The Beltline announced its new Vice President of Transit Innovation, Joe Iacobucci, on Feb. 20 after a months-long search to find a leader for the hot-button issue of rail on the 22-mile trail.
According to a Beltline press release, Iacobucci will lead the “design and delivery” of a multimodal transportation network on the corridor. He brings more than two decades of experience to the role.
Previously, Iacobucci held senior leadership roles at the Chicago Transit Authority, where he led rail and bus modernization initiatives, delivered bus rapid transit to the city and managed the agency’s first Transit-Oriented Development program that integrated transportation into neighborhood development.
“With the appointment of Joe, we are helping ensure a more connected Atlanta is possible,” Atlanta Beltline, Inc. CEO Clyde Higgs said. “His deep experience and national leadership in mobility will help us continue advancing our transit vision.”
Iacobucci also worked at global engineering firm TYLin International, where he worked on projects in Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta — even on the Beltline.
But the new Vice President will enter a hotbed of controversy. The Beltline has said it “remains committed to delivering 22 miles of pedestrian-friendly transit adjacent to the Beltline,” but the nature of the transit is unclear.
The city has also changed its original transit plan, which would have involved extending the downtown streetcar line into light rail on the 22-mile loop. The 2016 More MARTA sales tax was supposed to fund the project.
But by 2025 the Beltline decided to move the rail project to the Southside trail, and MARTA quietly voted to stop the project work entirely. It has caused a heated debate between Beltline rail advocates and opponents.
Iacobucci will enter the fray and use his decades of experience to bring “multimodal transportation solutions” adjacent to the corridor.
“This work will help ensure growth and opportunity are shared equitably, reinforcing Atlanta’s commitment to inclusive development and mobility for all,” Higgs said.
Lack of transit growth in the Atl MSA will stifle its prominence as a growing region.
Marta, Atlanta Beltline and City of Atlanta caved to the rich and powerful.
Atlanta is excited to welcome Joe Iacobucci!
This is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating transit jobs in the country. Atlanta Beltline Inc. (ABI) is a vibrant and successful public entity, and Joe is stepping into his position during a groundbreaking time for transit innovation. He has a remarkable opportunity to build on ABI’s past achievements.
The Beltline offers both challenges and opportunities. As a rare right-of-way in a developed urban area, it comes with unique obstacles, such as significant blockages like those at Hulsey Yards near Krog Street. The Beltline trail is also in need of modal separation, which would enhance safety and promote more micromobility options. Transit-oriented development around MARTA connections could help fund new infill stations. And, of course, there’s the political landscape: advocates of light rail transit view any alternative approach on the Beltline as heretical. Still, the opportunities far outnumber the barriers, so the future is bright!
It’s heretical because nothing short of rail supplants the use of cars for commuting. There’s a ton of people who live along the most developed segment of the beltline. Autonomous pods would not supplant daily car use. A municipal rail system does.
How much money has been collected in More Marta? How much has been spent?