More Trouble for Atlanta Transit

In the wake of MARTA announcing a 60 million dollar budget shortfall, Atlanta got hit with more bad news for anyone hoping to ditch their cars. AMTRAK and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) are putting the proposed system of light rail, trails, and planned development into jeopardy.

[Creative Commons photo by Brett Weinstein]

What is the BeltLine?

The Atlanta BeltLine is a solution. While Atlanta does have a rail and bus system now, MARTA, the rail portion is pretty limited and the buses are a bit unreliable. The BeltLine was going to change the face of Atlanta’s transit system, connecting neighborhoods and making alternative transportation a viable option for more folks in the Atlanta area. They describe the BeltLine:

Our vision is that the BeltLine will be a continuous, connected corridor of parks, trails, greenspace, quality development and transit - completely unique to anything in any other U.S. city. It will connect in-town neighborhoods and promising business centers throughout the city and will link directly into MARTA rail and other public transit systems. Ultimately, the BeltLine is how Atlanta chooses to develop over the next 50 years.

Why would anyone want to stop a project like this?

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The Northeast Rail Corridor
Atlanta BeltLine Inc., the nonprofit working on the BeltLine project, has been collaborating with the city and with residents for years to develop and implement the new system. Part of the 22 mile loop around the city included Norfolk Southern’s abandonment in the Northeast Rail Corridor, so that area could be transformed into part of the BeltLine. Now, AMTRAK and the GDOT want to halt that abandonment. The two agencies say that they want the land for heavy rail development.

Even setting aside that this jeopardizes years of work on a project that has the support of both the City and its residents, there are issues with this move. Heavy rail is noisy, and it’s ugly. Its impacts on air quality are far more severe than the BeltLine’s proposed light rail. Who wants to use walking and bike trails alongside huge, chugging trains? The area where they want to do this development includes land right by beautiful Piedmont Park and adjacent residential areas. The point of the BeltLine project is connecting neighborhoods with less invasive light rail and making communities pleasant and walkable. Adding heavy or high speed rail to the mix goes against the BeltLine project’s entire mission. In an open letter in January to Rep. John Lewis, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin pleaded with Lewis to oppose the GDOT’s actions:

This region is begging for leadership on transportation and mobility. I worked to create the BeltLine Partnership and Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. to provide that missing leadership, and they have delivered. They have galvanized community support through hundreds of public meetings over the last four years, and the public and private sectors have both made significant investments in anticipationof the BeltLine being realized. Close to $20 million in federal funding has already been alloted to the project, and dedicated local funding through the BeltLine Tax Allocation District will generate up to $1.7 billion over the next 2 years. BeltLine implementation is well underway, with several land use master plans about to enter the formal adoption process.

It isn’t like the GDOT was surprised by the BeltLine’s plans for the Northeast Rail Corridor. Franklin says:

I can assure you that GDOT has consistently been informed of plans for the BeltLine. We have briefed the prior and current Commissioner of GDOT as well as members of their board and staff. In addition, we have discussed with GDOT officials the Atlanta Connect Plan - the City’s recently approved Transportation Plan- which includes the Beltline transit and offers an alternative to the AMTRAK station location.

While this whole situation is a little disheartening, Mayor Franklin’s letter really moved me. At least the BeltLine has the city’s support. If folks take action, I feel optimistic that we can get past this hurdle, too!

Get Involved
Atlanta residents’ enthusiasm has been huge in keeping this BeltLine project on track, and we need to get involved now more than ever! Shirley Franklin let Rep. Lewis know how she feels, and we should follow her example. You can write to him at:

The Honorable John Lewis
U.S. House of Representatives
343 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-1005

If you’re looking to volunteer, there are a number of ways to help out, from giving out information at local festivals to speaking and working on development programs. Folks can also show their support by attending BeltLine events. What else can local Atlantans do to rally for the BeltLine?

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