Proposal for improving Peachtree released

Seeking public input, the Partnership proposes an initial streetcar system in Downtown and Midtown


ATLANTA (December 19, 2007) – Today the Peachtree Corridor Partnership introduced its proposal for improving Peachtree, a 14-mile corridor extending from the BeltLine crossing of Lee St. in the south to Club Drive and the city limits in the north.

The Partnership was charged with determining how to best implement the recommendations of the Peachtree Corridor Task Force, appointed by Mayor Shirley Franklin in 2006 and which earlier this year unveiled its 25-year, $1 billion vision to transform the city's signature street into a world-class boulevard, including streetscapes, pocket parks, public space and transportation improvements.

The Partnership – a collaboration among the Atlanta Development Authority, the Atlanta Committee for Progress and the three community improvement districts operating along Peachtree – has spent the last several months working with relevant property owners and neighborhood groups, members of Atlanta City Council and other interested parties to develop a plan for how to begin funding and implementing the vision for the corridor.

The Partnership is proposing that the project be first jump-started with a modern streetcar system along the Downtown and Midtown portions of Peachtree, including a Downtown circulator route that will connect the major visitor attractions in that area.

Ray Christman, Peachtree Corridor Partnership Chair said, “The 25-year vision for the Peachtree Corridor is large in scope and scale, and it is important to launch this initial phase in the area where implementation is practical, ridership potential high, and financial feasibility most reasonable. The Downtown and Midtown areas best meet these criteria today, but as other segments become more ready, we hope the vision will be fulfilled throughout the corridor.”

“This project has been supported by multiple businesses and civic organizations for some time now,” said A.J. Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress. “The business leadership believes it’s time for us to make the streetcar a reality, and is ready to step up, in partnership with the City, to make it happen.”

The total capital cost for implementing the system and accompanying streetscape improvements is approximately $190 million. In order to pay for the project, the Partnership is recommending that that the City create a special assessment district along the Corridor in Downtown and Midtown.

The proposed increased millage on commercial and residential property in the district would be two to three mills. Single-family neighborhoods would not be included in the district.

“For a resident that owns a $300,000 condo, for example, this would mean an annual increase of $360, or a dollar a day,” said Christman. It also is proposed that the City support a portion of the cost of the project through funding sources it identifies.  Additionally, a parking tax is recommended to fund streetcar operating expenses for the initial system and expansions in the future.

“The funding recommendations by the Partnership are fair, equitable and realistic,” said Michael Robison, president and CEO of Lanier Parking and founder of Atlanta Streetcar, Inc., the group that initially advocated for a streetcar system in Atlanta.

The project requires enabling legislation by City Council, which the Partnership hopes will be considered sometime in the first quarter of 2008. Once implementation begins, Atlantans can see a streetcar operating on Peachtree within six years. The governance and operating of the Peachtree Corridor streetcar system will be considered within the enabling legislation.

Susan Mendheim, Executive Director of the Midtown Alliance said, “The streetcar is about more than just transportation, it is about building and connecting a community. The streetcar will not only make Midtown and Downtown more accessible to each other, it will also showcase the unique assets of each district, encourage more pedestrian activity by ‘extending the walk,’ stimulate storefront retail, and improve the overall quality of life for residents, employees and visitors.”

The next step of the process will be to gather public input from residents and property owners along the corridor in Downtown and Midtown. Residents are encouraged to attend any of four meetings to be held in January.

Prior to the Partnership’s forming, the Peachtree Corridor Task Force met monthly for more than a year in consultation with dozens of private and public sector experts. Sponsored by the Atlanta Committee for Progress, the task force had 22 members, plus five sub-committees that were each made up of five to fifteen technical experts and consultants from four firms. The Task Force also conducted more than 15 public input sessions along the corridor during the development of the recommendations.

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