By Collin Kelley
The long-dormant plan to run a streetcar line on Peachtree from Buckhead to downtown could be resurrected if the Atlanta Streetcar project proves to be a success.
Tom Weyandt, senior transportation advisor with the city of Atlanta, said there is no timetable or funding for the north/south expansion as of yet.
The downtown streetcar, now under construction, will eventually run 2.7 miles from Centennial Olympic Park to the King Center via Edgewood and Auburn avenues. The route will provide 12 stops connecting major tourist destinations and local businesses.
Weyandt said the city is talking about an east-west expansion that will connect the system to the Atlanta BeltLine.
“The likely first extension will be to the east, since the BeltLine is only about 2 ½ blocks away,” Weyandt said, noting that nearly two years’ worth of environmental studies will have to be completed before any extension is made.
Weyandt said the city is taking proposals through the end of July for companies that want to operate the system. He said four prime contractors that operate other transportation systems around the country have expressed interest in the Atlanta streetcar.