Light rail on the Clifton Corridor was once a centerpiece of a $2.7 billion, 40-year transit expansion plans funded by a voter-approved sales tax. Now MARTA is considering using bus rapid transit on the corridor instead.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is reconsidering its plans to add light rail transit along the Clifton Corridor between Emory University, the Lindbergh Station, and the Centers for Disease Control, announcing that it's now studying bus rapid transit (BRT) for the corridor. The BRT plans for the corridor are the latest sign that MARTA is backtracking from the details of plans announced in late 2018 to expand the city's light rail system, using sales tax revenues approved by voters in 2016.
In an article for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, David Wickert reports that MARTA plans to select a preferred alternative for the Clifton Corridor by October, according to a report from interim CEO Collie Greenwood to the Atlanta City Council transportation committee in March.
MARTA's sudden attention to BRT on the Clifton Corridor is the latest evidence of a trend, reports Wickert: "In February, MARTA announced it would recommend bus rapid transit instead of light rail for the Campbellton Road line in southwest Atlanta. And a recent preliminary report on a section of the Atlanta Beltline found light rail would cost far more than expected."
The original plan also included plans for 13 miles of bus rapid transit lanes in addition to 29 miles of new light rail. As mentioned by Wickert, MARTA is already making progress on the BRT. "MARTA already is preparing to build the region’s first bus rapid transit line along Hank Aaron Drive and Capitol Avenue in Atlanta."
Officials from Emory University (the university has supported the proposed transit along the Clifton Corridor in the past) are quoted in the article saying they support either BRT or light rail for the corridor.
FULL STORY: MARTA considers rapid buses for Atlanta’s Clifton Corridor
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.