When Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced in March he intended to build four new infill MARTA stations, the news came without naming where a majority of them would be placed around the city.
Residents only knew of one determined location at the Murphy Crossing development along the Beltline’s Westside Trail, marking the first time that the popular mixed-use trail loop would be connected to heavy rail.
On Thursday, the mayor announced the remaining three locations: Krog Street/Hulsey Yard, Joseph E. Boone and Armour Yards. The announcement came through an administrative order outlining the ambitious partnership between the city, Atlanta Beltline Inc. and MARTA.
“Our city’s transportation landscape is dynamic, mirroring the diverse growth and evolution of Atlanta’s neighborhoods. Both legacy and emerging communities have immediate transportation needs that deserve effective solutions,” Dickens said in a statement.
“It is imperative that our transportation investments are strategically and equitably deployed to increase ridership on MARTA’s heavy rail network and bus system fostering a more connected and unified Atlanta,” he said.
The four infill station locations were part of a list of possible expansions to the transit system under the More MARTA program approved by Atlanta voters in 2016.
The three-page administrative order gives insight into how the new stations will link together MARTA’s existing infrastructure and also includes plans for a new bus rapid transit route between Ponce City Market and Bowen Homes.
But what isn’t described in detail is how the city is going to pay for the new stations or a timeline for kicking off construction. The order directs city officials to identify potential funding sources — including local, state and private revenue options. It also calls for a community engagement effort to make sure the new transportation projects fit into the landscape of Atlanta’s existing neighborhoods.
Debate around whether the city should move forward with long-standing plans to install rail along the city’s iconic Beltline trail ramped up ahead of the mayor’s State of the City address. Rumors swirled about whether Dickens would scrap or back the idea of mass transit along the pedestrian corridor.
MARTA officials told Atlanta City Council members in March that the new infill stations aren’t going to replace plans to extend the eastside streetcar — a $230-million project that’s seen as the first step in plans to install light rail along the Beltline. The administrative order doesn’t shed much light on whether rail plans will continue but does directly call for continued conversation around the idea.
“I am hereby directing the (chief operating officer) to work in partnership with the Atlanta Beltline, Inc. to engage MARTA to develop a plan for mobility and transit options on the entirety of the Beltline,” the order says.
