Streetcar East Extension Project Update

 

Residents got a peek at what transit on the Atlanta BeltLine will look like on September 12 and 13 as MARTA hosted one in-person and one virtual public meeting to provide updates on the Streetcar East Extension project.

Transit is at the core of the Atlanta BeltLine vision and serves as the foundation for an equitable transportation project.

The Streetcar East Extension project is the first expansion of Atlanta’s existing downtown Streetcar, which opened in late 2014. This project runs along Edgewood Avenue to the Atlanta BeltLine at Irwin Street and up the Eastside Trail corridor to Ponce de Leon Avenue. Benefits of the current alignment include increased last-mile connectivity, convenient and comfortable service, one-seat transit rides between Eastside BeltLine corridor and downtown, and connections to existing MARTA service.

Since 2018, MARTA has been leading the Streetcar East Extension project in coordination with Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. and the City of Atlanta. In 2019, they began the preliminary engineering phase of the project, and in 2021, they hosted a public meeting to share initial designs with the community and garner input and feedback.

During the September 2022 meetings, MARTA provided the latest updates on the project. The presentation included initial design and renderings followed by Q&A with the audience.

MARTA has created a dedicated website which features the proposed alignment, stop locations, plan views, and typical cross sections as well as links to the virtual public meetings.  The website also includes an opportunity for the public to leave comments or ask questions.

To check out the proposed designs or provide input, visit: streetcareast.com.

 

11 thoughts on this article. Join the discussion below

    1. Yes, the project will decimate our peaceful streets like Randolph and Auburn Avenue. Not to mention no one will ride it. Atlanta is a car town and cannot be forced to ride an old useless form of transportation.

      1. That’s the issue, Atlanta is a car town and it’s not sustainable. Traffic is awful and expanding freeways won’t help and expansion of public transit is a must. The streetcar won’t decimate peaceful streets, it’s a small quiet electric train. Cars make way more noise and emit way more pollution. In what way is it an old form of transportation? Many cities across the country and the world are building streetcar and light rail systems for a reason.

  1. This is super exciting! This is going to add value to my property, but more importantly, it will be great to have more of the city connected.

    1. If your property is on Auburn, Randolph, or Irwin, I suggest you sell it before construction is set to begin. Your property value will drop like a rock.

  2. Great for connecting the city, reducing the need for cars and increasing safety for pedestrians. Not everyone can afford a car, so being able to get around on this streetcar is going to be amazing!

  3. This a terrible use of funds that will destroy the beltline. This line will get limited usage with all of the alternative transportation options available and all the new vehicle miniaturization technologies (ebikes, scooters, etc). The funds could be used to create a network of trails and parks that would truly re connect the city.

  4. A terrific example of a solution in search of a problem; or using outdated information and data to ruin a great thing (the Beltline). ABI and MARTA should more carefully examine this spend in light of how the pandemic has drastically changed work locations and transportation needs. (Empty office buildings do not need transportation.) Moving forward without doing so seems negligent.

    The Beltline connects the city and provides tremendous benefits to all. If better transportation is the goal (not just building a tourist attraction that loses money), there are better (and more effective) solutions that can impact a much greater number of people.

  5. What an insanely stupid use of city taxpayer funds. This will do nothing but devalue properties around the Beltline, increase traffic in the area waiting for street cars to pass, increase crime and incidents of harassment (see Edgewood Ave for examples). Instead, use the cost of this project to expand MARTA and identify ways to decongest traffic on metro Altanta interstates because this ain’t it.

  6. Transit is at the core of the Atlanta BeltLine vision and a pillar of affordability, along with affordable housing and connections to well-paying jobs. It is the foundation for an equitable transportation project, a legacy project to help manage Atlanta’s growth, and critical to thoughtful urban development and density. The Atlanta Regional Commission forecasts the 21-county Atlanta region will potentially add 2.9 million people by 2050. The total population would reach 8.6 million.

    The Atlanta BeltLine was intended to both enhance mobility and accessibility of residents by adding links to MARTA and the regional transportation network. The BeltLine is creating connections to job opportunities, job training, affordable housing, and transit that can eliminate the burdensome costs of car ownership. We want to ensure that all of Atlanta benefits from these infrastructure investments.

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