Historically, Chattanooga owes its existence to the Tennessee River. The city's riverfront-based renaissance proves that's still the case.
In popular culture, however, railroads are associated with the city far more often the waterway. Don't believe it? Think "Chattanooga Choo Choo," the 1940s tune that put the city's name on the lips of millions. Think, too, of "The Great Locomotive Chase," the popular 1956 movie that recounted a Civil War event -- Andrew's Raid -- that played out on the tracks between Atlanta and Chattanooga.
It's still hard to overlook the role of railroads here. Trains are a constant in any fact-based account of Chattanooga's growth and development.
Though the city long ago lost passenger service, Chattanooga and the surrounding region still are knit together by a network of rails. The traffic is exclusively freight now, but that should not be the case forever. If thoughtful planners here and elsewhere are heeded -- and they should be -- passenger trains could be a part of Chattanooga's transportation infrastructure soon.
That possibility was enhanced this week when Atlanta officials agreed to commit funds to a study of high-speed, or bullet, train service between Chattanooga and their city. Officials here have touted the possibility of such a connection for years, and previously committed funds to studies related to it. But it's the first time, officials say, that Atlanta has made such a commitment.
Additional money from the federal government and the Georgia Department of Transportation will help underwrite the environmental assessment of a high-speed train between the cities. A report could be issued in 2012.
The study is welcome, but more is needed. Any meaningful effort to modernize the nation's railways -- including the Atlanta-Chattanooga connection and similar ones between other cities -- will require significant changes in the way transportation infrastructure is perceived and funded. Currently, highways rule. That must change. And Congress must lead the charge to do so, even if it means cutting the umbilical cord that ties rich highway and auto lobbyists to elected officials.
For two generations, the federal government has favored expansion of the highway system through cushy legislation and funding arrangements. The result is obvious. Ever-expanding roads and suburbs that lead to increasing congestion and pollution are the norm in many places. Residents of Atlanta and its environs, for example, now face one of the longest commutes between home and work in the nation.
Policy changes at the state and federal levels that would shift funding from highways to a well-designed system of high-speed and conventional railroads are necessary to resolve the congestion and pollution associated with highways. Initial expenses to create such a system would be high, but the benefits of efficient trains, like one that could connect Chattanooga and Atlanta, would accrue for decades -- without reducing the mobility that is a cherished part of the U.S. lifestyle.
Chattanooga has a vested interest in pursuing passenger rail service. Atlanta, at last, seems to understand that trains will play an important role in its and the nation's future. Investment in joint a rail study now is a fine first step toward building a regional rail transportation infrastructure to meet the needs of the 21st century. It should not be the last.