MARTA wants North Fulton County residents to sound off on its future transit expansion plans for the ballooning region.
Officials are inviting residents to attend several open houses related to their ongoing Ga. 400 Corridor Transit Initiative. The first open house takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 6 at Georgia State University's Alpharetta campus. Another public meeting is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 8 at Georgia State University's Dunwoody campus.
Key project managers, designers and engineers from MARTA will answer questions regarding the current timeline, projected ridership, estimated cost and next steps. The ongoing project was initiated by MARTA in 2011 to pinpoint transit alternatives for the Ga. 400 corridor. The corridor study examines 12 miles of Ga. 400 from the North Springs station in Sandy Springs to Windward Parkway in Alpharetta.
The expansion targeting North Fulton County weaves into a larger plan by MARTA to boost transit rail and bus service throughout inner-city Atlanta. MARTA's proposal calls for $2.5 billion in funding.
The series of public meetings come during a period of substantial population growth across the metro Atlanta region. The Atlanta Regional Commission projects the 20-county area will add 2.5 million people by 2040. With those unavoidable changes, public officials throughout North Fulton County are examining how this transit plan will affect roads and traffic.
James Drinkard, Alpharetta’s assistant city administrator, said in a telephone interview that MARTA’s current transit plan calls for heavy rail expansion up the Ga. 400 corridor, including three stations bordering city limits. However, his concern is rail is not a “cost effective” model for the area.
“When you put these rail stations in Alpharetta, while it may alleviate traffic along Ga. 400, we anticipate it will bring traffic into Alpharetta that currently does not come here. And that’s going to put an increased burden on our local roads and streets,” Drinkard said.
Drinkard also said he wishes the public meetings would happen in the evening to draw more public input.
“It’s important that our citizens be aware of what the plans are, how MARTA’s handling everything, what the timelines are and they have the facts,” Drinkard said. “We’re not opposed to transit. We’re wanting to have an honest and open conversation on how to deliver transit to this community as part of an overall transportation plan; not a separate concept."
Alisa Jackson, a communications manager for MARTA, said these afternoon meetings are geared toward students. However, MARTA will have a series of evening meetings -- possibly starting this fall -- for the residents who live in that area.
About the Author
