Support Mindful Expansion
of Public Transportation

De-Prioritize A Tourist-Focused Plan

These millions of dollars should be put to good use and bring solutions to as many communities as possible.

Let's give these funds to develop transit expansion to areas in more need. Let's not pump unnecessary money into established areas with expensive restaurants, retail and tourist activities.

Put in place a BeltLine transit solution that has the following characteristics:

o Financially and operationally justified

o Meets daily demand

o Incorporates current technology

o Is flexible to change depending on demand

o Is not obtrusive to residents, businesses and BeltLine users

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Let's use this money to finish the 22-mile pedestrian BeltLine loop first. Then, apply a proper transit plan that works best for connecting all neighborhoods.

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Talk to Us Instead of Making Decisions Behind Closed Doors

MARTA claims they sent a survey out to over 250 people in 2021. Most of the people living in the area for the streetcar expansion did not receive this survey.

The lack of upfront and ongoing community engagement is not acceptable for such an expensive and expansive project.

We ask that neighborhoods work hand in hand with all parties involved to create transit solutions that have a greater likelihood for success.

We also ask that our political leaders better listen to our needs and support the best solutions for their constituents.

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No Evidence Has Been Shared to Show the Streetcar Will Be an Effective Transit Service

• Our communities have not been given hard data proving reason for the streetcar expansion.

• 2022 streetcar ridership is 85% below the original pre-installment forecast in 2014.

• Pre-pandemic streetcar ridership (in 2019) was 78% below forecast.

• MARTA and City of Atlanta representatives sternly express this is a "DONE DEAL".

We demand more data to support the validity of this project (and its prioritization).

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Here's Some More Background

Current plans are based on continuing with the downtown streetcar mode of transportation and connecting the downtown line to Irwin Street which will become closed to traffic and run from the Krog Street Market area to Ponce City Market.

​The proposed path for the streetcar expansion does not make sense structurally.

The project will take a minimum of four years to complete.

From an engineering aspect it does not make sense

To implement this, much of the green space of the east side BeltLine from Irwin Street to Ponce City Market will be replaced with rail tracks, overhead lines and station canopies.

In many areas along the route from downtown to Krog Street there is not sufficient room for the streetcar and placing it in those locations will make it extremely difficult for people to live and work.

We expect more from our leaders. The streetcar only covers 4% of operating costs and the continued expansion would continue millions of dollars per year of operational losses. The decision is irresponsible and represents poor financial stewardship.

MARTA has not looked at other alternatives for transit and has doubled down on only this mode of transportation.

Decisions are being based on a 1999 vision for rail on the BeltLine and a 2016 one cent tax referendum.

· Regarding the 1999 vision, it is now almost 24 years later and the landscape of Atlanta has changed, technology has advanced and what was an idea conceived back in 1999 does not necessarily apply today.

· Regarding the 2016 referendum, the expansion of the streetcar was NOT what taxpayers cast their vote for. In addition, to date MARTA has spent approximately 70+% or approximately $367 million dollars of the tax proceeds on operations and not capital projects as it was designated for.

If the goal is to bring a form of transportation beyond the widely successful path used for walkers, runners, bikers, scooters etc. then we propose there is both a path that can be used for all motorized modes of transportation including an autonomous electric shuttle like BEEP currently being used in Peachtree Corners and a path for pedestrians ( runners/walkers) that can remain asphalt or can be carved within the green-space as a mowed natural path. This solution would be less costly, more expeditious, less obtrusive and destructive to the pedestrian city being created, utilizes state of the art technology and has flexibility to change with the times.

· The current Streetcar East Extension project that extends the failed downtown streetcar as the solution for BeltLine transit.

· Spending upwards of $200 million on approximately a 2 mile transit path

· Doubling down on a failed streetcar system where there is no factual data supporting the ridership for this expense, leaving taxpayers with the bill to cover ongoing operational losses of nearly 95% of costs.

· Putting in place expensive fixed infrastructure for BeltLine transit that will take well over ten years to complete and is not currently feasible along many places on the BeltLine

· Cutting down hundreds of mature trees on the BeltLine on the one-mile stretch from Krog Street Market to Ponce City Market.

· Degrading Atlanta streets and BeltLine path by adding rail tracks, overhead cable lines and canopy stations.

· Building streetcar infrastructure through historic Atlanta neighborhoods, making those neighborhoods less accessible and less safe for pedestrians and bicycle riders.

MARTA - Streetcar East - Official Website

Urbanize Atlanta - Seven years later, Atlanta Streetcar due for boost...

AJC - MARTA spends more than half of Atlanta sales tax on operations, not construction

Reason - Is This Atlanta Streetcar 'The Worst Transit Project of All Time'?

WSB – MARTA: Extending Streetcar East to the Beltline will be successful, improve ridership

AJC – Atlanta Streetcar won’t tap existing MARTA funds