Chattanooga explores local light rail

[Smoothcat]

I posted this over in the Southeast forum, but since I'm proud of my City for actually considering this, I thought it would be good to share it here as well. Hope that's not violating any board policy.

The story in our local paper:

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2014/apr/22/chattanooga-explores-local-light-rail/

The plan is still in its infancy, but City Transportation Director Blythe Bailey said the rail service could largely use existing rail lines, which run to the downtown Chattanooga Choo Choo site, to the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport and to Enterprise South. Lines are currently in place along Holtzclaw, which could help connect Bushtown, Avondale, Orchard Knob and other neighborhoods to both downtown and to job sites like the Volkwagen plant or Amazon plant.

"It's really a matter of connecting the dots," Bailey said. "A lot of the infrastructure, because of our history, is already there."

For those that may not know, even though we are famous to many around the country for the "Chattanooga Choo Choo", the last passenger trains came through town back in the '70s. It's a shame, because the City is criss-crossed with dozens of rail lines from the heyday of the early 20th century. A lot of the network is still used for freight service, but it seems like there are parts that could be utilized in a scenario such as this. The City already offers free electric shuttle service downtown, as well as bus service throughout the City, so this would be another great step towards giving people an option to park their car. It's exciting to think of Chattanooga being one of the smaller cities in the US to get serious about rail service.

Here's a map highlighting the routes described in the article above. Knowing the existing rail network, it's not hard to imagine opportunities to extend service to the two largest suburbs, Hixson to the north and Ooltewah to the east.

http://i.imgur.com/fUgypkR.png

[BrownTown]

I'm from Chattanooga and I don't really see the purpose of this light rail. All it really connects are two large jobs centers at Enertprise South and Downtown, but there is no connection to and residential areas. Who is expected to use this on a daily basis if it doesn't come anywhere close to where people live? Also, the connection to the airport doesn't really seem that useful either because nobody even uses Chattanooga's airport.

[Smoothcat]

You bring up excellent points. I mentioned extensions to Hixson and Ooltewah - I think that would be critical to pursue, in time. That would hopefully start to pull traffic away from the interstates. Until that's done, I think the City sees the line as a tool to maybe redevelop some of the neighborhoods surrounding downtown. A lot of those are drug and gang infested right now, but maybe this could be a catalyst for that to change? I confess to being an optimist, though the realist in me also agrees that it's an uphill battle. But this would be better than doing nothing, and it is a shame to see a lot of that rail infrastructure underused.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Due to the topography that Chattanooga sits in, the city has developed in an interesting pattern. Because the area is so mountainous, it's had to develop into dense pockets confined to valleys and infrequent areas of flat land. Cities like Birmingham, Knoxville, and Asheville also fall into this category. Because of that, I think local passenger rail could be successful. However, like BrownTown said, this initial concept really only connects centers of major employment. I can see officials wanting to produce some tourist traffic by connecting the airport to downtown, but BrownTown is right in that it is lightly used. It's inconvenient to travel TO Chattanooga by air. While a light rail connection would certainly make it more appealing (probably more appealing than driving to the city) to tourists, the city would almost certainly have to work out some improvements to the city's air connections.

I don't like to be a naysayer, because I think a light rail system could work in Chattanooga, but the plan as it exists (referring to that map) is iffy. I realize this is why the city wants money to study the potential success of a system, and I hope they can arrive at some more appropriate conclusions.

[Smoothcat]

City Council approved funding for a feasibility study last night. This morning the Times Free Press published their own map of the route, which takes in a few more of the older inner-city neighborhoods, as you see below. Honestly, I think for a system to be TRULY successful in Chattanooga (i.e., enough riders to actually start to reduce congestion), it will need to offer service to the outer suburbs as well as tourist attractions. Where I live, I couldn't really take advantage of this service. It will be interesting to see what this study tells us.

http://media.timesfreepress.com/img/photos/2014/04/22/042314b01_CityCouncilRailLine_t618.jpg?ba5b5b122dd3d37cc13d83e92a6a0ec0d5bfa32a

[BrownTown]

The problem is that they have to follow the existing rail corridors and none of those corridors run where the line would need to run in order to be successful. Going to places like US Pipe (which doesn't even exist anymore) just doesn't make any sense to me. I guess they see it as a way to spur development in those locations, but it won't happen given the system shown. In order for mass transit to work you have to connect where people live to where they need to go. This plan only connects half the dots because it only goes to places of employment and not to places where the employees of those companies live.

[Lakelander]

Why are they only sticking to existing rail corridors? Perhaps it makes more since to veer off existing rail corridors in certain areas to better serve where people live. Also, why not find a path to extend to the downtown waterfront?

[LMich]

Why? Because it's ridiculously cheaper. Of course, I'd say do it right he first time, but I think it's obvious why they are using existing corridors.

[BnaBreaker]

While this doesn't really do a great job of hitting some of Chattanooga's more heavily trafficked areas, at the bargain basement price this project would cost, it's hard to really see the downside. Though, if it turns out to be a failure due to being a poor route, I guess that could hurt the possibility of expanding the system in the future. Who really would expect an American city this small to have a real light rail system to begin with though?

[Lakelander]

Why? Because it's ridiculously cheaper. Of course, I'd say do it right he first time, but I think it's obvious why they are using existing corridors.

Considering they want existing freight rail ROW, by the time they start addressing liability, it won't......assuming Norfolk Southern doesn't squash the idea before it has a chance to gain real traction.

[pdxtraveler]

I think the map shows the point being missed in a lot of the above posts. One of the great things about rail development, is developing underdeveloped areas. On the map they show all the development oppurtunites along the route. So lots of chances for new transit oriented development.

[electricron]

I'll admit I'm not aware of the geography, but I would like to remind everyone that light rail trains are limited to a maximum of 6% grades, and generally to 5% grades. Freight train lines rarely exceed 2% grades, so following existing rail corridors is easier to design and operate light rail trains, especially in a very hilly terrain.
Getting NS's permission to build a light rail system in their corridors will be a difficult assignment, but not completely impossible. They will have to meet NS price of admission.

[untitledreality]

Why? Because it's ridiculously cheaper. Of course, I'd say do it right he first time, but I think it's obvious why they are using existing corridors.
I will first admit that I have very little experience with Chattanooga, but from what little I know, I can safely assume that many of the larger roadways of the city operate nowhere near capacity. Would a center running, separated system, with signal priority be a viable option? It would seem that access should be a chief priority.

[Smoothcat]

I will first admit that I have very little experience with Chattanooga, but from what little I know, I can safely assume that many of the larger roadways of the city operate nowhere near capacity. Would a center running, separated system, with signal priority be a viable option? It would seem that access should be a chief priority.

I wouldn't say our roads are near capacity, but for a city our size, we do experience some traffic problems. Downtown Chattanooga basically sits in a bowl. The main thoroughfare through downtown, I-24, comes into the city on a narrow strip of land that was reclaimed from the Tennessee River. It exits to the east by climbing Missionary Ridge. Truck traffic can really clog both points, especially those that are slowing as they climb the Ridge. Other arterials suffer the same problem of having to cross over (or through, there are several tunnels) the Ridge.

All that being said, I'm not sure the system as proposed would do much to immediately reduce traffic congestion on the freeway system, at least. Would it would hopefully do is steer future development toward its path and help keep existing traffic from becoming worse. The routes shown on the map go through some pretty blighted neighborhoods that need all the help they can get.

As I said earlier, the good thing is, there are rails extending to some of the bigger outer suburbs. Hopefully with any initial success, expansions would be planned. That is what might help to eventually curtail some traffic problems.

[PremierAtlanta]

Oh this is excellent news. I am glad that Chattanooga is taking such a bold move. While development may not be at maximum along the line today, I can see the city implementing several TODs along the line. This proposal is an inexpensive way to plan for the future. I look forward to learning more about this proposal.

[Jasonhouse]

Any city which has usable rails not being used, needs to take the hint already.

[untitledreality]

The main thoroughfare through downtown, I-24, comes into the city on a narrow strip of land that was reclaimed from the Tennessee River. It exits to the east by climbing Missionary Ridge. Truck traffic can really clog both points, especially those that are slowing as they climb the Ridge. Other arterials suffer the same problem of having to cross over (or through, there are several tunnels) the Ridge.

All that being said, I'm not sure the system as proposed would do much to immediately reduce traffic congestion on the freeway system, at least. Would it would hopefully do is steer future development toward its path and help keep existing traffic from becoming worse. The routes shown on the map go through some pretty blighted neighborhoods that need all the help they can get.
Yeah, when I said larger roadways, I meant arterial surface streets. Mass transit along freeways wasn't a good idea in the 60s, and still isn't a good idea now.

I was envisioning utilizing the excess capacity on roadways such as Broad St, Market St, Rossville Ave, Main St, MLK Blvd, McCallie Ave, etc. It would seem a much better use of existing ROW to divert excess capacity from private auto use to dedicated mass transit, that would run through existing neighborhoods, existing commercial districts, downtown, UT Chattanooga, Alstom, BCBS Tenn, riverfront parks, the museum district, the zoo, etc

[M II A II R II K]

Hopefully LRT in general doesn't get axed in Tennessee like what happened with BRT.