Extending the Downtown Streetcar Raises Serious Environmental, Safety, and Economic Questions that Deserve Answers
Given the immediate transportation challenges that exist throughout Atlanta and the limited financial resources to address them, Better Atlanta Transit has called for a substantive and civil debate to evaluate the idea of building rail on the BeltLine.
Rail on the BeltLine will cost taxpayers at least $3 billion dollars to build and take decades to complete. The decision is being made while the pedestrian path has not even been completed.
In addition, there are grave concerns that rail on the BeltLine will irreparably damage the trails, greenspace, and meadows that Atlantans have come to love.
The first phase of this plan is to expand the downtown streetcar to Ponce de Leon Avenue. This raises many questions and concerns, and taxpayers deserve some answers as to the process and wisdom of this scheme.
Further, there are several environmental and safety issues that have not been addressed or communicated to the public.
Therefore, we have 6 basic questions that warrant answers before a financial commitment is made that can’t be undone:
Why are there only local taxpayer dollars and no federal funds used for the proposed downtown streetcar expansion, and what data was used to make the decision?
How much will small businesses and residents be impacted during the multi-year effort to extend the downtown streetcar, will they be compensated for the long disruption, and what degree of congestion will result?
Has there been an environmental impact study done on the consequences of building rail on the BeltLine and extending the downtown streetcar?
Is it true that plans are in place to make Auburn Avenue and Edgewood Avenue one-way streets as part of the streetcar expansion effort?
What is the plan, environmental impact, cost, and timeline to build rail on the BeltLine above or below the Krog Tunnel?
What safety studies have been done to address concerns for pedestrians and bikers if rail is built next to the pedestrian path on the BeltLine?
