Atlanta Streetcar Expansion Still Moving Forward

The Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) voted to advance the eastern extension of the Atlanta Streetcar to Ponce City Market—a decision all the more notable at a time when MARTA is cutting back on rail expansion plans enabled by More MARTA in favor of bus rapid transit.

Maria Saporta reports on the board’s April 13 decision to move forward with the Atlanta Streetcar extension, noting that political support from Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta BeltLine Inc. (ABI) leaders helped ensure the streetcar extension wasn’t replaced with a bus route.

“City of Atlanta voters overwhelmingly passed the More MARTA half-penny in 2016. It is estimated that it will cost $230 million to extend the Atlanta Streetcar to Irwin Street where it will travel along the BeltLine north to Ponce de Leon Avenue. Because city taxpayers are paying for the 2.25-mile extension, the MARTA board rightfully followed the desire of Atlanta leaders,” writes Saporta.

The streetcar expansion is not without its opponents, however. “Both Central Atlanta Progress, Atlanta city councilmember and the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association oppose the project as currently designed,” reports Saporta.

The source article, linked below, is obviously pro-rail. Saporta is writing to celebrate the persistence of one rail project. “Unfortunately, the Atlanta Streetcar has been unfairly maligned by public perception,” adds Saporta.

Rail expansion plans are on the retreat in other U.S. cities as transit planners grapple with the increasing costs of construction. Austin, for example, recently announced drastic reductions of rail planned through the Project Connect long-term capital expansion program.