MARTA’s monthly board of directors meeting was commandeered by Eastside Beltline rail advocates on Feb. 12 after a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution revelation that agency leaders quietly stopped work on the project last year. In March 2025, Mayor Andre Dickens pulled support for the long-standing Eastside trail rail project and changed the location to the Southside […]
Tag: BeltLine rail
Posted inMaria's Metro
Mayor Andre Dickens open to revisiting decision on Beltline rail
Now is an opportune moment to take a fresh look at putting rail on the Beltline’s Eastside trail. The case to move forward with rail on the Eastside trail is as strong as ever. It is the one corridor that makes the most sense for transit, given the density of development on the Eastside. It […]
Posted inMaria's Metro
Transit in Atlanta is at a crossroads
As Atlanta Beltline Inc. celebrates its 20-year anniversary, it is still up in the air on how the city will move forward to build out the vision for transit. The most tangible Beltline rail project is putting light rail on the Eastside Trail, extending the downtown streetcar to the Beltline and continuing the rail to […]
Posted inColumns
The Beltline has a lofty transit plan. Will it actually happen?
After years of pushed plans, autonomous pod proposals and total project overhauls, the Atlanta Beltline is on the path to add light rail to the 22-mile paved corridor. But residents aren’t sure the dream will ever materialize. It’s an ambitious plan to create a $3.5 billion rail corridor over the next several years, and it […]
Posted inColumns
A tall order: Attracting a MARTA leader to operate and build a world-class transit system
Government, community and transit leaders agree — the departure of MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood puts the transit agency at an inflection point. The following questions need to be answered: Will local, regional and state leaders coalesce around a “world-class” vision for transit in Georgia’s capital city? Will those community leaders be able to convince a […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Dickens teases summer start for Beltline rail planning stage
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens teased public engagement sessions starting as soon as June 2025 for the newly-announced plans to build rail on the Beltline’s Southside trail at a March 27 Atlanta Press Club event. During the Q&A moderated by Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Riley Bunch, Dickens defended his controversial plan to pivot from long-planned light rail […]
Posted inMaria's Metro
Atlanta must go forwards — not backwards — when it comes to Beltline rail
When Andre Dickens was elected mayor in November 2021, I was filled with optimism and hope for the future of Atlanta. Here was a leader who ran on running an ethical government, building affordable housing and implementing rail transit on the Beltline. After eight years of the contentious administration of Mayor Kasim Reed and the […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
City commits to Beltline rail on Southside trail
During a tense address from the City of Atlanta to the MARTA Board of Directors, city officials committed to building light rail on the Beltline — but not as the planned streetcar extension. Chief Policy Advisor Courtney English announced the news on behalf of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens during public “Transit for All” remarks focused on […]
Posted inMaria's Metro
Rail transit key to Downtown revitalization
Atlanta has a strategic opportunity to embrace Downtown revitalization efforts by fueling new and improved transit service. In conversations with about a dozen business and civic leaders, it has become obvious that our city is at a pivotal juncture when it comes to Downtown and transit. First, stars are aligned to bring new life to […]
Posted inLatest News
Doug Shipman: ‘Rail is the only viable solution’ for Atlanta Beltline
Four Atlanta City Council leaders speak out in favor of Beltline rail.
Posted inColumns
New infill MARTA stations to complement BeltLine rail
A new MARTA station at Murphy Crossing in southwest Atlanta will make BeltLine rail even more vital to our city’s future mobility.
Posted inColumns
Metro Atlanta driving headfirst into a traffic nightmare
The Atlanta Regional Commission forecasts the Atlanta region’s population will hit nearly 8 million people by 2050 – an increase of more than 1.8 million people. So, how will all these people get around our region? Cars, cars, cars and more cars.
Posted inLatest News
BeltLine rail moves forward with MARTA board vote
MARTA’s board of directors voted unanimously Thursday afternoon to move forward with the extending the Atlanta Streetcar to the BeltLine and north to Ponce City Market.
