(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2020)
Cohen, Sophia A.
This paper analyzes the historical and social impacts of American passenger rail to highlight a solution to lacking connectivity and transportation options for rural Georgians. Rural Georgians need a lasting and adequate solution to the issue of lacking access to jobs, healthcare, and neighboring areas. Supplemented by Van services that ineffectively address the core issue of an inexistent reliable transportation system, the creation of a passenger rail line utilizing existing freight tracks along the Atlanta, Macon, Savannah route would encompass and serve the surrounding rural communities. Analyzing the specific actions for federal, state, and municipal governments to take, there is data supporting the substantial benefits passenger rail can have on the rural areas as well as urban areas by decreasing commuting traffic in urban centers.