Light rail, a trusted mode of transportation across the world, grows in capacity as ridership does, and preserves the BeltLine greenway that is so cherished. Doing nothing? That would be a colossal missed opportunity – 22 miles of dedicated right of way with zero connectivity to the 45 neighborhoods it rings.

Are you as gobsmacked as we are by the mayor’s latest interview?!? Has he really done a 180, or will this keep going and end up as a 360? Although we've walked straight forward on our mission from day 1, we're getting dizzy.

In this latest Rail Writers column, we hear from downtown resident Lauren von Hollen, who gives a perspective on commuting by bicycle to the BeltLine from her downtown home. We haven't featured this perspective before, and it is an important one as there are thousands of others like Lauren who live downtown and who will benefit from the Streetcar East Extension, which entered the final design phase with MARTA consultant HDR last month. Read on for her perspective.

Our city’s leaders must hear from you. Tell them you still support Atlanta’s longstanding, expert vetted, equity-driven transit and economic development plan. It’s taken a huge commitment from the people of Atlanta to get this far. Don’t let the NIMBYs get BeltLine rail off track!