Transforming Transportation in the Peach State
There were an estimated 10.91 million people living in Georgia in 2022.
Yet Amtrak, the United States’ nationwide passenger rail provider, reported that only 108,958 people utilized one of the four long distance routes operated by the company running through the state across five different stations.
In the state’s capital, Atlanta, MARTA, the city’s rail transit network, tracked over 16.5 million trips over the 12 month period.
These numbers, especially compared to the billions of miles driven by automobiles throughout the state each year, suggest that passenger rail demand in Georgia is essentially non-existent.
Yet public engagement tells a different story, that interest across the state exists for a better network. Survey after survey reveals that these ridership numbers could, and should, be much, much higher.
There is so much untapped passenger rail potential in Georgia. With the right investments, expanded service could transform the way people travel to, from, and within the state.
Improving Mobility in Georgia
Linked below is a StoryMap detailing plans for a revolutionary passenger rail network within the Peach State. This plan would connect dozens of communities by utilizing already existing freight rail right-of-ways and infrastructure.
With major rail hubs in Atlanta, Macon, Augusta, and Savannah, this plan would completely transform the transportation landscape in Georgia. Connections to major cities in neighboring states, such as Chattanooga and Nashville, Tennessee, Greenville, South Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, Birmingham, Alabama, and Jacksonville, Florida, were also taken into consideration.
Scroll through the StoryMap below or click here to view it full screen in a new tab!