FINAL REPORT | Atlanta BeltLine/ Atlanta Streetcar System Plan This page intentionally left blank. FINAL REPORT | Atlanta BeltLine/ Atlanta Streetcar System Plan Acknowledgements The Honorable Mayor Kasim Reed Atlanta City Council Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Staff Ceasar C. Mitchell, President Paul Morris, FASLA, PLA, President and Chief Executive Officer Carla Smith, District 1 Lisa Y. Gordon, CPA, Vice President and Chief Kwanza Hall, District 2 Operating Officer Ivory Lee Young, Jr., District 3 Nate Conable, AICP, Director of Transit and Cleta Winslow, District 4 Transportation Natalyn Mosby Archibong, District 5 Patrick Sweeney, AICP, LEED AP, PLA, Senior Project Alex Wan, District 6 Manager Transit and Transportation Howard Shook, District 7 Beth McMillan, Director of Community Engagement Yolanda Adrean, District 8 Lynnette Reid, Senior Community Planner Felicia A. Moore, District 9 James Alexander, Manager of Housing and C.T. Martin, District 10 Economic Development Keisha Lance Bottoms, District 11 City of Atlanta Staff Joyce Sheperd, District 12 Tom Weyandt, Senior Transportation Policy Advisor, Michael Julian Bond, Post 1 at Large Office of the Mayor Mary Norwood, Post 2 at Large James Shelby, Commissioner, Department of Andre Dickens, Post 3 at Large Planning & Community Development Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Board Charletta Wilson Jacks, Director of Planning, Department of Planning & Community The Honorable Kasim Reed, Mayor, City of Atlanta Development John Somerhalder, Chairman Joshuah Mello, AICP, Assistant Director of Planning Elizabeth B. Chandler, Vice Chair – Transportation, Department of Planning & Earnestine Garey, Secretary Community Development Cynthia Briscoe Brown, Atlanta Board of Education, Invest Atlanta District 8 At Large Brian McGowan, President and Chief Executive The Honorable Emma Darnell, Fulton County Board Officer of Commissioners, District 5 Amanda Rhein, Interim Managing Director of The Honorable Andre Dickens, Atlanta City Redevelopment Councilmember, Post 3 At Large R. Charles Shufeldt, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Appointee Cathy Woolard, Community Representative to the Board Acknowledgements | i Atlanta BeltLine/ Atlanta Streetcar System Plan Stakeholder Advisory Committee Michael Hunter, Georgia Institute of Technology Steve Klein, The King Center Ashley Robbins, Citizens for Progressive Transit Lauren Cardoni, University of Georgia - Athens Yvette Bowden, Piedmont Park Conservancy Ayana Gabriel, Westview Community Orginization Helen Butler, Coalition for the Peoples' Agenda Michael Hoath, Brand Properties Ray Christman, Livable Communities Coalition Carry Burgess, Zoo Atlanta Timothy Trefzer, Georgia World Congress Center Authority Technical Advisory Committee Christy Peterson, Georgia World Congress Center David Emory, Atlanta Regional Commission Authority Kirk Fjelstul, Georgia Regional Transportation Christina Skowronski, Centennial Park Authority Authority Holly Snow, Piedmont Healthcare Craig Camuso, CSX Transportation Abigail Paine, Park Pride Joel Harrell, Norfolk Southern Railway Company Penelope Mcphee, The Blank Foundation Kerima Hayes, Georgia Transit Association Jana Miles, Grant Park Conservancy Johnny Dunning, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Ed McBrayer, Path Foundation Transit Authority (MARTA) Ronald Brewster, Citizen Keith Melton, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Theodore Williams, Citizen Region 4 Bakari Brooks, Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) Alan Ware, Georgia Department of Transportation Angela Renfroe, Atlanta Board of Education (GDOT) Major Hagin (Lt Durrant), Atlanta Police Rebecca Gutowsky, Cobb County Transit Department (APD) Phil Boyd, Gwinnett County Transit Steve Luxenberg, Federal Highway Administration Jennifer Giersch, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) (FHWA) Ryan Mahoney, Georgia Chamber of Commerce Richard Cogswell, Federal Railroad Administration Jeff Mann, National Railroad Passenger Corp. (FRA) (AMTRAK) Ntale Kajumba, U.S. Environmental Protection Pamela Papner, Virginia Highland Civic Association Agency (EPA) William Prescott, Atlanta Police Department (APD) Chuck Young, Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) Dan Hourigan, Midtown Alliance Richard Mendoza, City of Atlanta Department of Angie Laurie, Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) Public Works (DPW) Dave Williams, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Scott Lee, GDOT District 7 Commerce Regan Hammond, Atlanta Regional Commission - Denise Starling, Buckhead Area Transportation Transportation Division Management Association (BATMA) Terry Lawler, Regional Business Coalition Cletta Rowden, West End Mall Jason Crane, GDOT – Planning Stefanie McCaster, Atlantic Station Aaron Fowler, Georgia Institute of Technology Dr. Sherry Turner, Atlanta University Center Consortium Gary Ulicny, Shepherd Center Christine Arato, National Park Service (NPS) Acknowledgements | ii Atlanta BeltLine/ Atlanta Streetcar System Plan Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................................... i Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................................1 SECTION 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................................................1 SECTION 2: Transit in Atlanta .....................................................................................................................................3 2.1 Population, Employment, and Development Trends ......................................................................................3 2.2 Regional Transit Context .................................................................................................................................4 2.3 Chronology of Transit Plans/Studies/Initiatives ..............................................................................................4 2.3.1 Influence of the 2012 Transportation Investment Act .............................................................................4 2.4 Integrating Atlanta BeltLine Transit and the Atlanta Streetcar ............................................................................7 2.4.1 The Atlanta BeltLine ....................................................................................................................................7 2.4.2 The Atlanta BeltLine Transit Vision .............................................................................................................7 2.4.3 The Connect Atlanta Plan Transit Vision .....................................................................................................8 2.4.4 The Atlanta Streetcar Project ....................................................................................................................8 SECTION 3: Planning Process ................................................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Guiding Principles......................................................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Community Engagement Process Overview ................................................................................................ 10 3.3 Streetcar Project Prioritization Process ....................................................................................................... 12 SECTION 4: Atlanta BeltLine/Atlanta Streetcar System Plan Phasing, Operations, Costs and Potential Funding .. 15 4.1 Phasing Strategy ........................................................................................................................................... 15 4.1.1 Initial Project ............................................................................................................................................ 17 4.1.2 Phase 1 ..................................................................................................................................................... 19 4.1.3 Phase 2 ..................................................................................................................................................... 21 4.1.4 Phase 3 ..................................................................................................................................................... 23 4.1.5 Phase 4 ..................................................................................................................................................... 25 4.2 Improving Connectivity ................................................................................................................................ 27 4.3 Operational Concept .................................................................................................................................... 27 4.3.1 Operational Scenarios ........................................................................................................................... 27 Table of Contents | iii Atlanta BeltLine/ Atlanta Streetcar System Plan 4.3.2 Interface with MARTA Rail and Bus Services ......................................................................................... 30 4.3.3 Vehicle Maintenance and Storage Facility ............................................................................................ 30 4.4 Costs and Funding .......................................................................................................................................