Could Atlanta Transit Be Profitable…Again?

Atlanta’s first electric streetcar line was introduced in 1889 and operated on private funds. 

And it was profitable. 

The streetcar ran from Joel Hurt’s downtown skyscraper, the Hurt Building, along Edgewood Avenue to Inman Park. 

Edgewood Avenue was originally built for horsecars but electric streetcars replaced them just 3 years later.

Just like the Atlanta & Edgewood Street Railway, BeltLine transit systems could come online in public/private partnerships and be operated profitably. 

Microsoft, for example, is developing a 70-acre campus adjacent to Westside Park. 

The company chose the site in part because of proximity to Bankhead MARTA Station. 

This project has already attracted $6 million in funds to upgrade the MARTA Station. 

It’s not too hard to imagine history repeating itself with a large company like Microsoft investing in a transit system if it could be operated at a profit.

Such systems are emerging around the world and have attracted almost $90 billion dollars to the investment pipeline.

And, just like the horsecar, the electric streetcar will one day be replaced with a better transit solution.

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