Officials grease tracks for high-speed rail
bcarroll@timesfreepress.com
Online: Hear Dalton-Whitfield Chamber president Brian Anderson talk about funding the study of a high-speed rail between Atlanta and Chattanooga airports. Comment. North Georgia leaders hope to win support and money from the Obama administration for a high-speed train to link the Atlanta and Chattanooga airports. “Outside of buying the train technology, (which) is a small amount of the cost from what I’ve been told by consultants, $4 billion is the rough estimate of the cost to (construct) the line from Chattanooga to Atlanta,” said Brian Anderson, president of the Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce. “That will all be built locally, meaning local steel, concrete, labor, putting a lot of people to work. That’s a lot of job creation that can’t be shipped in from China or Singapore,” he said. U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, RTenn., said a maglev train would be a natural project for President Barack Obama’s administration. “One thing about the Obama administration, they are going into this large infrastructure investment era,” Rep. Wamp said. “If high-speed rail is not part of that, it will be a real shame.” A coalition made up the Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce, the city of Chattanooga and the Southeastern Eastern Economic Alliance last month pledged nearly $4 million for the Georgia Department of Transportation’s application for a $15 million federal transportation grant. The local commitment is required to win a grant for continuing a magnetic levitation, high-speed train feasibility study, said Steve Farrow, 9th District board member of GDOT. Catoosa and Whitfield counties committed $150,000 and $348,000, respectively, toward the Whitfield Chamber’s commitment of $1.25 million. The Southeastern Alliance and Chattanooga each pledged $1.25 million to make up the nearly $4 million. A Washington, D.C.-based consultant estimated that the train could be running in about 12 years, if the studies continue and funding is available. “We have completed a lot of the engineering and environmental work that would be necessary when this project is ready to go out for bids,” Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield said. “We haven’t wasted time or funds.” PROJECT FACTS Atlanta to Chattanooga: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Atlanta, to Chattanooga Municipal Airport Entire route length: 117 miles Top operating speed: 255 mph Trip times: Downtown Atlanta-Chattanooga, 51 minutes; Hartsfield-Jackson Airport-Chattanooga, 60 minutes. Cost: $2.2 billion (price level 2002) Extensions: Nashville, Savannah, Ga. Preparation work: Competing for $45 million Source: U.S. Maglev Coalition Website NOTE: Also ran in the North Georgia edition