Transit on the Atlanta Beltline advances equity by laying a more equitable and sustainable foundation for a future Atlanta – a city much larger than the one we see today. This future is fueled by powerful economic forces of change, but the Atlanta Beltline – especially its transit component – will help the city manage that change so that it benefits existing residents and businesses. If we also follow through on policies and investments for other equity goals like affordable housing, economic opportunity, and workforce development, Atlanta can be a model city of the future. We can catalyze new ways of thinking and set new expectations for project delivery that reach beyond transit to define success by a wide range of equity goals.  

Dear City Hall, Dear MARTA. Dear decision makers, dear agency staffers, dear community organizers, dear ordinary citizens who may not have been around when we got started in 2001. Dear young people who were children at that time. Dear anyone who cares about this city’s future – the Atlanta Beltline needs your help.

A year and a half after the November 2016 referendum, MARTA released its draft plan for how to spend $2.5 billion of City of Atlanta taxpayer money on transit – a plan dubbed “More MARTA.” I guess since I was outspoken about it before the news came out, and since the plan includes only one third of the Atlanta Beltline, several people have asked what I think. Here’s my initial reply.

To define Atlanta’s transit future, learn from its past failures

This call isn’t only about transit. It’s a much wider call-to-action because without transit – soon and urgently – we won’t get the Beltline we’ve been talking about all these years. Regarding the use of $2.5+ billion from the 2016 MARTA referendum in the City of Atlanta, here’s what I think we should be asking for:

Our collective memory of the Atlanta Beltline’s story is important – especially regarding its more challenging aspects like equity, affordability, and transit. We’ve made many commitments over the years, but there has also been a lot of turnover in leadership and staff at both City Hall and MARTA. My intent with the following timeline, therefore, is simply to articulate my account of these commitments regarding transit so that the best decisions can be made about transit implementation.

A post from Ryan Gravel - Transit on the Atlanta Beltline is an essential part of these long-promised outcomes. That’s why we voted for it. We know intuitively that without urgent investment in transit, the Beltline will become what everyone fears – a beautiful greenway flanked by gentrified neighborhoods for people who can afford the luxury of that choice. That’s not what we wanted. That’s not what we voted for. It’s not too late. Please speak up and support #beltlinetransitnow.

Bus Rapid Transit looks great in the street. But in an old rail corridor like the Atlanta Beltline, you have to build a new street.