Seeking a Car-free Life in Capitol View
“I choose to be transit-dependent because I find transit much more enjoyable and less stressful than driving.”
I live on the BeltLine in SW Atlanta. I’ve strongly supported the Streetcar East Extension ever since I first saw the signs opposing it along the Eastside trail. I struggled to understand why anyone would oppose this project. We’ve been given the once-in-a-century opportunity of a 22-mile dedicated right-of-way that encircles the city’s core. A full light rail loop complementing our MARTA heavy rail lines would transform our transit network for generations.
Over the past year, I’ve been phasing my car out of my life, opting for biking and MARTA rail/buses. I choose to be transit-dependent because I find transit much more enjoyable and less stressful than driving (and because it saves me plenty of money). Though this may seem obvious, rail is always my fastest and most efficient transportation option. It is also the most accessible for those with limited mobility due to level boarding on the stations’ platforms and elevators. This is why every transit and feasibility study thus far shows light rail as the preferred modality on the BeltLine. It is also, conveniently, the mode that the BeltLine has been planning to have for decades. So let’s keep this project on track and not overcomplicate things.
BeltLine rail's planned stop in Adair Park connects the southside where Eric lives to the entire city. Map courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.
Though I don’t live on the Eastside trail, I frequently bike through and spend time there. Every time I’ve had a visitor this past year, I’ve shown them the Eastside trail. I always point out the transit right-of-way and tell them to imagine hopping on a climate-controlled streetcar at Ponce City Market and being able to go all the way to downtown. If they have a bike/scooter? No problem – bring it on board. Inevitably, each friend who has visited has been excited about the project when I tell them about it. And that’s just the beginning. Once the full loop is built out, I could walk 5 minutes to my nearest light rail stop on the SW side and ride over to my church in Ormewood Park or up to Krog St. According to the 2015 Streetcar System Plan, there is a planned Adair Park stop which is consistent with the plan to have BeltLine rail stops about every half mile. It sounds almost too good to be true, but that’s the kind of transformational opportunity we have and why we must keep this project moving forward. With BeltLine rail in the works, I feel better than ever about my decision to go car-free in Atlanta.
Eric Strickland is a Georgia Tech alum (2016) and moved back to Atlanta a year ago after leaving for East Tennessee in 2018. He’s a member of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Ormewood Park, lives in Capitol View, and teaches at an elementary school in the Pittsburgh neighborhood.
