Images 2023 by Atlanta Beltline, Inc.

Exciting news! Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. is taking huge steps toward making BeltLine rail transit a reality. Yesterday ABI released their vision for 22 miles of light rail BeltLine transit, which also includes grass tracks! They also announced their transit planning study for a 13.6-mile portion of the corridor. 

The first phase of BeltLine rail transit, the Streetcar East Extension, is finally entering a new design phase. BeltLine Rail Now looks forward to engaging as a stakeholder with HDR, the consulting firm chosen to take the design of the SCE from 30% to 70%. We recognize seamless operations of the SCE rely heavily upon the functionality of the existing streetcar, which has multiple problems. 

The current downtown streetcar was designed as the first phase of a rail transit network. People complain that it doesn’t go anywhere, but the SCE was always planned as the next phase, extending the current line to Ponce City Market. This will connect downtown to the Eastside Trail’s dense corridor, thus providing many opportunities for jobs and recreation. There have been many delays in getting the SCE underway, leading people to assume the current streetcar is a stand-alone project, but that was never the intent. Further extensions will take the streetcar south and north on the BeltLine and west from its current downtown terminus past the GWCC, Centennial Yards, and through the Atlanta University Center campus and onto the Beltline on the west side.

BRN and the Transportation Committee of the Sierra Club of Georgia recently collaborated on a letter to elected officials, MARTA, and Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. In this letter, we set forth our ideas for fixes to the current streetcar. We believe these important and common-sense improvements should be incorporated into the current design as a part of the completion of the SCE project. 

The MARTA board is in agreement. At the July 13, 2023, MARTA Board of Directors meeting, Chair Thomas Worthy introduced an amendment to the resolution approving the selection of the design firm HDR. The amended resolution states that the existing downtown streetcar’s problems should be corrected as a part of the SCE project.

Current funding for fixing the streetcar is slated to come from More MARTA. In order to ensure the best outcome for combined streetcar lines, we recommend the funding base be broadened to include money from the following sources: the Eastside TAD for sections downtown, Central Alabama Progress/Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, BeltLine TAD, and Future Renew Atlanta T-SPLOST $0.04 sales tax bonds, and Atlanta DOT. Broadening the funding base will ensure enough money remains in More MARTA to design the beautiful SCE we all want.

Watch this space in the coming weeks for more ideas on achieving the project’s best possible outcome. Meanwhile, please contact everyone below and urge them to ensure that the SCE is a world-class project by making necessary modifications to the existing streetcar and by broadening the funding base to achieve needed improvements.

The Honorable Andre Dickens 
Atlanta Mayor 
adickens@atlantaga.gov

Councilmember Amir Farokhi
Chair, Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee
arfarokhi@atlantaga.gov

Mr. Collie Greenwood
CEO, MARTA
cgreenwood@itsmarta.com

Mr. Clyde Higgs
CEO, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
chiggs@atlbeltline.org