Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced Monday the largest expansion to MARTA’s train network in decades with four new stations expected to join the public transit system, including one at a large development project along the Beltline.
One station will be at Murphy Crossing along the Beltline’s Westside Trail, meaning the popular mixed-use trail loop will soon be connected to heavy rail. The other three will be “infill” stations between existing stops, but the specific locations and how they will be funded were not provided.
“Our current MARTA rail system is underutilized, in part, because we don’t have enough stations located where our residents need them most,” Dickens said during his annual State of the City address. “... A better, more accessible rail system is key to Atlanta’s future and I am committed to ensuring that Atlanta residents have access to the quality transportation they deserve.”
The last MARTA stations to join the transit network were Sandy Springs and North Springs along the red line, which both opened in 2000.
As part of the More MARTA transit expansion program approved by Atlanta votes in 2016, five infill stations were highlighted as possibilities, including one at Murphy Crossing in Oakland City. They were among the possible projects that didn’t receive funding.
They included Armour in Buckhead between Arts Center and Lindbergh; Boone in northwest Atlanta between Ashby and Bankhead; Hulsey/Krog in northeast Atlanta between King Memorial and Inman Park/Reynoldstown; and Mechanicsville located off McDaniel Street between West End and Oakland City.
“The location of those sites and further details will be announced in the coming days,” the mayor’s office said when pressed for more information. The MARTA Board of Directors’ next scheduled meeting is 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
“The establishment of infill stations at key nodes along the Atlanta Beltline holds great potential to maximize MARTA’s rail system to bring mobility and accessibility to a wider population while fostering future growth and prosperity,” a MARTA spokesperson said in a statement. All other questions were referred to the mayor’s office.
Beltline officials and Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm, finalized a development team last week for Murphy Crossing. It’s a pivotal redevelopment effort that is poised to include 1,100 housing units and up to 180,000 square feet of commercial space, both with significant affordability components.
The mixed-use project on the former State Farmers Market property at 1050 Murphy Ave. SW ranks among the most consequential developments on land owned by the Beltline. It’s located about 0.8 miles between the West End and Oakland City MARTA stations.
“This new station will not only bring rail access to Murphy Crossing, it will for the very first time connect MARTA rail to the Beltline,” Dickens said. “Investments like Murphy Crossing and high-capacity transit on Campbellton Road will ensure that residents on the southside will have access to the best Atlanta has to offer.”
Credit: Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
Credit: Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
Light rail along the Beltline, specifically the crowded Eastside Trail, has become a contentious topic in the city.
A $230-million project would lengthen the streetcar from downtown to Ponce City Market and is funded by More MARTA revenue. Opposition has risen to try to derail that plan, arguing the project would be disruptive and won’t generate enough riders to justify the cost. Proponents say it’s needed to deliver upon the Beltline’s original vision as a mass transportation corridor.
Dickens, who has recently raised questions about the light rail project, did not mention it during his speech. Beltline CEO Clyde Higgs said the Murphy Crossing station will be a critical step in creating a transit network along the multi-use trail.
“This infill station will complement our mission to provide transit on the Beltline to serve the entire Atlanta region at a time when we’re attracting nearly 2 million more people by 2050,” he said in a written statement.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
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