital, and the DeKalb Medical Center.  Further, the alternative would provide an alternative means for high-capacity evacuation from the CDC in the event of an emergency situation.

MARTA Planning staff will present the LPA recommendation to the MARTA Planning and External Relations Committee on March 26^th at 10:00 a.m. and to the MARTA Board on April 9^that 1:30 p.m.  We hope that your schedule will allow you to attend.   There will be a public comment period prior to both meetings.  Both meetings will be held at:

MARTA Headquarters
6^th Floor Board Room
2424 Piedmont Road
Atlanta, GA 30324
(Adjacent to the Lindbergh Center MARTA Rail Station on the Red and Gold Lines)

Upon MARTA Board approval, we will present the LPA to the Atlanta Regional Commission for adoption and incorporation into the long-range transportation plan.  Afterwards, the LPA will be advanced through the next step in the federal project development process which is the completion of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the MARTA Project Manager, Jason Morgan at 404-848-4494 or by email at jmorgan@itsmarta.com.

Leah Vaughan
Sycamore Consulting, Inc.
195 Arizona Avenue
Unit LW4
Atlanta, Georgia 30307
404-377-9147 Phone
404-377-9091 Fax
Leahvaughan@sycamoreconsulting.net

MARTA @ Suburban Plaza?

Per MARTA's website, this Clifton Corridor plan is "pending approval" from the MARTA Board of Directors:

• "8.8 miles of light rail double track (includes tunnels and elevated sections)
• 10 light rail station platforms
  • Lindbergh Center (Transfer to Red or Gold Lines)
  • Cheshire Bridge
  • Sage Hill
  • CDC/Emory Point
  • Emory-Rollins
  • Emory-Clairmont
  • North Decatur
  • Suburban Plaza
  • DeKalb Medical Center
  • Avondale Station (transfer to Blue Line)
• 3 additional optional stations for consideration
  • Piedmont (Transfer to BeltLine)
  • DeKalb Industrial
  • North Arcadia (old DeVry campus)
• 2 Maintenance and/or storage facilities"

Note that they are seeking public comment at the meetings below: