![Atlanta Streetcar arriving at King Memorial Stop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Atlanta_Streetcar_arriving_at_King_Memorial_Stop.jpg)
Atlanta Streetcar or Downtown Loop is a
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
line in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Georgia, United States. Testing on the line began in summer 2014
with passenger service beginning as scheduled on December 30, 2014.
In , the line had rides, or about per weekday in .
The Downtown Loop is the Phase 1 of the Atlanta Streetcar project, which is planning to expand onto the
BeltLine
The Atlanta BeltLine (also Beltline or Belt Line) is a 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 neig ...
surrounding central Atlanta. It was planned to start service in late spring of 2014, but has been indefinitely delayed.
The project is the first regular passenger streetcar service in Atlanta since the
original Atlanta streetcars were phased out in 1949.
Operations
Route
The Downtown Loop runs east-west, serving 12 stops,
from
Centennial Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park is a public park located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, owned and operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. It was built by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) as part of the infrastructu ...
to the
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park covers about 35 acres (0.14 km2) and includes several sites in Atlanta, Georgia related to the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Within the park is his boyhood h ...
, with tracks that converge at
Woodruff Park
Woodruff Park, named for Robert W. Woodruff, is located in the heart of Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The park's are north of Edgewood Ave, between Peachtree Street NE and Park Place NE. The park includes a fountain, a performance pavilion, an ...
.
The route provides access to
MARTA heavy rail lines at
Peachtree Center
Peachtree Center is a district located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the structures that make up the district were designed by Atlanta architect John C. Portman, Jr. A defining feature of the Peachtree Center is a network of enclosed ped ...
.
The vehicle maintenance facility is located under the I-75/I-85 overpass on Edgewood Avenue
The exact route is:
* From the
King Historic Site at Jackson Street and Auburn Avenue, westbound along Auburn Avenue to
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is one of several major streets running through the city of Atlanta. Beginning at Five Points (Atlanta), Five Points in downtown Atlanta, it runs North through Midtown Atlanta, Midtown; a few blocks after entering into Buckhead ...
.
* North on Peachtree Street, stopping at Peachtree Center MARTA station, to Ellis Street.
* West on Ellis Street to Carnegie Way.
* Northwest on Carnegie Way to Andrew Young International Boulevard.
* West on Andrew Young International Blvd. to Centennial Olympic Park Drive.
* South on Centennial Olympic Park Drive to Luckie Street.
* Southeast on Luckie Street, crossing Peachtree Street to Park Place.
* South on Park Place to Edgewood Avenue.
* East on Edgewood Avenue to Jackson Street.
* North on Jackson Street to Auburn Avenue.
Rolling stock
The Atlanta Streetcar system uses
Siemens S70
The Siemens S70, its successor the S700 and European variant, the Avanto, are a series of low-floor light-rail vehicles (LRV) and streetcars manufactured by Siemens Mobility, a division of German conglomerate Siemens AG.
The S70 and S700 are ...
light rail vehicles (LRVs).
A total of four S70 cars were purchased
and were built at two different facilities; the cars themselves were built in
Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
while most other major components, like the
propulsion system
Propulsion is the generation of force by any combination of pushing or pulling to modify the translational motion of an object, which is typically a rigid body (or an articulated rigid body) but may also concern a fluid. The term is derived from ...
, were assembled at a plant about north of Atlanta, in
Alpharetta
Alpharetta is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and is a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 US Census, Alpharetta's population was 65,818 The population in 2010 was 57,551.
History
In the 1830s, the Ch ...
.
They were delivered in the first months of 2014 and are numbered 1001–1004.
History
Atlanta Streetcar, Inc.
Atlanta Streetcar, Inc. (ASC) is a
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization founded in 2003 with the mission to bring
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
s back to downtown Atlanta. ASC's board members include the leaders of
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
and
Georgia State University
Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the ...
,
MARTA,
Georgia World Congress Center
The Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) is a convention center in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Enclosing some 3.9 million ft2 (360,000 m2) in exhibition space and hosting more than a million visitors each year, the GWCC is the worl ...
, Buckhead Community Improvement District, Buckhead Coalition,
Underground Atlanta
Underground Atlanta is a shopping and entertainment district in the Five Points neighborhood of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States, near the Five Points MARTA station. It is currently undergoing renovations. First opened in 1969, it takes ...
,
Central Atlanta Progress Central Atlanta Progress (CAP), founded in 1941, as the Central Area Improvement Association, is a private, not-for-profit corporation, chartered to plan and promote Atlanta's Central Area, that strives to create a robust economic climate for downto ...
,
Woodruff Arts Center
Woodruff Arts Center is a visual and performing arts center located in Atlanta, Georgia. The center houses three not-for-profit arts divisions on one campus. Opened in 1968, the Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, the Atlant ...
, and many local corporate business leaders as well.
Peachtree Corridor Partnership
In the summer of 2007, a new privately funded group called the Peachtree Corridor Partnership was formed, with the goal of determining how best to move forward the proposed rebuilding of Peachtree Street as a more attractive and pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare. The addition of a modern streetcar line was (and remains) one of the main components of the proposed transformation of the corridor, so many of the board members of ASC became members of the Peachtree Corridor Task Force, and the partnership eventually replaced the function of ASC as the organization advocating for a streetcar line along Peachtree Street.
In July 2009, the Atlanta city council approved funding a feasibility study to work out certain details of the proposed streetcar line in time to apply for
federal economic-stimulus funds for the construction of such a line. However, several council members later expressed doubts over whether the remainder of the funding necessary to bring the project to fruition was likely, particularly during a time of recession.
Downtown Loop route funded
In September 2010, it was announced that Phase I of the Atlanta Streetcar Project had received $47 million in federal
Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE), previously called
Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD), and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER), is a supplementary ...
(TIGER) II funding. The funding represents 8% of the overall TIGER II allotment, and will fund the construction of the downtown loop, not the Peachtree Corridor line, which is now regarded as Phase V of the project.
In May 2011,
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
announced that it had won the $17.2 million contract to build the four streetcars that will run on the Downtown Connector line. They would be based on the company's
S70 light rail vehicle platform, with the cars themselves being built in
Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...
, while other major components, including the propulsion system, were to be assembled at a Siemens plant about north of Atlanta, in
Alpharetta
Alpharetta is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and is a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 US Census, Alpharetta's population was 65,818 The population in 2010 was 57,551.
History
In the 1830s, the Ch ...
.
In February 2012, the city announced that the budget would increase from $70 million to $90 million. The city attributed the increase to:
* about $9 million to purchase newer and more expensive streetcars that could last 20 years longer than the refurbished ones that were originally planned to be purchased
* $4 million so that the Atlanta Regional Commission's Livable Centers Initiative could provide grants for sidewalk improvements and bicycle lanes.
* Additional work by the water department to move water and sewer pipes
In March 2012, the MARTA Board of Directors formally approved the design-build contract with
URS Corporation
URS Corporation (formerly United Research Services) was an engineering, design, and construction firm and a U.S. federal government contractor. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, URS was a full-service, global organization with office ...
for the Atlanta Streetcar.
Construction and opening
Groundbreaking for the project took place on February 1, 2012.
At that time, the line was projected to open in May 2013, but various delays pushed the opening back, first to summer 2014 and later to December.
The first two S70 streetcars were delivered in February 2014
and began test runs on the line in the spring.
The loop opened for service on December 30, 2014,
with all rides free until January 1, 2016.
MARTA takeover
By June 2018,
MARTA agreed to take control and ownership of the streetcar; the route is planned to be integrated into a larger MARTA
light rail system. Operations were placed under the control of the newly formed Office of Light Rail Operations on July 1, 2018.
Expansion
There are plans to extend the streetcar to Bankhead MARTA Station, via Luckie Street and Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy, and east to Piedmont Park. The City of Atlanta is applying for a TIGER 7 grant to extend the current loop east, to Irwin St and the entrance of the BeltLine. Costs are estimated at $62.7 million. The City of Atlanta was not successful in obtaining the TIGER 7 grant.
Future planning calls for tracks to be extended and integrated in to future
BeltLine
The Atlanta BeltLine (also Beltline or Belt Line) is a 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 neig ...
light rail operations. Tracks would be extended east and north to
Ponce City Market
Ponce City Market is a mixed-use development located in a former Sears catalogue facility in Atlanta, with national and local retail anchors, restaurants, a food hall, boutiques and offices, and residential units. It is located adjacent to th ...
with an opening date projected for 2027. As of 2022, this extension has not yet been funded or designed. Engineering, cost-benefit, and competitive funding challenges continue to plague the viability of rail on the BeltLine. Other transportation solutions are currently being studied such as bus rapid transit (BRT).
List of streetcar stations
''Counter-clockwise loop between Centennial Olympic Park and King Historic District''
Criticism
Since opening for service, the Atlanta Streetcar has been criticized by officials and residents for its short route, safety, poor management, and lower-than-expected ridership. Although boosters have claimed that up to $2.5 billion worth of new development can be attributed to the streetcar, independent analysis shows that many of those projects (totaling at least $323 million) pre-date it, and others—such as the College Football Hall of Fame—had not taken the streetcar into consideration. Regardless, the streetcar has contributed to at least some economic growth; for example, Southeast Capital Companies stated that it directly influenced their decision to build residential housing near Edgewood Avenue, and the Atlantic Seafood Market saw business rise 10% in the months following the start of service.
In September 2015, officials from the
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administration ...
expressed concerns with the system's lack of safety, poor management, and failure to comply with requirements for reporting accidents. Atlanta mayor
Kasim Reed
Mohammed Kasim Reed (born June 10, 1969) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 59th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia's state capital and largest city, from 2010 to 2018.
A Democrat, Reed was a member of the Georgia House of Represe ...
and MARTA CEO Keith Parker have laid out steps to address those issues.
On May 23, 2016, state officials sent a letter to
Kasim Reed
Mohammed Kasim Reed (born June 10, 1969) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 59th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia's state capital and largest city, from 2010 to 2018.
A Democrat, Reed was a member of the Georgia House of Represe ...
and MARTA CEO Keith Parker threatening to shut down the streetcar unless the city fixed numerous problems with it that had been outlined in multiple then-recent audits.
See also
*
Light rail in the United States
Light rail in the United States is a mode of rail-based transport, usually urban in nature. When compared to heavy rail systems like commuter rail or rapid transit (subway), light rail systems are typically designed to carry fewer passengers and ...
*
Streetcars in North America
Streetcars or trolley(car)s (North American English for the European word ''tram'') were once the chief mode of public transit in hundreds of North American cities and towns. Most of the original urban streetcar systems were either dismantled in ...
*
Nine-Mile Circle
The Nine-Mile Circle (today often called the "Nine Mile Trolley") was a streetcar line of the Atlanta Street Railway, later the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway which went from downtown Atlanta to today's Virginia-Highland neighborhood as ...
streetcar line to
Virginia Highland
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
*
Timeline of mass transit in Atlanta
Timeline of mass transit in Atlanta:
*1871 Richard Peters and George Adair run the first streetcars on the Atlanta Street Railway Company
*1872 West End & Atlanta Street Railroad Company formed
*1878 Adair sells out to Peters
*1879 Gate Ci ...
*
MARTA
References
External links
*
Peachtree Corridor Partnership homepageEnvironmental Assessment for the Atlanta Streetcar, prepared by the City of Atlanta and MARTA for the US DOTAtlanta BeltLine, Inc., "Citywide Briefing on Transit Implementation Strategy & Transportation Investment Act Projects", Feb 17, 2011
{{Atlanta history
Railway lines in Atlanta
Streetcars in Georgia (U.S. state)
Transportation in Atlanta
Railway lines opened in 2014
Electric railways in Georgia (U.S. state)
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
750 V DC railway electrification