***PRESS RELEASE***

CONTACT: Matthew Rao
(404) 354-5280
chair@beltlinerailnow.org
beltlinerailnow.com

Clyde Higgs’ Secret Attempt To Kill Beltline Rail

Atlanta, GA --- 
Press Release
For Immediate Release
January 21, 2026

ATLANTA, GA – BeltLine Rail Now condemns the secret actions of Atlanta BeltLine Inc CEO Clyde Higgs to usurp the decision-making authority and responsibility of the MARTA Board of Directors. At a meeting of the Project Governance Committee (PGC) in May, 2025, as reported by Sara Gregory of the AJC on January 20th, 2026. Higgs introduced a motion to suspend funding for MARTA’s Streetcar East Extension, which had only one dissenting vote, from now-former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood.

The secret vote was held without any public engagement or comment, without engaging the MARTA Board, and with little debate or discussion at the PGC meeting itself. There was absolutely no public announcement of this extremely significant vote, not even to the MARTA Board. This is a huge breach of public trust. It undermines the public's faith in ABI, which had stood for vigorous public engagement prior to Higgs’ recent abandonment of light rail on the Beltline Eastside Trail at the Mayor's behest in 2023.

It is solely the responsibility of the MARTA Board to advance, substantially modify, or cancel the projects within More MARTA. The PGC does not have the authority to cancel Streetcar East or its funding. And suspending funding for the project two years after it began is equivalent to cancelling it.

Higgs and Mayor Andre Dickens have consistently ignored the will of voters expressed in 2016, when they passed the More MARTA referendum by 71% and approved the half-penny sales tax for transit expansion, which has brought in close to $800 million. Beltline rail was prominently featured in the referendum's advertising, and close to $17 million has been spent on studies and design work by MARTA and ABI. $9.1 million has been spent specifically on the Streetcar East Extension, which reached a stage of 40-50% design in 2025 and has close to $300 million set aside for construction. Revenue service to Ponce City Market from Peachtree Center MARTA via the extension onto the Beltline could be operational in less than 3 years.

Killing Streetcar East means there will be no expansion of rail transit in Atlanta for at least 7-10 years. Forgoing it does not expedite Southside light rail, which is not even in the design phase. Both must proceed immediately, which means building SCE now and entering the design phase for the southside and the rest of the 22-mile loop as soon as possible, as voters have demanded.

The MARTA Board meets next at 1:30 PM on Thursday, February 12th, at MARTA HQ at Lindbergh City Center. Public comment occurs at the beginning of the meeting. 

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