All signs point to a growing consensus for rail along the Atlanta Beltline.
The latest development? A proposed resolution by Atlanta City Councilperson Kelsea Bond of support for light rail all along the corridor is being co-sponsored by 10 of her colleagues. Originally, eight councilmembers signed on to the non-binding resolution: Liliana Bakhtiari, Michael Julian Bond, Antonio Lewis, Jason Dozier, Wayne Martin, Jason Winston, Byron Amos and Matt Westmoreland. Two others have since signed on: Dustin Hillis and Eshé Collins.
“As of right now, we have a supermajority,” Bond said in an interview after hosting a party of support for Beltline rail at Hop City West with the Atlanta Democratic Socialists of America on Sept. 11. “It’s been a really long time coming. We need to get back on track.”
The resolution is scheduled to go before City Council committees Sept. 15 and 16; and it is expected to be voted on by the full council on Sept. 21.
Getting 11 councilmembers to sign on to the resolution was an encouraging sign for light rail advocates, who have long argued rail transit is a critical part of the original vision of the Atlanta Beltline.
It also reinforces the Sept. 3 presentation made by Atlanta Beltline Inc. recommending a 22-mile loop of light rail with a crosstown connection at an estimated cost of $3.5 billion.
After reaching out to the administration of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens for its reaction to the Bond resolution, I received a statement from Allison Fouche, the city’s chief communications officer.
“The mayor has never deviated from his position,” the statement read. “Early last year, the mayor unveiled a comprehensive transit vision that included Beltline rail, infill stations, streetcar extension west, east and new BRT lines. The Beltline study that was released last week is an extension of that work.”
The statement continued:
“Any serious conversation about rail should include line of sight to fund the full 22 miles, anti-displacement measures, additional funding for affordable housing and should prioritize transit-dependent riders.
“The administration has rolled out a vision that is worthy of Atlanta and we are glad the council seemingly agrees. We look forward to working with them and all of Atlanta to bring the mayor’s vision to life.”
The Bond resolution deftly steered clear of arguing for putting rail on one section of the Beltline over another. Up until now, the issue of rail on the Beltline has been focused on whether it should first be developed on the Eastside Trail or the Southside Trail.
“I wanted a resolution that would unite people and not divide them,” Bond said. “I was intentional to not bring up Eastside rail. It’s important for us to do rail on the full trail. We want rail everywhere. We just can’t be in limbo forever.”
The resolution emphasizes creating “a more connected, affordable and equitable Atlanta.”
It restates Atlanta Beltline’s language of building a system where “pedestrian-friendly light rail transit and urban trails coexist.” And it calls for a modern electric light rail system that could be built on a green track or “rails on grass” to preserve and enhance the green character of the Beltline.
Bond hopes the resolution will help break the logjam that has prevented light rail on the Beltline from moving forward.
Over the past couple of years, Atlanta Beltline Inc. has studied alternative transportation modes, such as autonomous pods or other innovative transit solutions that would not include a rail network.
“Non-rail solutions would require more concrete, which would contribute more to the heat island effect,” Bond said. “Autonomous pods can’t carry many people. Rail is permanent infrastructure, one that we could rely on and have for a very long time.”
Even Better Atlanta Transit, the anti-rail group that has argued for a different solution, is not in favor of autonomous vehicles on the Beltline. The lead story on its website states that “AVs aren’t a solution for the Beltline.”
In a response about its thoughts on the Bond resolution, BAT President Hans Klein responded by saying it was, “surprising that the Beltline rail project would be supported by anyone associated with the Democratic Socialists of America.” He went on to say that this project “would channel many billions of dollars to a few mega-corporations, most notably Siemens…”
Klein also said, “DSA wants to help the lower-income folks, but this project concentrates spending in very expensive technology, and the Beltline does not serve Atlanta’s least-privileged neighborhoods.”
Bond is the only Democratic Socialist on City Council, yet she was able to garner the support of 10 more of her colleagues. Far from being an outsider, Bond is showing how she can work with others to promote an issue key to her winning a heavily contested City Council race without a runoff, a victory the Dickens administration must have noticed.
“I think it’s extraordinary,” said Matthew Rao, chair of Beltline Rail Now, about the support the resolution has received. “We are standing on ground that’s grassroots driven. We are almost 10 years [since the More MARTA tax passed,] but there’s been little action.”
The Bond resolution points a way of moving forward with light rail on the Beltline. But the issue continues to be complex. Most notably, the question is how one can pay for the project.
“We need to explore what funding sources are available,” Bond said. “Let’s have a conversation about funding with transparency.”
BAT Chair Ken Edelstein also chimed in, saying, “It’s time for our City Council to get serious about transit instead of performatively calling for a project that is more fantasy than solution.”
Edelstein went on to say rail would never be completed on the Beltline because the cost is astronomical with ridership that would not justify a $3.5 billion investment.
Instead, BAT wants the existing right of way set aside for rail to relieve the “dangerous” overcrowding on the Beltline by building a “second, parallel path that separates pedestrians from bikes and scooters.”
Funding is central to the Bond resolution. The Atlanta City Council would like to have a seat at the table when it comes to how More MARTA tax revenues are spent, a key potential funding source. The city did just receive a favorable $52 million settlement in how More MARTA funds were allocated.
But the resolution is hoping several public partners will explore other available funding sources, including the funding from Beltline Tax Allocation District dollars, which will be in place through 2030. Seeking federal funds is also part of the resolution.
Lastly, the resolution calls for a report on implementation, funding, right-of-way preservation, design principles and interagency responsibilities to be submitted to the Atlanta City Council by Jan. 26, 2027. A petition supporting the resolution simply stated: “It’s time to deliver on the transit we’ve been promised and invest in Atlanta’s future generations who deserve to live in a green, walkable city.”
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