The first phase of MARTA’s Five Points station renovation has started after months of delays.
The project is expected to take about four years to complete. Some riders Sunday were frustrated about what it could mean for their daily commutes.
Kamie Burke, 23, of Atlanta, said it will be nice to see renovations, but she doesn’t think the planned amenities and cosmetic changes are necessary. In the meantime, she said, using MARTA bus services will be more difficult.
Similarly, Ja-Kim Carter of Atlanta, a regular MARTA rider, said he is frustrated that it could prolong his daily commute.
“I think MARTA should focus on the concerns of the riders,” said Carter, 29, who works in the service industry.
Starting Saturday, riders were only able to board buses at MARTA’s busiest station from its Forsyth Street side. Rail services were unimpeded by the project.
On Sunday, signs posted around the transit hub notified riders of bus route changes, and MARTA employees were stationed outside to assist people navigating rerouted buses.
After 10 months of delays, MARTA officials announced renovations to the transit hub would begin in May. The announcement came after months of disputes between MARTA and the city of Atlanta over how to approach the multimillion-dollar project.
In February, MARTA said the city intentionally held off on approving demolition permits to start working on the renovation. Records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution appear to show that, at the direction of Mayor Andre Dickens, city officials had tied the completion of an audit into MARTA’s spending. Dickens denied intentionally stalling demolition permits and said the city wants to begin work on Five Points.
Permits were later approved after an AJC report about the delays was published in March. City officials said their approval of the permits while the audit issue was pending shows the permit approval and audit completion were unrelated.
The station’s overhaul will roll out in phases.
The first phase involves tearing down the station’s concrete canopy so it can later be replaced with a translucent roof. Later, the overhaul will also include new street-level bus bays and greenspace at the station.
Station services at Five Points, such as the police precinct, lost and found and reduced fare offices, are expected to be relocated starting June 6, according to MARTA.
Initially, MARTA planned to have renovations complete in time for when Atlanta is set to host the World Cup beginning in June 2026, but the transit authority now says it will not be completed in time for the international soccer tournament.
The approximately $230 million overhaul will be primarily paid for by revenue generated from a halfpenny sales tax for transit expansion projects approved by Atlantans in 2016. Additionally, about $13.8 million is expected to be paid by the state, and about $25 million is expected to be paid through a federal grant.
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