MMPT, 1991-1995

The MMPT took shape in 1991 through federal transportation legislation. Congressman John Lewis pushed the project’s inclusion in that year’s Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement Act (ISTEA). The state and the City of Atlanta provided matching money to secure the ISTEA funding. The City alone spent $2,828,758 over the next five years, underwriting design work and buying a property on Forsyth Avenue. Much of the rest of the money also went toward design work, all of which has long since been discarded.[1]

 

ForsythAlabama

Looking east across Forsyth and down Alabama Street. Tom Rogers, 2015.

 

MMPT1995

1995 rendering of the MMPT. Courtesy Georgia Archive.

Architectural renderings emerged in 1995, the product of numerous meetings between Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) officials, City officials, consultants, and the public. The station had a long, high central concourse, with wings on either side.

 

Congressman Lewis pushed for funding once again in 1997, along with Senator Max Cleland, securing more than $20 million through the 1997 Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). But that money sat unused, as City and state sources failed to produce enough matching funding to release the federal allocation.[2]

 

An internal discussion document prepared for the City by consulting firm A. T. Kearney at the end of 1995 offers some clues about why the various government agencies failed to realize these plans. The firm pointed out that the MMPT had limited “stakeholder support,” the project had few promising development opportunities for private investors, and the projected passenger traffic was low.[3]

 

MMPT1995

1991-1995
MMPT2002

1999-2003
2014 MMPT GDOT

2011-2014
GulchS

Failed MMPT?

 

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[1] January 23, 1996 letter from Atlanta Mayor’s Office to Doug Alexander, in RCB 60160, Multi-Modal/City of Atlanta Folder, Georgia Archives.

[2] Georgia Department of Transportation, Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal Status Report, July 13, 1998, Project DPM-0011 (001), Fulton County Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal, GDOT P. I. #770310, in RCB 60160, Multi-Modal/City of Atlanta Folder, Georgia Archives.

[3] A. T. Kearney, “Development of a Multi-modal Passenger Terminal. Discussion document/For internal use only,” November 22, 1995, in RCB 60160, Multi-Modal/City of Atlanta Folder, Georgia Archives.