(The following story by Eric Stirgus appeared on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution website on March 6, 2009.)
ATLANTA — Northeast Atlanta residents who feared Amtrak and other commuter trains roaring through their neighborhoods received welcome news Friday: state transportation officials backed off their push that four miles of railroad tracks be used to take passengers through Atlanta.
Friday’s announcement marked a major break in a two-month battle between the state Department of Transportation and the city of Atlanta, which said commuter rail would diminish the scope of the Beltline.
City leaders envision the Beltline as a major project to build residences, businesses, trails and parks along a 22-mile loop around the city’s core over the next two decades — a critical component to Atlanta’s future growth. The city opposed the commuter rail, believing developers would be less likely to build new homes along the rail lines in such neighborhoods as Morningside, Midtown and Virginia-Highland.
A team of executives and staff from the city, the state DOT, Atlanta Beltline Inc., MARTA, Amtrak and the Atlanta Regional Commission decided rail lines west of the Downtown Connector are a better option for passenger rail, officials said in a joint statement Friday.
“It’s just not the place for high-speed rail,” said Liz Coyle, a Virginia-Highland resident who’s been vocal in her opposition against commuter rail lines in the area. “It’s great news for the city of Atlanta, the Beltline and for the state of Georgia.”
In January, city officials thought they were about to have control of the four miles of tracks — known as the Decatur Belt. But on the day before the city would gain control, state DOT officials pushed to stop the process.
Mayor Shirley Franklin accused the DOT of “boorish behavior” in a letter to U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Atlanta) and asked him to intervene. State DOT officials countered those tracks were the best option for plans of commuter trains running from Charlotte to Macon. The commuter rail line, they said, will be an economic boon to the Atlanta region.
Lewis organized a meeting among all sides last month, who agreed to have discussions within the next 30 days, ending Friday.
All sides agreed to work over the next 15 days to work out any necessary agreements detailing plans for the Decatur Belt and potential commuter rail lines through the city.