Detailed Screening Results and Selection of Locally Preferred Alternative Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority January 2007 Detailed Screening Results and Selection of Locally Preferred Alternative Prepared For: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Prepared By: Corporation 400 Northpark Town Center 1000 Abernathy Road N.E., Suite 9000 Atlanta, Georgia 30328 In association with: Connetics Transportation Group DW & Associates PBS&J Planners for Environmental Quality Sycamore Consulting Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................................ES-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................1-1 1.1 Project Development Process..............................................................1-1 1.2 Study Area Description ........................................................................1-3 1.3 Report Organization .............................................................................1-3 2.0 ALTERNATIVES EVALUATION PROCESS .......................................2-1 2.1 FTA Project Development Process ......................................................2-1 2.2 Goals and Objectives ...........................................................................2-2 2.3 Evaluation Process ..............................................................................2-5 3.0 IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES .........3-1 3.1 TSM Alternative....................................................................................3-1 3.2 Build Alternatives .................................................................................3-5 4.0 EVALUATION OF CORRIDOR MOBILITY MEASURES ....................4-1 4.1 Travel Demand Forecast Methodology ................................................4-1 4.2 Assessment of Mobility and Accessibility Impacts................................4-3 4.3 Assessment of Accessibility .................................................................4-7 4.4 Summary of Mobility & Accessibility Evaluation ...................................4-9 5.0 EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LAND USE MEASURES.............................................................5-1 5.1 Transit Supportive Land Use................................................................5-2 5.2 Development Incentives.......................................................................5-6 5.3 Environmental Impacts........................................................................5-18 5.4 Summary of Land Use, Redevelopment and Environmental Effects...5-37 6.0 EVALUATION OF COSTS AND COST EFFECTIVENESS.................6-1 6.1 Capital Cost Methodology ....................................................................6-1 6.2 Capital Cost Estimates.........................................................................6-3 6.3 Operating and Maintenance Cost Methodology ...................................6-5 6.4 Operating and Maintenance Cost Estimates........................................6-8 6.5 Assessment of Cost Effectiveness .......................................................6-9 6.6 Results of Cost and Cost Effectiveness Evaluation.............................6-12 Detailed Screening Results and Selection of Locally Preferred Alternative January2007 7.0 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.....................................................................7-1 7.1 Stakeholder Advisory Committee .........................................................7-1 7.2 Public Meetings....................................................................................7-2 7.3 Newsletters and Presentation Materials...............................................7-3 7.4 Media Advisories and Press Releases.................................................7-4 7.5 Other Outreach Activities .....................................................................7-4 8.0 ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS RESULTS.............................................8-1 8.1 Detailed Screening Evaluation Results ................................................8-3 8.2 Public Outreach Approach and Input ..................................................8-15 8.3 Top Rated Alternatives Considered ....................................................8-16 8.4 Next Steps...........................................................................................8-17 List of Figures Figure 1-1: Beltline Study Area ..........................................................................1-4 Figure 2-1: FTA Project Development Process..................................................2-2 Figure 2-2: Summary of Development of Alternatives through Fatal Flaw Analysis ......................................................................................................2-9 Figure 3-1: TSM Alternative ...............................................................................3-3 Figure 3-2: Alternative B1 ................................................................................3-10 Figure 3-3: Alternative B2 ................................................................................3-13 Figure 3-4: Alternative B3 ................................................................................3-15 Figure 3-5: Alternative B4 ................................................................................3-17 Figure 5-1: Redevelopment Areas in Beltline Study Area ................................5-11 Figure 5-2: Religious Properties Location Map ................................................5-28 Figure 5-3: Cemeteries Location Map..............................................................5-29 Figure 5-4: Parks and Recreational Facilities Location Map ............................5-32 Figure 5-5: Historic Resource Location Map....................................................5-34 List of Tables Table 2-1: Alternative Alignments ......................................................................2-8 Table 2-2: Detailed Screening Criteria.............................................................2-15 Table 3-1: Bus Operating Statistics for Impacted Corridor Bus Routes ...........3-19 Table 3-2: BRT Operating Plan Statistics (Equilibrated) ..................................3-20 Table 3-3: Streetcar Operating Plan Statistics (Equilibrated)...........................3-21 Table 3-4: LRT Operating Plan Statistics (Equilibrated)...................................3-22 Table 4-1: Total Ridership..................................................................................4-4 Table 4-2: Total New Regional Riders ...............................................................4-5 Table 4-3: Impact on Existing Transit Facilities..................................................4-6 Table 4-4: Travel Time Savings .........................................................................4-7 Detailed Screening Results and Selection of Locally Preferred Alternative January2007 Table 4-5: Change in Transfers .........................................................................4-7 Table 4-6: Transit Dependent Service ...............................................................4-9 Table 4-7: Overall Rating of Mobility & Accessibility --Performance Matrix......4-10 Table 5-1: 2030 Total Population.......................................................................5-3 Table 5-2: 2030 Total Employment....................................................................5-3 Table 5-3: Accessibility to Major Facilities .........................................................5-6 Table 5-4: Areas with Economic and Zoning Development Incentives ............5-12 Table 5-5: Acres of Vacant /Underutilized Land...............................................5-13 Table 5-6: Enhancement of the Urban Environment........................................5-17 Table 5-7: Air Quality Impacts..........................................................................5-19 Table 5-8: Sources of Transit Noise.................................................................5-22 Table 5-9: Noise Sensitive Receptors between Stations .................................5-24 Table 5-10: Noise Sensitive Receptors by Alternative .....................................5-25 Table 5-11: Community Impacts/Disruptions ...................................................5-26 Table 5-12: Potential Impact to Wetlands ........................................................5-27 Table 5-13: Potential Impact to Religious Properties and Cemeteries.............5-30 Table 5-14: Impact to Parks and Recreational Facilities ..................................5-31 Table 5-15: Impact to Historic Resources ........................................................5-35 Table 5-16: Summary of Impacts to Cultural and Natural Resources ..............5-35 Table 5-17: Reduction in Vehicle Miles Traveled.............................................5-36 Table 5-18: Operating Impacts ........................................................................5-37 Table 5-19: Overall Rating of Land Use and Redevelopment -- Performance Matrix........................................................................................................5-38 Table 5-20: Overall Rating of Environmental Effects --Performance Matrix.....5-39 Table 6-1: Total Capital Cost By Category.........................................................6-3 Table 6-2: Total Capital Cost By Line Segment .................................................6-4 Table 6-3: Total Capital Cost Rating..................................................................6-5