A proposed plan to connect Chattanooga and Atlanta via high-speed rail, 17 years in the making, appears to be dead in the water. Chattanooga will now turn its attentions to a possible light rail system.
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke "says a 17-year-old plan to connect the Scenic City to Atlanta with a bullet train is likely stopped in its tracks," according to an article by Louie Brogdon. Mayor Berke told Brogdon and other reporters from the Chattanooga Times Free Press that the project lacks the political will or the funding to come to fruition.
A separate article by Tasnim Shamma describes the proposed project: "The high-speed rail line would extend 110 miles along Interstate 75 from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to downtown Chattanooga. It’s been in the planning stages since 1998."
The project was viable enough a few years ago to receive a $13.8 million federal grant for environmental studies. Chattanooga spent $1.3 million of its own money on the same study, while Georgia added $1.5 million.
Brogdon also reports that Chattanooga is moving forward with a feasibility study to explore the possibility of converting some of the city's seldom used rail lines into a light rail public transit system.
FULL STORY: Light rail possible for Chattanooga, but bullet train unlikely, Berke says

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions