New Transit Group to Kick-off Public Debate on Wisdom of BeltLine Rail
A new group called Better Atlanta Transit (www.betteratlantatransit.org), made up of civic-minded leaders, has been formed to kick off a public debate on the wisdom of building rail on the BeltLine while preserving the popular path and identifying transportation alternatives that fit the 21st-century.
“Supporters of Better Atlanta Transit (BAT) want to inform, organize, and mobilize Atlantans and our elected officials to spend public transit dollars wisely and provide mindful, effective, and equitable transportation for our residents and businesses,” said Ann Cramer, a community leader and an organizer of BAT.
The conservative cost estimate to put rail on the entire 22-mile BeltLine will be more than $3 billion and will take decades to build.
MARTA has already begun spending millions of dollars on design and planning for rail without meaningful community input or an examination of where there are greater transportation needs throughout the city. This comes at a time of a significant decline in rail and bus ridership.
Many transportation experts believe that the best transit options for preserving the BeltLine may be micro-mobility, such as scooters, bicycles, and autonomous vehicles. “Clearly, there are superior transit options that align with new technology and the future. Rail is the 20th century. We need to look forward, not backward,” said Renee Glover, a leading supporter of BAT.
Putting Rail on the 22-mile BeltLine presents considerable problems and concerns that demand attention, such as:
Damage to the environment, including the destruction of hundreds of trees that make Atlanta unique and provide a beautiful canopy for our residents
Safety issues for walkers, runners, bicyclists, and adults with baby strollers
Very high cost to taxpayers
The added massive cost and time to build rail over or under the Krog Tunnel and other bottlenecks along the Beltline
Noise and air pollution for nearby residents, businesses and pedestrians
Greater congestion in the neighborhoods near the BeltLine.
Sharon Gay, an attorney and leader of BAT, noted that federal regulation requires an unsightly barrier or fence separating the BeltLine path from the proposed site of the rail. She is also concerned about ridership and rail impacting neighborhoods. “The current plan does not connect origins and destinations. No studies show that this huge financial investment will enhance public transit ridership. Certainly, other potential transit projects have more impact on ridership. Further, the BeltLine has been successful in connecting neighborhoods and bringing communities together. The rail plan will create barriers and limit connecting points. Why are we risking that?” said Gay.
Walter Brown, heading up the grassroots efforts for BAT, said that most residents are concerned about three things: 1) they want to preserve the BeltLine as a shade-lined walking, biking, and small electric transport corridor that supports dozens of small businesses, 2) they worry that the cost to build and operate a light rail system will seriously harm MARTA’s financial stability; and that 3) rail on the BeltLine will only benefit the wealthy, while creating even greater equity issues for most other Atlanta families, including far more active transit users throughout south Atlanta.
The supporters of Better Atlanta Transit plan to conduct research on what the people want, educate the public on the cost and alternatives to rail, offer public panel discussions and debate, and organize and activate people who live in the city, especially those along the BeltLine.
“In addition to looking at alternative transit that comes with new technology, we should first simply finish building the path for all of the BeltLine. Then, we can create transit that is flexible, adaptable, and affordable with connections to the existing MARTA network,” said Glover.
