After widespread opposition, MARTA decides to pause Five Points Station renovation

MARTA announced Wednesday that it is pausing the controversial project to renovate the Five Points MARTA Station.

The decision follows widespread opposition, including protests, to the $230 million project from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Central Atlanta Progress, PropelATL, Georgia Stand Up, the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association, a host of Atlanta city council members as well as advocates for people with disabilities and mobility issues.

MARTA announced at an Atlanta City Council Transportation Committee meeting on May 29 that it would be closing the Five Points Station for up to four years, including pedestrian access and bus routes. The station is MARTA’s only intersection of its north-south lines and its east-west routes. It is the most MARTA’s frequented station with 17,000 riders accessing the transit system at Five Points.

MARTA did say it would open the station temporarily during the 2026 World Cup, but that it would have to close the station to complete the renovation, which is supposed to remove the concrete roof. Later MARTA did say pedestrian access might not be closed off for the entire four years.

Despite the opposition, MARTA repeatedly insisted it was proceeding with the project to renovate Five Points including its plans to close down the Five Points station on July 29 for up to four years. 

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, MARTA issued an update to the press. It also put the following statement on its website, and here is a link to a YouTube video that MARTA included.

Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman welcomed the news. In a text, he wrote: “It’s a small step and hopefully a first step to a better plan and a healthier collaboration.”

Attempts have been made to get comments from Mayor Dickens and CAP President A.J. Robinson, but there was no response as of press time. We will update this story as we get reactions.

Dickens recently met with Collie Greenwood, MARTA’s general manager, to discuss the project.

Meanwhile, a major audit of the More MARTA funds is underway, and it is supposed to become public by the end of July. City of Atlanta voters approved the half-penny More MARTA tax in 2016. But in recent years, there’s been a great deal of concern about how that money is being spent by the transit system.