Let’s just get this out of the way at the top of the letter: I’m a proponent of rail on the BeltLine.
Call me an originalist, an absolutist, or an idiot, but when Ryan Gravel conceived of the BeltLine back in 1999, rail was always a component. From the loop’s earliest planning stages to the reality we have today, rail has been a component. What did y’all think that big grassy area off to the side of the trail was for?
Many residents and homeowners near the BeltLine seem to have been taken by surprise that the promise of rail might be coming to pass sooner rather than later. MARTA is currently working on its plan to extend the Downtown streetcar to the BeltLine and up to Ponce City Market.
I understand the trepidation by many concerning the streetcar. It’s mostly empty, has had maintenance issues, and it’s just “big.” The BeltLine is busy with walkers, joggers, bikers, and skateboarders, so having the big blue streetcar running next to it does seem off-scale.
When I pictured rail on the BeltLine in my head, I guess I thought of something akin to the trolley cars in San Francisco or maybe some kind of open-air tram system – something sleek and small.
That said, I believe the streetcar extension will be a success. Imagine getting on the train at Ponce City Market and heading to the emerging tech hub in South Downtown, the massive Centennial Yards project, or to catch a game or concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium or State Farm Arena. This is where the streetcar is going to get traction and ridership
During his State of the City address on March 25, Mayor Andre Dickens promised four new MARTA infill stations, including one at the Murphy Crossing project in south Atlanta. Where the other three are going will be crucial to making MARTA a more viable option for the masses.
I lived directly on the BeltLine Eastside Trail for 16 years and watched it transform from an abandoned railroad line to the thriving urban trail it is today. Since my move to Midtown a few years ago, I’m still only a mile from the trail. I want to see rail on the entire 22-mile loop in my lifetime.
Will it be challenging to build rail on some of the BeltLine segments? Yes, especially trying to navigate the Krog Tunnel area, but I believe we can solve those problems. Will having a moving train next to the trail take some getting used to? Oh, definitely.
But if cities like Seattle, Dallas, Toronto, and Charlotte can figure out how to put in a streetcar network, so can Atlanta. This city used to be crisscrossed with streetcars that went far more places than MARTA currently does. The biggest mistake Atlanta ever made was tearing out the existing system in favor of the automobile. Allowing the Downtown Connector to split the city in half was the second, but that’s for another column.
Whatever the mode of transport turns out to be on the BeltLine, let’s get it done sooner rather than later. We’re 25 years on from the conception of the BeltLine and it’s time for it to take another big step.