The MARTA board of directors convened for its final meeting of the year on Thursday, Dec. 4, as the transit agency heads into major system changes and prepares for World Cup crowds in 2026. The rider experience will be different by April, as MARTA plans to roll out modernized payment methods, brand new train cars, […]
Category: Grace Donnelly
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Find joy and community at the summer atlFREEfair
The third iteration of the atlFREEfair is coming to the East Atlanta Village Farmer’s Market on Aug. 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This community event is part workshop, part clothing swap, part talent show, part cookout, part garden club — and totally free for those who want to participate (you can register here.) The […]
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CEO Collie Greenwood leaves MARTA
MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood is leaving the transit agency. Greenwood, who has served as GM and CEO since 2022, is taking early retirement due to “immigration and personal matters,” according to the resolution approved by the MARTA board of directors at their meeting on Thursday. The board has agreed to a mutual […]
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ARC board approves amendment to transportation plans, discusses uncertain status of federal grants for local priority housing projects
At a joint meeting of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) board and the Transportation and Air Quality Committee (TAQC) on Wednesday, board members voted to approve an amendment to the ARC’s regional transportation plans, which adds about $207 million to the budget for transportation projects around the metro area. The action applies to the ARC’s […]
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ARC awards 2025 Livable Centers Initiative grants, announces Community Development Assistance Program recipients
At the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) board meeting on Wednesday, the ARC announced its 2025 awards for Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) grants and the recipients of this year’s Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP). Six LCI planning studies will be funded through more than $1 million in grants from ARC to make metro area communities more […]
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MARTA hears questions and concerns around bus network redesign
MARTA is hosting the final virtual and in-person meetings this week in a series of public engagement sessions about the draft plan for the agency’s NextGen Bus Network. The new network will triple the number of residents with access to bus service at least every 15 minutes, improve transit options for communities of color and […]
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Rezoning approval moves Lakeshore Mall redevelopment project forward in Gainesville
Gainesville City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve the rezoning of Lakeshore Mall, allowing plans to move forward to redevelop the 49-acre site into new housing, retail locations, and community greenspace. Branch Properties, an Atlanta-based private real estate investment and development firm, intends to break ground on the project, known as Lakeshore, in late […]
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Xpress commuter bus service is collecting feedback from riders about proposed changes
The Xpress commuter bus service is set to make some major changes to its routes and frequency in June of this year, and the team working on the Redefining the Ride plan is seeking public comments on the proposed service through Feb. 12. The changes — prompted by lower ridership since the start of the […]
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MARTA seeks public input on proposed bus service changes
MARTA has been working since 2021 on redesigning its bus service network and is inviting public input on the changes through Feb. 22. The NextGen Bus Network is the most comprehensive update so far to a system originally designed in the 1970s. MARTA has experienced a drop-off in bus ridership since the start of the […]
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Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee meets for the final time ahead of Public Safety Training Center opening
The group of community members assembled three years ago to provide input on the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, widely known as “Cop City,” met for the final time via Zoom on Thursday, Dec. 5. The facility is set to open later this month, according to officials from the Atlanta Police Department (APD) and the […]
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MARTA board votes on positions for 2025, discusses rail service changes and another leadership departure at December board meeting
The MARTA board of directors voted on leadership positions for 2025 and granted an ethics code waiver for another departing employee at the December board meeting on Thursday. Beginning in January, Jennifer Ide, representing the City of Atlanta, will serve as Chair of the board; Al Pond, representing Fulton County, will serve as Vice Chair; […]
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Transit experts point to economic concerns as the main reason Gwinnett and Cobb County voters rejected transit expansion this year
Transportation was on the ballot for Cobb and Gwinnett County voters in November, but both referendums to fund public transit expansion with a local 1 percent sales tax failed. Long-time transit advocates in the Atlanta region pointed to concerns about the economy as the main reason these initiatives didn’t find more support with voters in […]
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Partnership between conservation and mountain biking organizations seeks to expand trail access in Atlanta
Southern Conservation Trust (SCT) and MTB Atlanta formed a partnership to develop new hiking and mountain biking trails on properties owned by SCT, according to an announcement on Thursday. The two organizations created a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to combine their respective expertise to expand access to trails that support recreation and community engagement on […]
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MARTA to move forward with Five Points project, explore alternative funding options, and make ethics code exception for HNTB
MARTA board members discussed the future of the Five Points Station renovation, an inquiry into alternative funding options, and an exception to the agency’s ethics code at the meeting on Thursday, Nov. 14. “MARTA and Mayor Dickens have agreed to move forward with the originally planned Five Points transformation project,” MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood said […]
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Cobb County launches microtransit pilot program
Cobb County officials launched a new microtransit program, called CobbLinc Go, at Silver Comet Linear Park on Thursday. The curb-to-curb service provides on-demand shared rides to select locations, including downtown Austell and Powder Springs, through a fleet of vans and a platform from software company Via. “CobbLinc Go is about creating a more connected and […]
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Sidewalks, scooters take center stage at transportation committee meeting
Micromobility issues dominated the agenda the Atlanta City Council transportation committee meeting on Wednesday. Residents from District 12 and advocates for safer, more accessible streets for people with disabilities showed up to make public comments about the disrepair or lack of sidewalks in neighborhoods like Capitol View in Southwest Atlanta. “We’ve been told repeatedly that […]
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MARTA appoints interim leaders following chief of staff departure
After six years as MARTA’s chief of staff, Melissa Mullinax left the transit agency last week. MARTA has named Steven Parker, assistant general manager of external affairs, as the interim chief of staff. “On behalf of MARTA, Melissa, I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done. Words cannot convey the support, the guidance, the […]
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Local free herbal clinic Fleur + Forage aims to provide care to more Atlantans facing homelessness
Many of Atlanta’s unhoused residents face challenges accessing basic care. The opportunities to receive medical assistance that are available often treat homeless neighbors as a number in the system, but local herbalists are working to provide free holistic health services around the city. Fleur + Forage, a nonprofit founded by herbalist Marie-Lies Van Asten, runs […]
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Community stakeholders committee recommends facial recognition tech, other security measures for public access to ‘Cop City’ site
At the second-to-last meeting of the Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee (CASC) for the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center on Wednesday night, members discussed security recommendations for public access to the green space adjacent to the site and the facility’s amenities intended for some community use. Alan Williams, the Atlanta Police Foundation’s (APF) project manager for […]
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Atlanta Beltline shares update on transit study
Atlanta Beltline shared updates about potential routes and stops for Beltline transit during a community engagement meeting on Sept. 26. The organization has been studying potential alignments for light rail on the Beltline, focused on the southeast, southwest and northwest segments of the 22-mile corridor since MARTA used resources conducting a feasibility study of the […]
