ATLANTA --- Georgians might soon have a choice of trains -- super- fast ones in some cases -- to ride between cities on the East Coast.
Though the revival of passenger rail has been talked of and dreamed of for decades, the federal government is now offering huge sums to states that could provide the locomotion to finally pull the train out of the station. Yet some critics say other factors aren't yet in place.
President George W. Bush signed into law a budget that included $30 million to states that matched the funds to be used in planning new rail lines. He also approved separate legislation providing additional funds for improving existing lines.
President Obama raised the ante with $8 billion in stimulus funds that would be available to states almost immediately and the promise of $1 billion more every year, with emphasis on the fastest trains.
"A major new high-speed rail line will generate many thousands of construction jobs over several years, as well as permanent jobs for rail employees and increased economic activity in the destinations these trains serve," he said in April. "High-speed rail is long overdue, and this plan lets American travelers know that they are not doomed to a future of long lines at the airports or jammed cars on the highways."
The board of the Georgia Department of Transportation voted last month to draft a statewide proposal as a way of tapping into the flood of federal money. Six months earlier, it hired Erik Steavens to begin coordinating its modest rail line with bus service and highways, beginning with dusting off railroad plans sketched out in the 1990s.
"Our goal is to have a plan that we're going to get to the federal government by about August that we're calling our interim state rail plan that would take a lot of these older rail products and tweak them a little bit," said Mr. Steavens, the intermodal programs division director. A comprehensive revision is to come later.
In the '90s, Georgia lawmakers had mandated the order in which trains would be put into service, starting with a line between Atlanta and Macon; the power in the Legislature at the time was centered in south Georgia. The first phase was to be a run of just 26 miles from Atlanta to Lovejoy, to be expanded next to Griffin.
Mr. Steavens intends to follow that framework, which would include connections in Macon to other cities in the state.
"The Atlanta-to-Macon service is kind of like the trunk of a tree. Without that trunk, you can't have branches that go to Augusta, to Savannah, to Columbus or Albany or Valdosta," he said.
Advocates and real estate developers have lobbied for a line between Atlanta and Athens that they dubbed the "Brain Train" because it would link so many universities. Joined by environmentalists, they have been the most vocal supporters of passenger rail in Georgia.
The federal money has brought additional advocates hoping to connect their cities to the proposed national high-speed network that includes Atlanta; Columbia; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Macon. One city is Augusta, and one of its two congressmen is on board.
"I'm all for making high-speed rail a reality in this area," said Democratic Rep. John Barrow, who vowed to work with Mr. Obama and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "I would support an effort to get Augusta on the route map because it would bring jobs and investments to an area that sure could use it."
A spokeswoman for Republican Rep. Paul Broun said he wants to hear the wishes of Augusta leaders before committing to it.
Another Augusta-area lawmaker is more critical of the concept.
State Rep. Ben Harbin, R-Evans, leads the House Appropriations Committee, and he has put the brakes on the Atlanta-Lovejoy starter line because he's concerned the feds aren't promising the right kind of money, namely operating funds.
"We're not opposed to rail," he said. "We just want to make sure it's a sustainable program."
Ticket sales at affordable prices don't cover all the operating costs of any railroad, which requires state or local governments to subsidize the difference. Mr. Harbin says none of the many studies on rail service in Georgia have shown sufficient ridership to make the subsidy affordable to the budget.
"We subsidize all transportation. ... We just want to make sure that it's not such a huge hole that it takes away from other forms of transportation," he said, noting that highway travel will remain the most used and that the state already has too little money for all the needed road projects.
That's also the fear of Benita Dodd, an analyst with the Atlanta-based think tank Georgia Public Policy Foundation.
"There is not enough ridership to justify the expenditure. And there are so many other priorities that we are going to be selling ourselves short," she said, calling education, public safety and health care greater needs.
Voters might have some say in the matter. Separate proposals in the Georgia Legislature would give them the choice to raise sales taxes with a portion going toward rail operating subsidies in November 2010.
For now, the state Department of Transportation and Gov. Sonny Perdue intend to seek the federal funds while they're available.
Reach Walter Jones at (404) 589-8424 or walter.jones@morris.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
I have only seen freight trains in Augusta. A passenger train terminal would be welcomed, but where would a passenger train terminal be built? Another idea would be a way to transport your automobile along with yourself to a rail destination.
DonH, Amtrak has a station in Denmark,SC, Columbia,SC as well as a half dozen more stations in South Carolina. There is also a station in Savanah, GA, Atlanta, GA. and the list goes on, just not in Augusta, GA. Amtrak had, or still has automobile/rail service on select routes. The only drawback is train schedules might require you to have one day layovers at some locations and if you only have a weeks vacation you might have to spend it riding the train to and from your destinations. High speed rail would be neat but it should be built and operated with private funds and not tax payer money. That is part of our economic problems in this country now, too many free rides!!!
joekm46, I agree with the first part of your opinion but lastly I don't agree with the funding, the taxpayers are the ones that would definitely benefit as well as others, if that is the only way to fund, then so be it. I just took the train to Columbia and it was an inconvenience to have to drive the distance to get there.
correction: I drove to Columia to catch a train.
Look at the money aspect. The think tank explained that there would not be enough riders to justify the cost. However, if there is going to be one built with fed money coming this way like the Columbia to Atlanta one, great. If the state one is ever built, with the hub in Macon, I'd buy real estate in Macon.
As stated before turn bush field into a train station. Perfect location and the infastructure is already in place.
The Auto-Train is great for older "snowbirds" that travel to Florida for the winter and want to load their car with clothes and such and then put it on the train. For a week's trip it would be a real pain though. The train from Columbia to NYC is a great way to take take the trip and avoid expensive tolls for the bridges and tunnels.
The government can give nothing to anyone that it has not first taken from someone else!
I can drive to Tampa quicker than I could fly. Same for any number of major regional destinations. So, I drive. If high speed rail were available, I'd certainly look at it. It's how most Europeans get around. And we should be able to make it better than anyone. We should be...but is that realistic anymore?
Europeans are used to relying on public transportation. Most Americans are not, except for those living in inner cities and some living in suburbs of major cities where commuter trains provide service. A second problem in America is that it is such a vast country. Even high speed rail travel would not make a coast to coast trip a viable alternative for business travel.
Having a way to get safely to Savannah in less than an hour to go out and party would be nice.
The Europeans do NOT use theri rail system for freight. Freight goes by truck. Trains are solely for passenger service and is always ON TIME (within plus or minus 3 minutes) and CLEAN. Public transportation is a way of life in Europe. Germany has rail between cities/towns and trolley, bus and taxies (mercedes/BMW) within the citiessuburbs and are the preferred means of transportation. Hell, Augusta/RC and CSX can't even keep the RR crossings repaired properly now. Why should we expect a high speed passenger train here?
Augusta isn't a logical stop for a high-speed train, which only should stop at very large hubs supplied by normal speed rail service from outlying cities and towns. Augusta should be linked with Savannah, Columbia and Macon/Atlanta. With a modicum of coordination and some beefed up support for public transportation in places like Augusta and Savannah, we really could leave our cars at home.
I agree with Casey re Savannah. It would be neat to travel by high speed to Savannah. Charlotte and Atlanta would be nice.
I support high-speed service. We had a train station in Augusta about 60 years ago. The civic center or post office is built in the location. Check out the history...
Keep in mind we are talking about two different routes. Certainly, Augusta is a logical stop for the high speed train from Charlotte to Atlanta. Heck, Amtrack stops in Denmark, SC now.
I'd personally love it, but I suspect Columbia would be selected as a stop well ahead of Augusta, and having two stops that close together would kind of defeat the purpose of having it be high speed rail service. Ins some ways, Augusta does make more sense because it's about equidistant from Charlotte and Atlanta.
I was in Italy last month and took a high speed (160 mph) from Rome to Florence. Very nice and I would ride it here if available.
I have experienced travel by rail to Tampa three times. Once with the grandchildren. It was great for convenience and memory making, and when I purchased only my ticket, I believe I actually saved money by using AAA discount for rail travel. I drove to Columbia twice and Savannah once and parked my vehicle. It would be a blessing to Augusta if we could link directly from Augusta. Let's stay informed and vote for progress.
Trains account for a small, but significant and possibly increasing percentage of freight transportation in Europe. In many countries, however, trains do not carry a mixture of passengers and freight, one of the reasons those sleek intercity wonders could be developed. Even back in the 90's, I found second class on one of those German speedsters to be at least as comfortable as business class on an airliner (although the unairconditioned little local transfer train, with its local passengers, was a lot more interesting). It would be nice to be able to cut back our dependence on cars in America. Yes, there are European city dwellers who do not even own cars. But, sadly, there are also some Europeans who do not know exactly how to cancel their streetcar tickets on those rare occasions when they use public transportation. The seductiveness of the automobile!
And don't forget, so many of those European cars are 4 passenger vehicles that can't transport a family of 5 or more anywhere. I can remember being picked up by my son who was doing his masters internship in Germany in one of those 4 passenger vehicles whose trunk would hold approximately one bag of groceries. Each of his 3 passengers had two large suitcases plus 2 carry-ons. I'm surprised we reached out destination. The mantra, carpool, carpool, carpool. I can remember a friend of mine picking up her two children and one of mine. All three were in the band. They had book bags as well. And she was driving a Volkswagen. Americans don't live, never have lived the same way Europeans live. And we don't have to. We have oil and gas and ingenuity. The government needs to quit stifling that.
And coal. I forgot coal. And we have the ability to make these things clean. We just don't have the ability, as a public, to discern when we are being sold a bill of goods by so called "environmentalists."
You sure got that right, KSL. I despair that the ignorant schmucks currently making policy are going to destroy America's ability to keep moving forward, or moving at all, in order to impress/placate the Earth worshippers in Europe.