A Rejuvenated MARTA Pitching $8 Billion Commuter Rail Expansion

After a stunning financial turnaround and with new political support, MARTA is proposing a massive expansion of commuter rail, with rail links from Atlanta into Fulton and DeKalb counties.

1 minute read

July 23, 2015, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Over the next seven months, the people at MARTA will quietly button-hole local leaders and state lawmakers — top Republicans included — with the aim of building support for an $8 billion expansion of commuter rail that would transform the region," reports Jim Galloway.

Instead of the circular format of Atlanta's history ("Inside-the-Perimeter, Outside-the-Perimeter, and the rest of Georgia"), MARTA envisions a linear future for the city: "a single file of major economic development up and down what is now Georgia 400, built along a rail line that would link Alpharetta with downtown Atlanta and its airport beyond."

Galloway also notes that recent changes in the political winds at the state level could predict support for the proposal. State Republicans have begun to view the MARTA system as " an essential ingredient in the state’s official economic development kit."

Lori Geary also provides coverage on the proposal, focusing on the challenge of funding the proposal. The article supplements television coverage of the proposal on WSB-TV.

Hat tip to Tanya Snyder at Streetsblog for sharing links to the coverage on the proposal.

Saturday, July 11, 2015 in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Aerial view of heavily damaged mobile homes after a hurricane in Florida.

Florida Home Insurers Disproportionately Dropping Low-Income Households

Non-renewal rates are highest in inland counties, not the coastal areas most immediately vulnerable to storms.

45 minutes ago - Inside Climate News

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Dense multistory residential buildings in hilly San Francisco, California.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean

Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

July 7 - The San Francisco Standard

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA