The Atlanta City Council moved forward with planning the Atlanta streetcar project at its Monday meeting by voting to approve $9 million to buy new streetcar vehicles and approving a construction contract with MARTA, said Duriya Farooqui, Atlanta's deputy chief operating officer.
Used streetcars would have required infrastructure such as sidewalk ramps, due to their taller floors, she said. New cars' lower floors make it easier for people to board, especially with bicycles or wheelchairs, and won’t require sidewalk ramps.
Construction on the streetcar route from the historic Martin Luther King Jr. district to Centennial Olympic Park will begin in the fall, she said.
The council also voted to connect the streetcar route to the proposed Atlanta BeltLine.
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