Atlanta wants to downplay streetcar overhead

Atlanta GA - In the latest spin by the pro-rail crowd, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on Atlanta's attempt to jump on the streetcar bandwagon and the spin taking place regarding the overhead wires.

What I found interesting in this is that the pro-rail backers are trying to downplay the impact of the overhead lines in a modern system. A task force report that had artist conceptions of modern streetcars on Atlanta streets was even lacking the overhead in the drawing. These drawings will end up being a key tool in the promotion of the concept.

While overhead wires for streetcars today are much less intrusive than it was in the old days, the attempt to dismiss questions on the overhead and even outright ignore the overhead is a tactic used by the pro-rail crowd to make the concept more palatable to the public.

Now, one must ask this. Can Atlanta afford this wonderful, life changing concept known as a streetcar? The answer quite simply is no. The local transit system, MARTA, is constantly screaming for more money to operate. The heavy rail system they have in place now is sucking down the money faster than people can pay fares to ride. Their bus service needs improvement as well.

All that will happen in Atlanta is what will happen in most cities that have jumped on the streetcar bandwagon. Taxpayers will be forced to shell out hundreds of millions for sweetheart deals to lure private developers in and the very residents that were conned into supporting the concept will get forcibly displaced. No economic boom time will arrive. No flock of tourists besides a few nerdy rail fans. No improvement in air quality or traffic congestion. All the promises made will be just costly words, nothing more.

Add to this the fact that this streetcar line isn't being done for a transportation reason. The whole proposal is based on the hope of future tourism and development along the line and that spells a fiscal disaster in the making that all taxpayers in the U.S. will have to shoulder.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin earns a Lance for spearheading the move to bring an expensive toy to a cash strapped transit system and cash strapped city. Atlanta can't afford it and all the "benefits" being touted will end up just being very costly pro-rail spin.