Clayton County commuter rail

Last updated

Clayton County commuter rail
Overview
StatusReplaced by bus rapid transit plans
Locale Clayton County, Georgia and southeastern Fulton County, Georgia
Termini
Service
Type Commuter rail
Operator(s) MARTA
History
Planned opening2030 (2030) (to Morrow/Southlake)
Technical
Line length22 mi (35 km)
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Route map

Contents

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NS/CSX Concurrency
to Atlanta
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East Point
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BSicon exBHF.svg
Hapeville
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BSicon exBHF.svg
Mountain View BSicon FLUG.svg
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Forest Park
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Fort Gillem
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Clayton State
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BSicon exBHF.svg
Morrow/Southlake
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Jonesboro
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Lovejoy
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Clayton County commuter rail was a proposed commuter rail line traversing Clayton County, Georgia and connecting with the MARTA rapid transit system at East Point station. After Clayton County joined the MARTA system in 2014, MARTA began studying alternatives for high-capacity transit through the county. After multiple transit modes were evaluated for passenger transit south of Atlanta, commuter rail was selected as the locally preferred alternative in 2018. Stalled negotiations with the Norfolk Southern Railway, who owns the tracks, caused planning to be put on hold. The project was replaced by a BRT system by the Clayton County Board of Commissioners, the City Councils of Jonesboro, Forest Park, Lovejoy, Riverdale and Lake City, and the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce, MARTA Board of Directors Planning and Capital Programs Committee on November 17, 2022 due to a variety of obstacles with right-of-way acquisition, environmental and historical resource concerns, along with a ballooning cost estimate. [1]

History

Planning by GDOT

Potential routes for commuter rail service in metropolitan Atlanta were studied by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) beginning in 1992. [2] Eventually, plans for a system of seven lines radiating out from Five Points, Atlanta were developed and dubbed the Georgia Rail Passenger Program. The program included one line running through Clayton County and terminating in Macon. [3]

By 2004, GDOT's effort had concentrated on two lines terminating in Lovejoy (a shortened Macon line) and Athens. [4] At the time, the planned Lovejoy line was anticipated to open in 2006 and $106 million in federal funding was earmarked for the project. [5] The Clayton County Board of Commissioners was supportive of the line, asking the state government to advance the plan. [6]

In 2008, after years of inaction from the state on the project, then-governor Sonny Perdue announced his support for the Lovejoy line. This was speculated to be partially due to the project being in danger of losing its federal funding because of a lack of progress. [7] Due to further inaction, the federal government withdrew the funds it had previously appropriated for the project in July 2014. [8]

Planning by MARTA

On July 5, 2014, the Clayton County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with MARTA to extend service to the county by a margin of 3-1, financed by a 1% sales tax. Fulton and DeKalb county leaders approved the expansion and on November 4, 2014, Clayton County residents approved the 1% sales tax to join MARTA. The contract reserves half of the collected tax revenue for the development of rail transit in the county, with the other half funding local bus service. [9]

Commuter rail was selected in 2018 as the locally preferred alternative of transit mode along the corridor, [10] which was later approved by the MARTA Board of Directors. [11]

On February 11, 2020, all four MARTA jurisdictions passed the 15th Amendment to the Rapid Transit Contract and Assistance Agreement (RTCAA). [12] The amendment enables MARTA to proceed with expansion projects in Clayton County. Exhibit D, Clayton County System Implantation Plan, details several high-capacity transit projects including commuter rail (CRT) and bus rapid transit (BRT). [13] MARTA committed to continued planning and design on the Clayton County Commuter Rail project, which stretched 22 miles (35 km) from East Point Station to Lovejoy, with the first phase (about 11 miles (18 km)) from East Point to Morrow/Southlake Mall up and running by 2030. [14]

Construction of the initial phase was to begin as early as 2023. [15] Operations were planned between Morrow/Southlake Mall and MARTA's East Point Station by 2030. [14] Planned extensions to Jonesboro and Lovejoy were to be implemented in later phases. [13]

MARTA began to look at alternate plans for a rail link to Clayton County in 2021, due to rising costs and lack of support from Norfolk Southern. [16] [17]

Route

The line was proposed to use Norfolk Southern's Griffin District from East Point station to Lovejoy in southern Clayton County, a distance of 22 miles (35 km). [11] MARTA intended to install extra tracks in the Norfolk Southern right of way, adjacent to the freight line. [10]

One version of the proposal called for stations at Hapeville, Mountain View, Forest Park, Fort Gillem, Clayton State University, Morrow and Jonesboro. A station in Lovejoy was also proposed, which would open as a later phase. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton County, Georgia</span> County in Georgia, United States

Clayton County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2021, the population was estimated to be 297,100 by the Census Bureau. The county seat is Jonesboro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovejoy, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Lovejoy is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,422, up from 2,495 in 2000. During the American Civil War, it was the site of the Battle of Lovejoy's Station during the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. Lovejoy was incorporated as a town on September 16, 1861.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morrow, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Morrow is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Its population was 6,445 at the 2010 census, up from 4,882 in 2000. It is the home of Clayton State University and the Georgia Archives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority</span> Public transit operator in Metro Atlanta, Georgia

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority is the principal public transport operator in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting of 48 miles (77 km) of rail track with 38 Subway stations. MARTA's rapid transit system is the eighth-largest rapid transit system in the United States by ridership.

The Atlanta BeltLine is a 22 miles (35 km) open and planned loop of multi-use trail and light rail transit system on a former railway corridor around the core of Atlanta, Georgia. The Atlanta BeltLine is designed to reconnect neighborhoods and communities historically divided and marginalized by infrastructure, improve transportation, add green space, promote redevelopment, create and preserve affordable housing, and showcase arts and culture. The project is in varying stages of development, with several mainline and spur trails complete and others in an unpaved, but hikeable, state. Since the passage of the More MARTA sales tax in 2016, construction of the light rail streetcar system is overseen by MARTA in close partnership with Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C-TRAN (Georgia)</span>

The Clayton County C-TRAN was a bus transportation system in Clayton County, Georgia, USA, that ran from 2001 to 2010. C-Tran was run by the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) to manage the local bus system, linking bus routes to MARTA, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and major commercial and academic centers in the county. C-Tran's bus fleet was powered by compressed natural gas. Due to budget shortfalls, C-Tran ended service on March 31, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckhead station</span> MARTA rail station

Buckhead is a train station in Atlanta, Georgia, serving the Red Line of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system. This station is the first station only served by the Red Line. It is located in the Buckhead neighborhood in the median of State Route 400, a limited access highway, at Peachtree Road/State Route 141. The station is in easy walking distance of many offices, hotels and shopping centers, including Lenox Square, although the Lenox MARTA station provides easier access to the mall. The buc, a zero-fare bus service, also provides transportation to the surrounding area. The Buckhead Station also features Zipcars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Point station</span> MARTA rail station

East Point is a train station in East Point, Georgia, serving the Red and Gold lines of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system. It has an island platform between two tracks. It was opened on August 16, 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College Park station (MARTA)</span> MARTA rail station in Georgia, US

College Park is a train station in College Park, Georgia, United States, serving the Red and Gold lines of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system. It opened on June 18, 1988. This station mainly serves College Park and surrounding areas, including Morrow, Riverdale, Clayton County, and South Fulton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington station (MARTA)</span> MARTA rail station

Kensington is an at-grade train station in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, serving the Blue Line of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system. It has one island platform with 1 track on each side. This station opened on June 26, 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Springs station</span> MARTA rail station

North Springs is an elevated metro station in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and the northern terminus for the Red Line of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system. North Springs is primarily a commuter station for Atlanta workers and university students, featuring a large parking deck and direct access on and off State Route 400, a major highway for commuters, so that drivers can avoid surface roads. North Springs attracts commuters from Roswell, Alpharetta and other towns north on State Route 400. As the northern terminus, this station is a hub for buses that continue on north, with connecting bus services to Sandy Springs, the city of Alpharetta, North Point Mall, the city of Roswell, the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre at Encore Park, the Mansell Road and Windward Parkway park-and-rides, and even as far north as the city of Milton. This station also provides bus assistance from North Springs High School via Route 87.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peachtree station</span> Railway station in Atlanta, US

Atlanta Peachtree Station is a train station in Atlanta, Georgia. It is currently a service stop for Amtrak's Crescent passenger train. The street address is 1688 Peachtree Road, Northwest, in the Brookwood section of town between Buckhead and Midtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MARTA rail</span> Subway network in Atlanta, Georgia, United states

The MARTA rail network, a component of the MARTA transit system in Metro Atlanta, has four service lines: the Red, Gold, Blue, and Green Lines. The Red and Gold Lines mainly run along the North-Northeast corridor, and the Blue and Green Lines run along the West-East corridor. The two corridors connect at the Five Points station, which is the only station where transfers are possible between all four lines. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 28,198,300, or about 98,700 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2023.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority was created as the first public mass transit agency in metropolitan Atlanta. Its formation in 1965 was a result of the campaigning efforts of governmental planning agencies and Atlanta businessmen. The system broke ground on its rail system in 1975.

The Georgia Rail Passenger Program (GRPP) was a set of plans, as yet unbuilt, for intercity and commuter rail in the U.S. state of Georgia.

The transportation system of Georgia is a cooperation of complex systems of infrastructure comprising over 1,200 miles (1,900 km) of interstates and more than 120 airports and airbases serving a regional population of 59,425 people.

The Transit Planning Board was a joint commission of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA), and Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).

Atlanta's transportation system is a complex infrastructure of several systems, including 47.6 miles of heavy rail, 91 bus transit routes, 1,600 licensed taxis, a comprehensive network of freeways, the world's busiest airport and over 45 miles of bike paths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the BeltLine</span>

This is the timeline of the development of the BeltLine, a ring of trails and parks around central Atlanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Route 920</span> Highway in Georgia

Georgia State Route 920 (SR 920) was a 17.1-mile (27.5 km) arterial road in the Metro Atlanta area in the state of Georgia. The route number was a temporary designation placed along the route while it is upgraded to be converted to be a future alignment of SR 81. It connects the county seat of Henry County, McDonough, to the seat of Fayette County, Fayetteville via SR 54. It is known locally as Jonesboro Street in the city limits of McDonough, Jonesboro Road in Henry County, and McDonough Road in Clayton and Fayette counties. In honor of the late founder of Chick-fil-A, the majority of the route is signed as the S. Truett Cathy Highway. In August of 2023, the route was officially dissolved.

References

  1. "Transit Briefs: SEPTA, MARTA, TTC". Railway Age. November 18, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  2. "GDOT - Commuter Rail". Archived from the original on December 18, 2002.
  3. "Georgia Rail Passenger Program 2006 Fact Sheet" (PDF). Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  4. "Office of Intermodal Program--Rail Index". Archived from the original on September 6, 2004.
  5. "Lovejoy Commuter Rail fact sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2004. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  6. Corriher, Billy (December 16, 2003). "County requests Atlanta-Lovejoy rail line" . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  7. Saporta, Maria (June 15, 2008). "At last, Gov. Perdue on board for commuter rail". Archived from the original on May 22, 2011.
  8. Simmons, Andria (July 11, 2014). "Feds Take Back Millions in Unused Money for Atlanta Commuter Rail" . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  9. John Ruch (July 5, 2014). "Clayton approves MARTA contract for November ballot". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014.
  10. 1 2 Saporta, Maria (July 13, 2018). "Commuter rail is MARTA's choice for Clayton County". Atlanta Business Journal. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  11. 1 2 Wickert, David (December 6, 2018). "MARTA approves plans for Clayton County commuter train". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  12. "MARTA". www.itsmarta.com. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  13. 1 2 "FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT TO RAPID TRANSIT CONTRACT AND ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT" (PDF). December 11, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  14. 1 2 Kemp, Robin (January 21, 2020). "BOC set to vote on MARTA 15th contract amendment". Clayton News. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  15. "Clayton County Transit Initiative Fact Sheet" (PDF). www.itsmarta.com. Spring 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  16. Donnelly, Grace (September 16, 2021). "Clayton County commuter rail probably dead, MARTA says". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  17. Saunders, Jessica (November 30, 2021). "Airport area leaders want funding to demo Southside mobility projects". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  18. "MARTA Proposed Clayton County Service in 2025" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2014.