To the editor:
The digging has now begun, pun intended. Atlanta’s streetcar: 1.3 miles; 12 stops; $94 million. Cars expected to last 20 years; fare set at $2.50 to match MARTA. However, some riders will transfer ‘free” from MARTA, so those riders will not provide marginal revenue for the streetcar. Even if we ignore that problem and assume every rider will provide the $2.50 fare, here is how this plays out.
$94 million (today’s revised estimate) divided by $2.50 fare = 37.6 million fares over 20 years. Assuming the streetcar operates 365 days each year with steady ridership and no significant service interruptions, it will require 1,880,000 fares each year which is 5,150 fares per day.
Some good news is the cars will likely last far beyond the budgeted 20 years because after the first summer of operation, many of them will be retired to the garage. Dusting will be the only maintenance required.
Who among us would argue with a straight face for the success of this venture? That is, who other that Mayor Reid and his cronies? Let’s see, there’s Transportation Sec. LaHood, who is likely responsible for delivering Atlanta for Obama’s campaign.
And of course the multitude of construction contractors who will be the payees as the $94 million is dispersed. And the huge bureaucracy to oversee and approve budget overruns. Probably not the owners of all those small businesses along the streets that will suffer from lost business during construction.
Nor the new businesses to come, hopeful proprietors who invest life savings in anticipation of throngs of new foot traffic, which will likely never come in sufficient numbers.
I have no way to know for sure, but I would not be surprised to learn this idea was pitched to Bernie Marcus back when he was looking for a way to invest his charity in Atlanta. He decided a better risk was spending $250 million to build a tank to hold 8.5 million gallons of water and more than 120,000 fragile fish.
Ladies and gentlemen – if providing dedicated transportation between the King Center and Centennial Park is such a good idea; if there will be so many people standing in line to make that 1.3 mile, 10-minute jaunt through Atlanta; and if it will be such a boon for tourism and local businesses – then let us start it right away!
Never mind waiting 2-3 years while the streets are cut and covered, the platforms are built, signs installed, etc. Instead, why not create a special MARTA bus route with special painted buses?
If the proponents feel buses will not attract enough attention and riders, well then, let’s buy a fleet of Rolls-Royce or Cadillac limousines, have them covered in gold leaf to make them truly unique and start the service (and raking in the fares) before the first day of spring. Now that’s a trip I would gladly pay $2.50 to experience!
Additionally, when dignitaries come to town, a gold limo could be pulled for special service duty. But you can’t drive a streetcar except where the rails are. (People born before 1960 might remember Atlanta had streetcars before. They were impractical and too expensive to operate. We are surely on course to reconfirm that decision from 60 years ago.)
If the whole thing bombs, we could sell them to celebrities and drug dealers and convert the station platforms into fruit stands.
People will walk to a fresh fruit stand.
Clayton Conarro