Help Chart the Path of Transit and Trails for the Atlanta BeltLine Corridor

Don’t Miss Your Opportunity to Comment on the Tier 1 Draft Environmental Study

Atlanta, August 5, 2011 – MARTA and Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) invite the public to share input on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) during public hearings on August 16 and 18. The EIS is a critical federal study conducted by MARTA in partnership with ABI on behalf of the Federal Transit Administration that will advance transit implementation on the Atlanta BeltLine and make the project eligible for future federal funds. The EIS will determine the alignment of transit and trails in the Atlanta BeltLine Corridor and the technology for transit – either Modern Streetcar or Light Rail.

Public feedback is especially needed to determine the alignment for transit and trails in the northwest quadrant of the Atlanta BeltLine between the Bankhead and Lindbergh MARTA stations, where there are multiple route options to be considered. During the hearings, attendees will have the opportunity to talk with project representatives about the environmental study and review plans and graphics.

The public hearings and the official comment period ending on September 17, 2011, will be the final opportunity for the public to provide vital input on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. This study began in the summer of 2008, and public input has been critical to the process at every decision point. During the hearings, the public will be invited to submit written comments about the project. A court reporter will be on hand to record verbal comments.

The Public Hearings will take place on:

Date: August 16, 2011
Time: 1 – 3 p.m. & 6 – 8 p.m.
Location: All Saints’ Episcopal Church
634 West Peachtree St. NW

Take MARTA to the North Avenue Station, parking also available

Date: August 18, 2011
Time: 1 – 3 p.m. & 6 – 8 p.m.
Location: Hager CTM Building
19 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd. NW

Take MARTA to the Ashby Rail Station, parking also available

Those who are unable to attend the hearings can provide comments by calling 404-524-2070, faxing to 404-848-5132, emailing dwa_beltlinestudy@bellsouth.net or visiting the project websites listed below.

To find out more, the DEIS is available on the project websites at http://www.itsmarta.com/beltline-documents.aspx and eis.beltline.org.

About the Atlanta BeltLine:
The Atlanta BeltLine is the most comprehensive economic development effort ever undertaken in the City of Atlanta and among the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment projects currently underway in the United States. The Atlanta BeltLine is a sustainable redevelopment project that will provide a network of public parks, multi-use trails and transit along a historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown and connecting many neighborhoods directly to each other. Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI), formed by the Atlanta Development Authority, is the entity tasked with planning and executing the implementation of the Atlanta BeltLine in partnership with other public and private organizations, including City of Atlanta departments. For more information on the Atlanta BeltLine, please visit www.BeltLine.org.

About MARTA:
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is the ninth largest transit system in the United States and has provided combined bus and rail service to DeKalb and Fulton Counties and the City of Atlanta for over 30 years. MARTA serves as the backbone of a growing regional transit network operating 91 bus routes and 38 rail stations on nearly 48 miles of track. MARTA provides transportation for over 500,000 passenger boardings each weekday and helps to remove more than 185,000 cars off Metro Atlanta roads each day.

As the only multi-modal transit system in the state, MARTA is an over $6 billion public asset that offers a unique competency and expertise to the state and region. MARTA serves as a significant economic catalyst attracting major companies and international events to the Metro area, providing transportation to employment centers throughout the region, and offering a direct connection to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport which is considered the world’s busiest airport. In 1996 MARTA served as the official transportation provider for the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.


CONTACT:

Cara Hodgson, MARTA
404-848-5157

Ethan Davidson, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
(404) 614-8325, edavidson@atlbeltLine.org

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