Could commuter rail ever be installed on the train tracks that already run through Cobb County? 33/34
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The state of Georgia actually owns the Western and Atlantic Railroad tracks that run between Chattanooga and Atlanta, passing through Kennesaw, Marietta, Vinings, and Smyrna. When the state renewed CSX’s lease for another 50 years last fall, Georgia retained the option of installing passenger service along this corridor. (Many railroad tracks in the U.S. serve both freight and passengers.) The new lease also sold more than two miles of unused tracks for $10 to be used to extend the Silver Comet Trail, which furthered Cobb’s efforts to connect that trail to the BeltLine. Transit advocates claim this route would be a relatively easy way to extend commuter rail into Cobb. Indeed, a proposal in the late 2000s even argued lease revenues could build and operate a growing network of passenger rail trains from Atlanta and into the suburbs that includes the CSX line. To make the potential become a reality takes political will, and Cobb might have the opportunity to build out rail if elected officials put a funding measure on the ballot in the 2021 election.
This article appears in our November 2019 issue .
33/34
Jump to… You asked, we answered: 34 things you probably don’t know about Atlanta Is Atlanta even enforcing electric scooter laws? Why are there so many damn potholes on DeKalb Avenue? Why is Underground Atlanta underground? What’s the most expensive meal in Atlanta? What does Atlanta do with my garbage and recycling? Did Clermont Lounge’s Blondie really publish a book of poetry? Why is there only one Bojangles’ ITP and a million immediately outside it? How many different cities has Hollywood turned Fairlie-Poplar into? Where did “Hotlanta” come from and why does it refuse to die? Why can’t Decatur get a Trader Joe’s? What animals have gotten loose on Atlanta highways? How many cold cases does the Atlanta Police Department have on file? Whatever happened to Baby Doe’s? How did each Kroger get its nickname? What goes into protecting the Coca-Cola formula? Why does it seem like there are suddenly more homeless people downtown? How much longer can Atlanta be a City in the Forest? Who’s the more successful movie producer: Will Packer or Tyler Perry? Why can private businesses hire cops to direct traffic on busy streets? Why does downtown Atlanta have overhead gerbil tunnels between buildings? Why do street names change at Ponce? How long could Atlanta survive in a disaster? When was Atlanta’s worst snowstorm? What happened to the giant ants at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport? Who the hell is Sloppy Floyd? What’s the fastest speed ever recorded on Ga. 400? I was in an accident on a highway with cameras. Why can’t I get footage? Who owns that tower with the torch next to the Connector? Who killed Ryan Gravel’s hopes and dreams for the BeltLine? How much can an Atlanta stripper make on a great night? Where are the best places in Atlanta to spot celebrities? Does anyone actually like the Varsity? Could commuter rail ever be installed on the train tracks that already run through Cobb County? Why is it so hard to buy a starter home in the city?
