James Jan-Feb 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 81
he debate surrounding
Beltline transit has returned to the forefront of
Atlanta’s common consciousness. For those of
you suffering from déjà
vu, you aren’t alone: The debate is
not new. But unlike prior iterations,
a middle ground has emerged, one
that is pro-transit yet light-rail skeptical. In large part that is the position
taken by Better Atlanta Transit, the
newest heavyweight to jump into
the fray posing several fundamental
questions including: “are we missing
an opportunity to embrace transit
technologies of the future?”
From our vantage point, the answer is clear: Yes. We are.
At the highest level of abstraction,
the Beltline deserves transit. Connecting Atlantans to jobs, education,
housing and government services
is critical. The question is how? The
current misguided consensus is that
light rail is the answer. Unfortunately,
light rail is disruptive, inflexible, and
irresponsibly expensive.
Two years ago, we called on city
leadership to consider autonomous
electric shuttles and we reaffirm
that position today. Most autonomous electric shuttles that operate
on a closed loop can accommodate
around ten passengers and cost
about $500,000. To cover the whole
Beltline with constantly circulating
autonomous shuttles, you’d need
nearly 200 shuttles (taking into
account a third of the fleet would
be charging at any one time). That
would cost about $100 million or
$130 million less than light rail
costs for just the 2.3-mile segment
currently under debate. To provide
rail service to the entire trail, Better
Atlanta Transit estimates a total
investment of $2.5 billion. Read that
again: $2.5 billion of taxpayer dollars
on an outdated transit mode. What’s
more, shuttles are conducive to the
current Beltline environment. They
are non-disruptive and un-abrasive;
two things light rail decidedly is not.
Admittedly, autonomous shuttles
are not a mass transit option. They
lack the speed and capacity of light
rail. For some that may be a good
thing. Indeed, reasonable minds can
disagree as to the optimal extent of
transit on the Beltline (as the authors
of this piece do), but even for those
who desire more expansive transportation on the Beltline, light rail is still
not the answer. To fill that role, the
City should look to an autonomous
trackless tram system.
First, trackless tram systems
provide sufficient capacity, up
to 300 people at a time, to viably
replace light rail. Second, trackless
tram systems can match the speed
of light rail while providing sufficient variation and control where
necessary. For example, a tram
could proceed past Ponce City Market at ten miles per hour and ramp
back up to over forty miles per hour
where safe to do so. Third, trackless
trams maintain reliable service by
operating on a definitive route with
minimal time at stations— the tram’s
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