Flush with federal stimulus cash and angling for more, planners in Atlanta will explore alignment for a potential rail transit connection to the Beltline.
Josh Green reports that the Board of Directors for MARTA recently voted to authorize $500,000 to study the feasibility of extending the Atlanta Streetcar system into the BeltLine corridor.
According to Green the feasibility study will "improve the chance of federal cash helping to foot the bill for light-rail transit along the Atlanta BeltLine." MARTA received $284 million in the latest round of COVID-19 rescue funds. In all, MARTA has received $331 million in federal aid during the pandemic.
"Exactly how MARTA will spend its share remains to be seen. But don't expect zippy new rail lines to The Battery Atlanta or Stonecrest to break ground this year on the fed's dime," writes Green.
The latest feasibility study is meant to build on that momentum and prepare for more. "MARTA officials call the analysis crucial for requesting federal funding to extend the Atlanta Streetcar system into the BeltLine corridor, determining how to mesh light rail with existing MARTA lines around the city, and addressing connectivity 'gaps' they’ve identified in a previous study."
FULL STORY: MARTA takes step forward in bringing transit to Atlanta BeltLine
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research