A personal journey on Beltline rail

OPINION: Civic leader Ann Cramer argues that we must protect the Beltline from the planned streetcar, and instead focus on equity, affordability, access and connectivity.

“It’s not where you sit – it is on what you stand”

As a resident of Inman Park since 1972, I’ve dedicated my professional and civic life to bringing people together to have a lasting, positive impact on my city and my community.  

My mission, which I have honed since I was confirmed in the Episcopal Church, is to be part of a world in which every child can grow up safe, healthy, educated, connected and employable.  It drives me every single day.

That is why I am motivated to join the public debate on what’s next for the Beltline, which will continue to be a place we all love, as well as deciding what transit, if any, should be placed on the Beltline next to pedestrians.

As a trained mathematician, I try to take a logical approach, with a lens of love, to every issue.

Let me first say that I truly adore the Beltline. I am so deeply indebted to the many people who 25 years ago took the dream and made it a reality.  The ancient axiom applies:  It takes a village. And the village put forth a marvelous community asset.

The Beltline has elevated the quality of life for tens of thousands of our residents.he public park and paths have made it a model to other cities around the world.

It has also created new housing and business opportunities that previously never existed.

Therefore, as the decision nears on whether to put rail on the Beltline, my first question is: How would rail add value to the Beltline?

The answer became obvious.  It does not add value.  But more importantly, rail would jeopardize the very thing we most love about the Beltline.

I am a big advocate of transit.  However, we have to be smart about it and realize that every transportation project is different and must be evaluated on an individual basis.

On the question of rail on the Beltline, we must apply a test.  What does it do for Equity, Affordability,  Access and Connectivity (connecting our neighborhoods and communities)?

The fact is that rail on the Beltline fails that test on all levels.

Many parts of our city have transportation needs that must be addressed now.  The Clifton Corridor, Campbelltown Road, the west side and others all come to mind.

But we have finite public dollars to spend.

Rail is massively expensive and takes an extremely long time to build.  For example, to complete the Beltline loop, rail is estimated to cost over $3 billion and take decades to build.  Even more remarkable, the short distance from Lindbergh Station to Ponce City Market would cost taxpayers up to $448 million dollars, according to a MARTA study last year!

Given our financial limits for transit and transportation needs, rail on the Beltline fails the test of Equity and Affordability.

Now comes the question of Access and Connectivity.  Again, rail on the Beltline fails that test.

Granted, rail will provide a linear path around the city.  But it would interrupt our neighborhoods on cross-connections that people depend on every day.

Thanks to the Beltline, I can now walk or ride a bike through the beautiful meadows and paths from Inman Park to the Fourth Ward uninterrupted.  Putting rail on the Beltline would not only complicate that walk, it will make it unenjoyable.  Rail would disrupt that fluid path and practically cut-off the existing cross-connections.

We do not need to put up barriers between our neighborhoods that would interrupt our lives and harm our small businesses, who have invested in being on or near the Beltline.  In fact, more and more small businesses are now publicly opposed to rail.

We cannot repeat past generational mistakes by breaking up neighborhoods and communities.

The final strike against rail on the Beltline has to do with potential impact on our Environment.  I have yet to see an environmental impact study for the bridges that will be affected if we build rail.  How will the Krog Tunnel be impacted?  Or the Highland Bridge or the Freedom Parkway bridge?  How will the crossing on Monroe Street and Piedmont Park be impacted?

These are important questions that have not been answered.  Moreover, how much time will it take to deal with these vital and essential questions?

To me the answer is clear.  First, let’s protect the Beltline and its paths and meadows and greenspace we have come to love. 

Second, finish the entire pedestrian loop.  Once that happens, we may decide that the lane some have designated for rail instead be used for bicycles, scooters, baby strollers and other small-wheeled vehicles.

That will allow us to address the immediate transportation needs we have throughout the city and, in the meantime, MARTA can improve their stations and services to better serve the public that rely on public transportation.

Yes - to transit, equity, accessibility, affordability, and connectivity. No - to rail.

Ann Wilson Cramer is a longtime resident of Inman Park and an active member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. She served as director for IBM Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs for the Americas. In that position, she was a member of the senior management staff overseeing the company’s approach to corporate citizenship, strategic philanthropy, and overall social responsibility. In 2012, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce presented her with its first Business Civic Leadership Achievement Award, and in 2020, Cramer received the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s first Corporate Social Responsibility Lifetime Achievement Award. She was recently inducted in the 2021 Georgia Trend’s Hall of Fame. Cramer serves and has served on numerous local nonprofit boards and has been involved with The Atlanta Women’s Foundation since its birth.