Could Brightline connect us to Florida? (Atlanta, Savannah: costs, beaches, train)

[Need4Camaro]

Florida is nice but its expensive and humid.

As for brightline... Maybe ...but for the cost vs effect (unless we're talking using existing rails) ... I just don't see the point. Already cheap and easy to fly, and the drive isn't terribly long either. Would cost alot of money would still have to compete against 2 other methods of transportation... I don't see how it could recoup its ROI.

[SEAandATL]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Florida is nice but its expensive and humid.

As for brightline... Maybe ...but for the cost vs effect (unless we're talking using existing rails) ... I just don't see the point. Already cheap and easy to fly, and the drive isn't terribly long either. Would cost alot of money would still have to compete against 2 other methods of transportation... I don't see how it could recoup its ROI.

If Florida had mountains like the Smokies of TN and NC and a climate that's more seasonal then it would be the perfect state.

Or better yet if Georgia had the nice things that Florida or Japan have like the larger cities and a bullet train system to connect them. Imagine if Savannah, Columbus, Macon, and Augusta were the size of Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville in addition to Atlanta as is. Also the freeway system/roads are better in FL like the Turnpike.

Florida used to be cheap, like 10+ years ago. I wish I could have kept the condo I purchased in the JAX area.

[chiatldal]

Originally Posted by ggplicks

Living next to a big nice body of water is so nice. The biggest thing missing from Atlanta imo. Not even a river or anything. Loved how Savannah you have the riverwalk then 25 minutes away you got Tybee Island Beach.

The Chattahoochee, there actually plans to make it a linear park with trails. improve access to it etc.

Chattahoochee RiverLand


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OciD19RDtc


https://www.tpl.org/wp-content/uploa...0917-small.jpg

[SEAandATL]

If we had Brightline in Georgia would we have as many incidents of people/cars getting hit by the trains?

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by SEAandATL

If we had Brightline in Georgia would we have as many incidents of people/cars getting hit by the trains?

It's really hard to answer that on a statistical level. They happen everywhere. U.S. drivers are just dumb.

[cwkimbro]

The problem we have is we are too far away from other sizable metropolitan cities.

Brightline is connected fast growing markets that are the 3 largest markets in a state of over 20 million people in a much shorter distance. They also had access to existing rail right of ways that were not freight-congested.

There is an advantage to not being a freight hub for the interior of the US that Florida has. They are more of a peripheral connection.

We will likely need more money to connect fewer people over greater distances. This means we need much more than mostly private funding to make it happen.

The project would likely be most beneficial for small and mid-size markets between Atlanta and Nashville, Georgia's secondary cities, Upstate South Carolina, and Birmingham. It helps link industrial investment that can't exist inside a top 15 metropolitan area.


The more I travel in Europe, the more you start to realize Europe is not about megacities or large downtowns. They have spread out employment districts, but many more people exist in smaller to mid-size cities that are outlying from major cities. One reason rail travel is so popular, is many Europeans don't live in the largest cities, but in much smaller outlying urban areas 30 minutes to 3 hours from them.

[SEAandATL]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

The problem we have is we are too far away from other sizable metropolitan cities.

Brightline is connected fast growing markets that are the 3 largest markets in a state of over 20 million people in a much shorter distance. They also had access to existing rail right of ways that were not freight-congested.

There is an advantage to not being a freight hub for the interior of the US that Florida has. They are more of a peripheral connection.

We will likely need more money to connect fewer people over greater distances. This means we need much more than mostly private funding to make it happen.

The project would likely be most beneficial for small and mid-size markets between Atlanta and Nashville, Georgia's secondary cities, Upstate South Carolina, and Birmingham. It helps link industrial investment that can't exist inside a top 15 metropolitan area.


The more I travel in Europe, the more you start to realize Europe is not about megacities or large downtowns. They have spread out employment districts, but many more people exist in smaller to mid-size cities that are outlying from major cities. One reason rail travel is so popular, is many Europeans don't live in the largest cities, but in much smaller outlying urban areas 30 minutes to 3 hours from them.

Yeah, that's another disadvantage about GA being a mono-metropolis state and makes us different from Florida or Japan, or many European countries for that matter. It's too bad at least Savannah is not a large metropolis, otherwise a bullet train between ATL and SAV via Macon would be ideal.

[kyle19125]

I would think economically focusing on connection to the Northeast Corridor (DC-BAL-PHL-NYC-BOS) makes better sense and would be a massive game changer to connect Atlanta, Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham. Such a connection would further solidify the East Coast as the country's economic powerhouse and do wonders for corporate growth/relocation with higher speed rail travel through the entire region.

[chiatldal]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

The problem we have is we are too far away from other sizable metropolitan cities.

Brightline is connected fast growing markets that are the 3 largest markets in a state of over 20 million people in a much shorter distance. They also had access to existing rail right of ways that were not freight-congested.

There is an advantage to not being a freight hub for the interior of the US that Florida has. They are more of a peripheral connection.

We will likely need more money to connect fewer people over greater distances. This means we need much more than mostly private funding to make it happen.

The project would likely be most beneficial for small and mid-size markets between Atlanta and Nashville, Georgia's secondary cities, Upstate South Carolina, and Birmingham. It helps link industrial investment that can't exist inside a top 15 metropolitan area.


The more I travel in Europe, the more you start to realize Europe is not about megacities or large downtowns. They have spread out employment districts, but many more people exist in smaller to mid-size cities that are outlying from major cities. One reason rail travel is so popular, is many Europeans don't live in the largest cities, but in much smaller outlying urban areas 30 minutes to 3 hours from them.

Actually, Atlanta is surrounded by more cities, The piedmont megalopolis is more populated than the Florida megalopolis.

Greenville is 975k MSA, 1.6 mil MSA.
Charlotte is 2.8 mil MSA 3.4 mil MSA
Greensboro 790k MSA Greensboro/Winston-Salem 1.7 mil CSA
Raleigh is 1.5 mil MSA, Raleigh–Durham 2.3 million.

Plus Atlanta and Birmingham that's 17.9 million just on the corridor. that actually more than Florida peninsula, let alone Florida Brightline route 15 mil.



It's funny there more videos on Youtube talking about the non existing Cascadia as megalopolis then the Piedmont. Which is on most overtly oblivious things looking at US map

Maybe because Georgia doesn't have any other large metro people mistake that as Atlanta is isolated.. Florida is elongated North and South. But The piedmont is Northeast to Southwest elongated and The Piedmont is more than Florida peninsula.

All three of NC largest metros are on the piedmont. SC is more balance with Columbia, and Charleston but still it's largest MSA/CSA is on the piedmont. Georgia no comment. Alabama while actually the Cumberland plateu it still follows the pattern of the piedmont cities.

There have been talks High speed rail connecting The piedmont cities for decades. But one thing not mention in this thread is the US Airline and auto industry against rail. They have lobbyist and influence on politicians. That maybe one of the reasons Brightline is private.

[SEAandATL]

Originally Posted by chiatldal

Actually, Atlanta is surrounded by more cities, The piedmont megalopolis is more populated than the Florida megalopolis.

Greenville is 975k MSA, 1.6 mil MSA.
Charlotte is 2.8 mil MSA 3.4 mil MSA
Greensboro 790k MSA Greensboro/Winston-Salem 1.7 mil CSA
Raleigh is 1.5 mil MSA, Raleigh–Durham 2.3 million.

Plus Atlanta and Birmingham that's 17.9 million just on the corridor. that actually more than Florida peninsula, let alone Florida Brightline route 15 mil.



It's funny there more videos on Youtube talking about the non existing Cascadia as megalopolis then the Piedmont. Which is on most overtly oblivious things looking at US map

Maybe because Georgia doesn't have any other large metro people mistake that as Atlanta is isolated.. Florida is elongated North and South. But The piedmont is Northeast to Southwest elongated and The Piedmont is more than Florida peninsula.

All three of NC largest metros are on the piedmont. SC is more balance with Columbia, and Charleston but still it's largest MSA/CSA is on the piedmont. Georgia no comment. Alabama while actually the Cumberland plateu it still follows the pattern of the piedmont cities.

There have been talks High speed rail connecting The piedmont cities for decades. But one thing not mention in this thread is the US Airline and auto industry against rail. They have lobbyist and influence on politicians. That maybe one of the reasons Brightline is private.

But those are all in other states so it would be part of an interstate rail system rather than Georgia's own, or as Brightline is Florida's own thing currently.