Why is everyone going to ATL this weekend?

[Tracktwentynine]

I was actually on the Crescent southbound departing Washington on Thursday April 10.

The train only had *2* coaches. It normally runs with 3 or 4. My friend and I were in sleepers, so I don't know how crowded the coaches were, but I thought it was odd that there were only 2 coaches.

Also, it was cool to see the ACS-64 for the first time. #600 pulled 19(10) from NYP to WAS. But our luck ran out. One of the engines broke down before Charlottesville. We were 4 hours late getting into Atlanta.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

Why only two? Surely there was some kind of car available at NYP.

 

[neroden]

Georgia's government has never, ever cared, and the City of Atlanta hasn't cared much either

Exactly. Atlanta's growth has been largely transportation-driven, but largely that's reflected in the City's tireless promotion and expansion of its airport. Amtrak has always been viewed as a quaint nice-to-keep but little more.

I wouldn't call the Marta rail lines and the upcoming streetcar nothing.

MARTA was built all in one go in the "UMTA" era. Yes, Atlanta did better than Seattle, which managed to reject Urban Mass Transporation Administration money... but not much better. Both had referendums fail; Atlanta managed to succeed on a rerun of the referendum with fewer counties involved. There were a couple of very minor extensions in the early 1990s, around the time of the light rail revival. Since then MARTA has stagnated.

The streetcar line is a sign that the push for urban rail service is reviving again in Atlanta. But a very small sign -- Atlanta's well behind a dozen other cities in this regard.

Atlanta certainly cares more than the rest of Georgia, though. And that's the big problem for intercity rail (or "commuter" rail, or anything which passes outside Fulton and DeKalb counties). With outright hostility to rail even in the first-ring suburbs, it's been impossible to get anything much going.

 

[Tracktwentynine]

MARTA was built all in one go in the "UMTA" era. Yes, Atlanta did better than Seattle, which managed to reject Urban Mass Transporation Administration money... but not much better. Both had referendums fail; Atlanta managed to succeed on a rerun of the referendum with fewer counties involved. There were a couple of very minor extensions in the early 1990s, around the time of the light rail revival. Since then MARTA has stagnated.

The streetcar line is a sign that the push for urban rail service is reviving again in Atlanta. But a very small sign -- Atlanta's well behind a dozen other cities in this regard.

Atlanta certainly cares more than the rest of Georgia, though. And that's the big problem for intercity rail (or "commuter" rail, or anything which passes outside Fulton and DeKalb counties). With outright hostility to rail even in the first-ring suburbs, it's been impossible to get anything much going.

This is not accurate.

The Atlanta region has voted serveral times on MARTA:

• 1962: Statewide Constitutional Amendment to enable a tax to fund transit. FAILED
• 1964: Atlanta Region State Constitutional Amendment to enable a tax to fund transit. PASSED in all 5 counties (passed in Cobb with only 430 votes to spare).
• 1965: Atlanta Region referendum to join MARTA (planning only). Passed in Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, and Gwinnett. FAILED in Cobb (43% voting yes).
• 1968: Funding referendum. Property tax levy. 40-mile system. In Atlanta, Fulton, and DeKalb ONLY. FAILED in all 3 jurisdictions. (49% in DeKalb voted yes).
• 1971: Funding referendum. Sales tax levy. 70-mile system. In Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, and Gwinnett. Passed in Atlanta, Fulton, and DeKalb. FAILED in Clayton and Gwinnett.
• 1972: Funding referendum. Sales tax levy. Gave Clayton a second chance to join the system. FAILED in Clayton (25% voting yes).
• 1990: Funding referendum. Sales tax levy. Gave Gwinnett a second chance to join the system. FAILED in Gwinnett (30% voting yes).

So MARTA succeeded on a second referendum, but that referendum had more counties involved. In 1968 it was held in 2 counties + Atlanta and failed everywhere. In 1971, it was held in 4 counties + Atlanta and failed in Clayton and Gwinnett.

Additionally, MARTA did not open in one fell swoop. It opened over a period of over 20 years.

• 1979: The East-West Line opened between Hightower (HE Holmes) and Avondale in two phases
• 1981: The North-South Line opened between Garnett and North Avenue
• 1982: South Line extended to West End, North Line extended to Arts Center
• 1984: South Line extended to Oakland City, North Line extended to Brookhaven
• 1986: South Line extended to East Point
• 1987: North Line extended to Chamblee
• 1988: South Line extended to Airport
• 1992: North Line extended to Doraville, Proctor Creek Line opened to Bankhead
• 1993: East Line extended to Indian Creek
• 1996: New North Line opened between Lindbergh and Dunwoody. Old North Line renamed Northeast Line
• 2000: North Line extended to North Springs