Moving Together: Transit Connects People with Opportunity

The Atlanta Beltline isn’t just about trails and tracks. It’s a movement—connecting people to jobs, healthcare, education, fresh food, and one another. And at the heart of it all is transit.

Why Transit Matters

Where you live shouldn’t limit your access to opportunity. But in Atlanta, how—and if—you can get to work, the grocery store, or a doctor’s appointment often depends on whether you own a car. Let’s look at what the data tells us:

Car access isn't equal. Households on the south and west sides of the city are far more likely to be without a vehicle than those in the north
Transit reliance follows this divide. Many residents in these neighborhoods rely on public transportation—but not all of them live near MARTA rail stations.
The Beltline bridges the gap. Our corridor passes directly through many communities where car access is limited and public transit options are scarce.

This isn’t just a coincidence. It’s a call to action.

The stark north-south divide in household resources is a defining trait of Atlanta’s landscape of disparity. Through strategic, targeted transit investment, the Beltline aims to dismantle longstanding barriers to access and opportunity.

Opportunity is on the Line

Residents who rely on transit the most often live far from Atlanta’s major job centers and have limited access to frequent, reliable service. When we overlay transit commute data with income levels and households lacking a vehicle with public transit commuters, a clear picture emerges:

Neighborhoods with lower median household incomes have higher rates of homes without cars (chart 1, below).
Communities with less vehicle access rely more heavily on public transportation to commute (chart 2, below).
These same neighborhoods are often overlooked by traditional transit infrastructure (maps, above).

There is a strong inverse relationship (r = -0.81) between neighborhood median income and households lacking a vehicle. Income explains 66% of variation in rates of households lacking a vehicle.

There is a strong positive relationship (r = 0.70) between the percent of households lacking a vehicle and the percent of public transit commuters at the neighborhood level. The rate of households lacking a vehicle explains almost 50% of the variation in the rate of households commuting via public transit.

The takeaway? The more Atlanta focuses transit efforts in locations where residents lack a vehicle, the more likely we are to provide a service where it is most useful, and the more likely the Beltline is to realize its goal of improving economic opportunity for all.

More Than a Commute

Transit is about so much more than getting to work. Without a car, everyday errands can become all-day challenges. A trip to the pharmacy or grocery store shouldn’t take hours—but for many in our city, it does.

Map of Atlanta showing grocery store locations as teal dots, MARTA rail lines in grey, and the Atlanta Beltline Loop outlined in black

Access means more than getting to work. Vast parts of Atlanta’s south and west sides would benefit from improved access to grocery stores.

Health care deserts also persist in Atlanta’s underserved neighborhoods.

And if we take a look at those sites against Atlanta’s current rail routes and the Beltline, we can see how Beltline transit can improve access for residents across South and West Atlanta—connecting them to the essentials of daily life.

What’s Next: Building a More Connected Atlanta

At its core, the Beltline is a people-centered transit corridor. It’s designed to help Atlanta move better—together.

Learn about our latest transit studies and how they shape our approach
Join us at an upcoming public meeting and share your voice
Explore how we’re piloting innovative ways to get people moving

We’re building more than transportation. We’re building opportunity—block by block, mile by mile.

Stay informed. Stay connected. The journey is just getting started.

MARTA Maps Data source: 2019-2023 ACS rolling averages processed by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Grocery and Health Care Map Data Sources: All locations acquired through PolicyMap. Original source material: Data Axle (pharmacy sites); HRSA (psychiactric, community health canters and FQHCs); NielsenIQ TDLinx (grocery stores).