Mayor Kasim Reed has told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the much-delayed Atlanta Streetcar will be open by Dec. 31.
We reached out to the Mayor’s office and received a one sentence statement from his senior advisor Melissa Mullinax: “We are working closely with GDOT [Georgia Department of Transportation] and FTA [Federal Transit Administration] to finalize an opening day.”
Dec. 31Β wouldΒ be the perfect opening day, since it would help ferry the thousands expected in Downtown for the annual Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta and the Chick-fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Reed had hoped the streetcar would be open on Dec. 6 in time for the SEC Championship, but FTA still had safety concerns that needed to be addressed before passengers could ride.
Watch this space.
Exactly how will the streetcar help ferry “the thousands” who will be downtown on New Year’s Eve. To the Peach Bowl? The streetcar does not serve the Geirgia Dome? The fireworks and Peach Drop? The streetcar does not serve Underground Atlanta. This overhyped project is a misuse of precious mass transit funding that could have been spent to serve more people that this tourist trolley ever will.
This is, hands down, the biggest waste of money Ive ever seen. This city has the most backward underutilized public transportation system of any metropolitan area in the country. How about adding some extra MARTA routes.
We dont need a multimillion dollar streetcar to ferry people around downtown. We need a functional practical public transportation system so it doesn’t take 1.5 hrs to drive 6 miles home between Buckhead and Midtown every night!
At best this is a gimmick for tourists and its absolutely appalling our city wasted the time, manpower and most importantly money on it.
hands down Atlanta has the best public transportation system in the entire south east which is a well known fact.The Atlanta Streetcar Will serve its purpose without a doubt very well. Johnny come latey.