MARTA is advancing bus rapid transit (BRT) for the Clifton Corridor to connect the Lindbergh and Avondale Estates rail stations.
Two BRT options are currently in play: one that uses dedicated lanes from Lindbergh to Avondale (Alternative 1A) and a second that would add an arterial rapid transit (ART) line to connect Lindberg to Decatur that would run with traffic on Clairemont Avenue (1B). Both are shown in the graphic above.
The transit agency announced its plan during the first of three public meetings on Monday night. A virtual session is set for this Thursday, Feb. 16, starting at 6:30 p.m. and another in-person event on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. North Decatur Presbyterian Church, 611 Medlock Road, in Decatur.
According to MARTA officials, the BRT project will connect “existing heavy rail lines and provide high-capacity transit along a rapidly developing residential, institutional, and mixed-use corridor.”
The BRT line would have stops at Emory University, Emory University Hospital, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Egleston, and Atlanta VA Medical Center. Both alternatives include bus shuttles to the VA Medical Center.
“BRT makes sense for this corridor, providing fast, efficient transit in dedicated bus lanes,” MARTA Assistant General Manager of Planning Shelley Peart said in a statement. “More and more transit expansion projects across the country are considering BRT due to its ability to provide rail-like service more quickly, with less impact, and at a lower capital cost. Those features improve the project’s overall rating and therefore its competitiveness for federal funding, which we’ve known since this project’s inception would be critical to its completion.”
Because of these advantages, MARTA has recommended BRT for other projects including along Campbellton Road in Atlanta, on State Route 54 in Clayton County, and the first BRT project in the region, Summerhill.
MARTA had originally planned for 29 miles of new rail lines when Atlanta voters approved a half-penny sales tax in 2016. However, the cost of building rail now has made the transit agency look at BRT.
A rail line would cost $2.9 billion, while BRT would cost $1.3 billion, according to MARTA.
“Through this process, we’ve whittled the alternatives from ten to three and now down to two. Our team is taking the BRT alternatives to the public this week and will recommend an alternative to the MARTA Board this spring. Then, we can get to work on submitting this project to the FTA,” added Peart.
To learn more about the project and provide feedback, visit Project Overview – Connect Clifton.