Barnesville mayor Peter Banks met with Macon mayor Robert Reichert and others last week to discuss the prospects for the long discussed, never implemented rapid rail service linking Atlanta and Macon.
The service would likely run through Barnesville.
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Here in Georgia we don't seem to have the transportation options in place like many cities do, but I think as more of us get on board, this can become a reality.
There is seriously nothing wrong with bringing some life into this community. As a matter of fact, I think the level of crime in this community will increase when the local people run out of options and are stuck here and desperate.
Have a look at what would "imported" to Barnesville.
Wouldn't this just be delightful to ride with? Mayor Banks, get on the right side of this issue!
It will probably reduce crime by making it easier to get some of those great $7.00 an hour jobs we created with the service based economy we shifted into since the 1970's. Some of the people who worked at Carter's might actually be able to get another job instead of going to welfare.
This is something good for the Mayor to do.
Barnesville would have to do some major overhauling to commit to such a project. I would love to see it happen and I would vote for any SPLOST that moves in that direction. We would need more parking near the train station. We would have to have a working station with employees to serve commuters and riders alike. The scheduling would have to be worked out to a fine science so that it actually served the public and didn't just stop at random times during the day.
Now the flipside to that is that such a rail system would increase growth for those working in the city and wanting to live in a smaller town. It would offer jobs for those station attendees. It would give business opportunity to cottage industries that would support the rail (bagel shop, magazine/newspaper stand, parking attendant, etc).
Furthermore, why stop at Macon. Revisit the original route that ran from ATL to Savannah and back twice a day.
Optimistically, this is a 7-year plan at best. With the current economy though and seeming desire to grow Barnesville? Maybe a 50-year plan.
Your mentality is what keeps congestion on our roadways, gas prices escalating, and fossil fuels depleting. So when you fly out of town you contact the airline and tell them when you want to arrive and leave? And they accomodate you? The same would be true of a rail system. There would be a schedule that ran regularly that you would base your travel off of. No, you wouldn't be able to stop at the gas station half way and pick up a 64oz. Big Bubba soda. Yes, you would have to display some sort of social protocol by possibly being seated next to someone you have never met (which I assume you tell the airline is not acceptable to you) or may not like.
I don't think a rail system would be put in for tourist dollars or novelty. It would be a form of mass transit as seen in many other cities. This one would just be able to take you to another municipality already on the rail grid. We aren't talking about the Orient Express here where it takes 3 hours to get to Macon while you get a guided tour over a loud speaker.
And as for your basis of its success? Norfolk Southern is a freight railroad company whose revenue is generated by freight moved. It is not in the mass transit industry. It has recently sold and leased rails and times to cities like Savannah for streetcars and transit systems.
Also, you may want to research this a little more, this in fact will be a railroad operation, running on existing railroad tracks that are owned and operated by Norfolk Southern, who will also continue to run revenue freight on these same tracks as well. This will not be any kind of marta-type high-speed system. There will be some train engines and passenger cars, just like the old days, but updated to todays standards. (hopefully?)
...And again, not trying to be a pessimist, but it is the truth, if there was any real money to be made with this, then NS would already be doing it. Heck, they already have everything they'd need to do it with, but passenger rail service stopped being profitable in the 70's. ...Even Amtrak doesn't make enough to pay for itself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NZtGz_7WI0
The above does not include the smell of urine, vomit, and body odor that a trip on Atlanta's rapid rail entails.
This sort thing will delivered right to your door here in Barnesville.
***NOTE TO CENSOR***
Your heavy handed "moderation" of my comments above made it appear that I support this issue. That could not be further from the truth. If you going to solicit opinion here, either leave the comments alone or stop the process entirely!
To my knowledge none of your comments have been moderated. They do not appear immediately so you will not see them immediately. The only way a comment is deleted is if a the comment is directly offensive to a people group, is slanderous or threatening to an individual by name, or contains profanity. Follow those rules and all of your comments will be posted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OWVdNeiQhY&feature=related
Why would it be any different?
No thank you!
I can never understand the point you're trying to make.
I think that particular Anonymous has Multiple Personality Disorder. When they all kick in at once, that garble spews out.