Not counting chickens, but hopeful nonetheless…
Deal opens door to revive Lovejoy commuter rail
By Paul Donsky
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/15/06
After months of uncertainty, the commuter rail line between downtown Atlanta and suburban Clayton County is back on track and could be ready to pick up its first passengers in two years.
An agreement has been worked out between Norfolk Southern and the state Department of Transportation to run passenger cars on the rail company's tracks. The DOT board is scheduled to be briefed today on the details.
About $106 million, mostly in federal funds, has been earmarked to build the 26-mile line, which would terminate in the south Clayton community of Lovejoy. It's set to become the first commuter rail line in Georgia and offer traffic-weary southsiders an alternative to congested freeways.
The project has had a rocky history and appeared in jeopardy several times despite having funding in hand and support of a majority of DOT board members.
Last year, Norfolk Southern said they could not strike a deal without an additional $8 million in track upgrades, which would have pushed the project over budget. And in March, state lawmakers quietly passed a bill that required legislative approval for spending on commuter rail —- a potential death blow considering the Legislature's wariness of funding big-budget transit projects.
But the recent closing of the Ford assembly plant in Hapeville eased the rail company's upgrade demands. And the legislator responsible for the commuter rail measure has said he meant the law to affect future projects, not the Lovejoy line.
"The money is in place, and we've already approved it," said DOT board Chairman Mike Evans, who personally opposes the project. "The General Assembly has said the little amendment does not affect the Lovejoy line, so we are, shall I say, full steam ahead."
Evans said one potential roadblock remains. The agreement calls for the DOT to give Norfolk Southern $54 million for track upgrades, and the rail company wants to make sure they won't have to pay taxes on the exchange —- a possible $16 million hit. The company is waiting to sign the deal until it receives clarification from the Internal Revenue Service, Evans said.
State DOT officials say they don't believe the problem is serious and are confident the deal will be reached. Norfolk Southern officials could not be reached for comment.
Bitter debate
The Lovejoy line, in the works since the late 1990s, has become a bitterly debated topic as state and regional leaders wrestle over how best to address metro Atlanta's traffic problems.
Mass transit advocates have seized on the project as a chance to prove that Atlantans will ditch their cars if given a viable commuting alternative.
Opponents say limited transportation dollars would be better spent on improving area roads, that commuter rail is too expensive and will do little to ease congestion.
State officials estimate the Lovejoy line will serve 1,500 round trips a day, a tiny figure given the project's price tag, said Evans, a real estate developer from Cumming who has been a vocal critic of the project.
"I have serious questions about the economic viability of this whole thing," he said.
DOT board member David Doss said people simply prefer the freedom of driving to taking transit.
"There is just not any credible research I can find that shows that commuter rail provides any meaningful benefit, is cost-effective or, more importantly, does anything to reduce traffic congestion," he said.
But supporters say commuter rail must be part of any regional effort to improve mobility. Building and widening roads alone will not do the job, they argue.
"People are looking for an alternative to sitting in traffic," said Steve Vogel, president of the Georgia Association of Railroad Passengers, an advocacy group based in Decatur. "They're looking for a comfortable way to get to work."
With gas prices well above $2 per gallon, rail makes economic sense as well, he added.
Route could lengthen
Commuter rail has only recently begun to take hold in many cities in the car-loving South. Nashville, for instance, began commuter rail service to its eastern suburbs two months ago.
The Lovejoy line is seen as the first leg of a route to Macon. The federal government is covering 80 percent of the cost, while the state has agreed to provide the remaining 20 percent.
The state is also studying a commuter rail line between Atlanta and Athens, but no funding has been identified.
To get the Lovejoy line up and running, state railroad officials must purchase rail cars, upgrade miles of rail and build park-and-ride stations in East Point, Forest Park, Morrow, Jonesboro and Lovejoy.
The state's agreement with Norfolk Southern clears the way for a rail and bus terminal to be built in the downtown railroad gulch near the Five Points MARTA station. Last year, the city of Atlanta agreed to give the state DOT the dilapidated former Atlanta Constitution building in the gulch, which will be torn down to make way for the passenger terminal.
The $20 million project will be funded from the Lovejoy line's budget.
One-way fares are projected to range from $3.06 to $6, depending on trip length and whether discounted passes are used.
The project is also seen as a shot in the arm for Clayton County, which has seen middle- and upper-class residents moving away and experienced an increase in violent crime.
Morrow city officials said they believe commuter rail will bring more revenue, increase property values and draw more students to Clayton State University. But some residents are concerned that the Clayton Board of Commissioners has agreed to cover future operating deficits, estimated at about $4 million a year.
"We're opposed to our tax dollars being used to support that system and we don't have a say about it," said Synamon Baldwin, co-founder of the Clayton County Wide Homeowners Association.
Staff writer Eric Stirgus contributed to this article.
Deal opens door to revive Lovejoy commuter rail
By Paul Donsky
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/15/06
After months of uncertainty, the commuter rail line between downtown Atlanta and suburban Clayton County is back on track and could be ready to pick up its first passengers in two years.
An agreement has been worked out between Norfolk Southern and the state Department of Transportation to run passenger cars on the rail company's tracks. The DOT board is scheduled to be briefed today on the details.
About $106 million, mostly in federal funds, has been earmarked to build the 26-mile line, which would terminate in the south Clayton community of Lovejoy. It's set to become the first commuter rail line in Georgia and offer traffic-weary southsiders an alternative to congested freeways.
The project has had a rocky history and appeared in jeopardy several times despite having funding in hand and support of a majority of DOT board members.
Last year, Norfolk Southern said they could not strike a deal without an additional $8 million in track upgrades, which would have pushed the project over budget. And in March, state lawmakers quietly passed a bill that required legislative approval for spending on commuter rail —- a potential death blow considering the Legislature's wariness of funding big-budget transit projects.
But the recent closing of the Ford assembly plant in Hapeville eased the rail company's upgrade demands. And the legislator responsible for the commuter rail measure has said he meant the law to affect future projects, not the Lovejoy line.
"The money is in place, and we've already approved it," said DOT board Chairman Mike Evans, who personally opposes the project. "The General Assembly has said the little amendment does not affect the Lovejoy line, so we are, shall I say, full steam ahead."
Evans said one potential roadblock remains. The agreement calls for the DOT to give Norfolk Southern $54 million for track upgrades, and the rail company wants to make sure they won't have to pay taxes on the exchange —- a possible $16 million hit. The company is waiting to sign the deal until it receives clarification from the Internal Revenue Service, Evans said.
State DOT officials say they don't believe the problem is serious and are confident the deal will be reached. Norfolk Southern officials could not be reached for comment.
Bitter debate
The Lovejoy line, in the works since the late 1990s, has become a bitterly debated topic as state and regional leaders wrestle over how best to address metro Atlanta's traffic problems.
Mass transit advocates have seized on the project as a chance to prove that Atlantans will ditch their cars if given a viable commuting alternative.
Opponents say limited transportation dollars would be better spent on improving area roads, that commuter rail is too expensive and will do little to ease congestion.
State officials estimate the Lovejoy line will serve 1,500 round trips a day, a tiny figure given the project's price tag, said Evans, a real estate developer from Cumming who has been a vocal critic of the project.
"I have serious questions about the economic viability of this whole thing," he said.
DOT board member David Doss said people simply prefer the freedom of driving to taking transit.
"There is just not any credible research I can find that shows that commuter rail provides any meaningful benefit, is cost-effective or, more importantly, does anything to reduce traffic congestion," he said.
But supporters say commuter rail must be part of any regional effort to improve mobility. Building and widening roads alone will not do the job, they argue.
"People are looking for an alternative to sitting in traffic," said Steve Vogel, president of the Georgia Association of Railroad Passengers, an advocacy group based in Decatur. "They're looking for a comfortable way to get to work."
With gas prices well above $2 per gallon, rail makes economic sense as well, he added.
Route could lengthen
Commuter rail has only recently begun to take hold in many cities in the car-loving South. Nashville, for instance, began commuter rail service to its eastern suburbs two months ago.
The Lovejoy line is seen as the first leg of a route to Macon. The federal government is covering 80 percent of the cost, while the state has agreed to provide the remaining 20 percent.
The state is also studying a commuter rail line between Atlanta and Athens, but no funding has been identified.
To get the Lovejoy line up and running, state railroad officials must purchase rail cars, upgrade miles of rail and build park-and-ride stations in East Point, Forest Park, Morrow, Jonesboro and Lovejoy.
The state's agreement with Norfolk Southern clears the way for a rail and bus terminal to be built in the downtown railroad gulch near the Five Points MARTA station. Last year, the city of Atlanta agreed to give the state DOT the dilapidated former Atlanta Constitution building in the gulch, which will be torn down to make way for the passenger terminal.
The $20 million project will be funded from the Lovejoy line's budget.
One-way fares are projected to range from $3.06 to $6, depending on trip length and whether discounted passes are used.
The project is also seen as a shot in the arm for Clayton County, which has seen middle- and upper-class residents moving away and experienced an increase in violent crime.
Morrow city officials said they believe commuter rail will bring more revenue, increase property values and draw more students to Clayton State University. But some residents are concerned that the Clayton Board of Commissioners has agreed to cover future operating deficits, estimated at about $4 million a year.
"We're opposed to our tax dollars being used to support that system and we don't have a say about it," said Synamon Baldwin, co-founder of the Clayton County Wide Homeowners Association.
Staff writer Eric Stirgus contributed to this article.
