Public transportation in the southeast is abysmal to say the least. Major cities like Atlanta might have some public transit options, with Marta providing transportation through most of the city, but there is definitely (put nicely) room for improvement. In fact, in a WalletHub study, Atlanta’s ‘Public Transit Resources’ Rank’was 96th out of 100 US cities. (You can check out the full study here.)
But there’s good news heading Atlanta’s way… at 200 miles per hour!
According to WSB Atlanta, A new bipartisan “infrastructure law has provided three new grants to Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina to move forward with plans for a high-speed rail corridor.” Each of the three grants is worth $500,000, making the exploration of a new rail project worth $1.5 million in total.
WSB Atlanta reports that there are three main rail corridor options being researched and explored as potential railway options. First, “the Georgia Department of Transportation received a $500,000 grant for the Atlanta to Savannah corridor that would include stops in Athens, Augusta and Macon.” Then, “The North Carolina Department of Transportation received a $500,000 grant for the Charlotte to Atlanta corridor that would include stops at the Greenville-Spartanburg airport, Augusta and Athens.” And finally, the last $500,000 grant, “went to the City of Chattanooga for a corridor that would connect Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis.”
All in all this would connect Atlanta to major cities in the southeast like: Savannah, Athens, Augusta, Charlotte, Greenville, Nashville, and Memphis. This would be a huge development for travel and public transit around the southeast.
Atlantans know commuting for work in Atlanta traffic can be a nightmare to say the least, and more public transit could help ease some of the traffic tensions, congestion, accidents, and so much more.
Obviously, this is a long-term goal and would take several years to complete. But Atlanta is excited for the possibility of new public transit, and eagerly awaits the next parts of the project!