On Wednesday MARTA unveiled a ‘dream’ project list for the city of Atlanta, including both light and heavy rail along with extended bus service and refurbished train stations.
Board Chairman Robbie Ashe admitted that the list was over-ambitious and would not be completed, (or even come close) with the $2.5 billion potentially raised by a November sales-tax increase, but to, “Think of it as a menu”.
MARTA ‘wish-list’, courtesy of MARTA
The proposed list includes light rail circling the beltline, (this project would likely be started first) as well as on the Clifton Corridor and another line cutting across midtown linking it with the existing streetcar. It also features a heavy rail extension to I-20 West, and several different lines of bus rapid transit, (think larger buses with dedicated lanes and stations).
MARTA must publish an official project list for the budget referendum by July 31st, and expect to see some of the above options listed. In particular light rail on the beltline has long been considered a top priority for the city.
For now much MARTA’s full wish-list remains a dream, but with every year bringing more support and more votes it’s seeming more and more real.
