2018 Atlanta CommunityProfiles

For more than 10 years, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Airport has reigned supreme as the
world’s busiest airport. Each year, more than 95 million
passengers—an average of about 250,000 each day—walk
the halls of the airport’s seven concourses and board flights
to one of the more than 200 destinations served from
one of its 207 gates. Twenty different regional, national
and international carriers operate flights from Hartsfield.
But Hartsfield-Jackson is more than just a way to get
from point A to point B, or a stopover for people on their
way to other destinations; it is a major cog in the city’s
economic wheel, with an estimated economic impact of
$32.5 billion.
History
Like the city itself, Atlanta’s airport had humble
beginnings. Back in April 1925, then-Mayor Walter
Sims signed a five-year lease on an abandoned
racetrack and committed his city to developing it into
an airfield. Four years later, the city purchased the
land (for the bargain price of $94,400) and named it
Atlanta Municipal Airport. A fledgling passenger airline
named Delta moved its headquarters from Monroe,
La., to Atlanta in 1941, paving the way for the airline’s
operations to grow. The city added passenger terminals
in the 1970s and 1980s, MARTA access arrived in 1988
and the 1.2 million-square-foot Maynard H. Jackson
Jr. International Terminal opened to much fanfare in
May 2012. These milestones are proof that the city’s
investment in its airport has more than paid off.
Getting Around
For passengers who choose to drive to the airport, the
domestic terminal is easily accessible from I-85 south
of downtown, while the new international terminal is
accessible via I-75. Parking at the airport is easy, with
more than 33,000 available spaces. For those who prefer
to make use of the city’s public transportation system,
the airport is the terminus of the Red and Gold lines
on MARTA.
Once inside Hartsfield,
passengers can use one of 57
security lanes to quickly enter
the main terminal and the
lettered concourses. An easy-touse
inter-airport train system,
known as the Automated People
Mover, travels a 3-mile loop and
connects all concourses with the
domestic terminal. Hartsfield-
Jackson boasts a whopping 114
food and beverage locations, 90
retail and convenience stores, three
duty-free stores and 56 service outlets, including ATMs,
vending machines and spas.
More Than an Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson’s statistical profile, while impressive,
only tells part of the story. In many ways, the airport is
a city unto itself, employing more than 58,000 people,
from those outside, who run airport operations like air
traffic controllers and ground crew, to those inside, like
vendors and security staff, who make traveling through
Atlanta comfortable and safe for thousands of passengers
each day.
The Future of ATL
Never a city to rest on its laurels, Atlanta has been
working long and hard to plan for both the city’s and the
airport’s future. In March 2014, leaders from a wide range
of public and private industries launched the Atlanta
Aerotropolis Alliance. The term “aerotropolis,” which
was coined by Dr. John Karsada of the University of
North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, means
using an airport as a means of urban development to
connect workers, suppliers, executives and goods. With
companies like Porsche Cars North America building
developments and bringing business to the areas near the
airport, Hartsfield-Jackson is well-positioned to enhance
its status as a vital part of the city’s economy.
GatewaY
WorlD
to the
By Gwyn Herbein
Within the airport, the success of the international
terminal has spurred further proposals for growth. In
2014, the airport’s leadership unveiled a $4 billion vision
for a variety of projects over the next 15 years. Plans for
larger parking garages, additional cargo buildings, new
concourses and an additional runway are all in the
planning stages for funding and logistics.
No matter where you are going, Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International
Airport will get you
there quickly
and safely.
Improving
Transportation
in Georgia
As the metro Atlanta area booms, the Georgia
Department of Transportation (GDOT) is
constantly looking for ways to help us all get
where we need to go faster and more efficiently.
With new houses, businesses, schools and
fun destinations popping up all over the map,
GDOT is finding innovative ways to improve
our transportation infrastructure. That goes
beyond simply building roads, GDOT wants
to give Georgians options, including some that
may help get them out of their cars. We want
to not only significantly improve everyone’s
mobility, but also boost their quality of life.
The Georgia Express Lanes are managed toll
lanes designed to offer drivers another, more
reliable, commute option. Currently, there are
two Express Lane systems in operation. North
of metro Atlanta, the I-85 High Occupancy
Toll (HOT) lanes are 16 miles that stretch
from Chamblee Tucker Road, just
south of I-285, to Old Peachtree Road
in Gwinnett County. The I-75 South
Metro Express Lanes in Clayton and
Henry counties offer commuters 12
miles of reversible managed lanes
along I-75 from SR 155/McDonough
Road to SR 138/Stockbridge Highway.
The Express Lanes add additional
capacity to accommodate more
travelers while leveraging innovative
technologies to manage traffic flow. By
charging a variable toll rate based on
the level of demand, the Express Lanes
give motorists the option to bypass congestion
and get where they need to go.
In the next two years, the Northwest Corridor
and I-85 Extension Express Lanes systems
will be available for motorists. Scheduled to
open in summer 2018, the Northwest Corridor
Express Lanes project will add almost 30
miles of reversible toll lanes along I-75 from
Akers Mill Road to Hickory Grove Road and
along I-575 from I-75 to Sixes Road. The I-85
Extension, scheduled to open fall 2018, will
add one northbound and one southbound toll
lane north of the existing Express Lanes on
I-85 at Old Peachtree Road to Hamilton Mill
Road.
Additional Express Lanes projects will come
online in next 10 years to improve travel
along the top end of I-285 in Atlanta with the
addition of managed toll lanes operating in
each direction along I-285 from I-75 to I-85
and the State Route 400 Express Lanes. As
Georgia’s network of managed toll lanes
grows and more systems open, commuters
will be able to decide if this travel option is
right for them.
To use any of Georgia’s Express Lanes,
drivers must register for a Peach Pass (www.
peachpass.com) with the State and Road
Tollway Authority (SRTA). Placed inside the
car, the Peach Pass automatically deducts the
corresponding fee for each trip in the lanes.
Transit riders and registered vanpools are
exempt from the toll, offering their customers
a more reliable trip at no extra cost.
To further enhance Georgia’s transportation
infrastructure, the Georgia legislature passed
the Transportation Funding Act (TFA) in
2015 to provide sustainable support for local
roadway and bridge improvements and
several large-scale projects that will enhance
mobility for years to come.
Metro Atlanta is a wonderful place to live.
GDOT will continue to focus on expanding
mobility options, improving infrastructure
and enhancing the quality of life for all of our
residents.
Please visit us at http://www.dot.ga.gov/ for
more information about the ways GDOT is
helping Georgians keep moving.
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CommunityProfiles >> 2018/2019