A proposed expansion of Atlanta's beleaguered downtown streetcar could turn the 'novelty' line into a truly useful transportation option in the car-centric city.
Josh Green reports on expansion plans for Atlanta's downtown streetcar, which, in its current 2.7-mile incarnation, only receives around 4,000 weekly rides and primarily serves tourists and the occasional sports fans. To put that number in perspective, writes Green, MARTA's heavy rail system saw close to 300,000 weekly rides in 2021, a number dramatically reduced from prior years by the pandemic.
While some see the streetcar, which opened in 2015, as a waste of taxpayer money, others want to see it expanded and connected to more areas. That's the plan for MARTA, which plans to expand the streetcar loop to the city's east side and "finally transform it from a tourist-supported novelty to a useful, local transportation option." The $225-million expansion will be funded by the More MARTA sales tax and connect the current line to the BeltLine and the Old Fourth Ward retail hub.
Earlier this year, MARTA's board authorized a feasibility study to assess the potential for extending the streetcar into the BeltLine corridor in preparation for requesting federal funding for the project.
FULL STORY: Seven years later, Atlanta Streetcar due for boost, MARTA says
Atlanta One Step Closer to Bus Rapid Transit
The city’s transit agency says bus rapid transit will be cheaper and faster to build than light rail.
New Study Commissioned for Atlanta BeltLine Transit
The study will assess alignment options for a 13-mile segment of the greenway.
MARTA Scales Back Expansion Plans
Atlanta’s transit agency is slowing its plans to extend its bus and rail lines, prompting criticism from city officials.
2024: The Year in Zoning
Cities and states are leaning on zoning reform to help stem the housing crisis and create more affordable, livable neighborhoods.
Research: Sprawl Linked to Poverty
Low-income families living in high-sprawl neighborhoods are limited in their access to education, jobs, and other amenities, often trapping them in a cycle of poverty.
NACTO Releases Updated Urban Bikeway Guide
The third edition of the nationally recognized road design guide includes detailed design advice for roads that prioritize safety and accessibility for all users.
Modular Workforce Housing Offers a Lifeline for Western Towns
Rapidly rising housing costs are pushing out the residents at the heart of local economies in resort towns across the country.
Noise as a Public Health Hazard
New ways of measuring the effects of sound on human health are helping communities fight back against noise pollution.
'Place Shock' and the Ecology of Fear
How to conceive of rebuilding places amid sudden change in a region known for its “ecology of fear?” As the city embarks on the arduous task of rebuilding, the question arises: how do we reconcile the imperatives of safety and sustainability with the deeply ingrained human desire for continuity, for a sense of rootedness in the familiar?
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA)
Ada County Highway District
Charles County Government
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland