Opinion ID: 1301632
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Transit Station.

Text: The trial court held that the MARTA transit station will be constructed on a part of the property owned by plaintiffs in fee simple and therefore constituted a taking of plaintiffs' property for which just and adequate compensation must first be paid. This holding seems to be based on the ruling of the trial court that the prohibition of vehicular traffic on Sycamore Street will constitute a closing of the street and a termination of the city's easement. If so, then the city would have no interest to convey to MARTA. However, since we have concluded that the exclusion of motor vehicles from the 100 block of Sycamore Street will not terminate the city's easement, the question presented by the location of the transit station is whether it is a permitted use of the easement as contended by MARTA. The gravamen of MARTA's argument, based on such cases as Atlanta & W. P. R. Co. v. Atlanta, B. & A. R. Co., 125 Ga. 529, supra; Athens Terminal Co. v. Athens Foundry &c. Works, 129 Ga. 393 (58 SE 891) (1907); Southern R. Co. v. Atlanta R. &c. Co., 111 Ga. 679 (36 SE 873) (1900); and County of Floyd v. Rome Street R. Co., 77 Ga. 614 (3 SE 3) (1887), is that since an easement by implied dedication has been interpreted in Georgia as going to the public in the broadest sense and encompassing modes of travel which were unpracticed and unknown at the time of the dedication, it follows that a subway is a permitted use of such an easement and is not an additional servitude on the underlying fee. In addition, MARTA urges that since a transit station is necessarily incident to a subway system it also falls within the parameters of the easement. We do not agree with the latter conclusion. While an easement by implied dedication is not limited in use to a particular mode of travel, nevertheless, the primary concern in determining whether a certain use is an additional servitude is whether the street will remain open as a public way of passage. In Atlanta & W. P. R. Co. v. Atlanta, B. & A. R. Co., supra, pp. 546-548, the court framed the test of an additional servitude in terms of whether the proposed use is such as to exclude from the street other permissible uses. All streets are ... within the police regulation of the several municipalities, but, except as controlled by that regulation, there is nothing in the nature of a street to prevent its free use as a way of passage by all people in all of the modes which are not exclusive but which are consistent with the general public use. Id. pp. 545, 546. [One] may employ any kind of vehicle or conveyance, so long as the same does not exclude others from the enjoyment of the way. If the character of the vehicle or the method of its use be such as to introduce the idea of exclusive use, it will not be permitted; but if it be not such, it would be wrong to prevent it. Id. p. 547. On the basis of this analysis, commercial railroads have been held to be an additional servitude while street railways have been held not to be an additional servitude. See Athens Terminal Co. v. Athens Works &c. supra, p. 399 (commercial railroad); Atlanta & W. P. R. Co. v. Atlanta, B. & A. R. Co., supra, p. 547 (commercial railroad); Southern R. Co. v. Atlanta R. &c. Co., supra (street railway); County of Floyd v. Rome Street R. Co., 77 Ga. 614, supra (street railway). This court has not previously determined whether a subway would be an additional servitude. However, courts of other states, using a standard similar to Georgia's, have held that subways do not constitute an additional servitude on a street easement. See Colonial Furniture Co. v. Cleveland Union Terminal Co., 47 Ohio App. 399 (191 NE 903) (1939); Sears v. Crocker, 184 Mass. 586 (69 NE 327) (1904). Although a subway use may be a permissible use of an easement for street purposes, it does not necessarily follow that a transit station is also permissible. While a station is a necessary appurtenance to subway travel, its status as a use of the easement must be determined by reference to its effect on the street as a way of passage. When thus considered, it is clear that the transit station structure represents a far more exclusive use than even a commercial railroad. Accordingly, we find that the MARTA transit station will be an additional servitude on the underlying fee, and the trial court properly enjoined construction of the project until adequate and just compensation is first paid to plaintiffs for the taking of their property for the transit station.