MARTA and Mayor Andre Dickens have reached a deal to move forward on the Five Points station renovation that will preserve pedestrian access during construction.
The project was put on hold in July after weeks of pushback by Atlanta city officials and transit advocates who balked at MARTA’s plans to shut down pedestrian and bus access at the system’s busiest station for 18 months, saying the disruptions would be too significant for riders.
MARTA officials said Wednesday they will instead keep one station entrance open during construction, allowing for street-level and elevator access, as well as bus pick-up and drop-off. The new plans, first reported by Atlanta News First, will mean a longer construction schedule in exchange but the exact timeline is unknown.
“This is a win-win for MARTA, the City of Atlanta, and our customers as we move forward together to improve transit across our region,” MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood said in a statement.
A Dickens spokesman said the mayor told MARTA that bus and pedestrian access were necessities. Originally, MARTA planned to relocate bus routes and shut off access except during the World Cup soccer championship in 2026.
“The Mayor shared with MARTA that a solution is needed to make sure access to the station, particularly for those who require elevator access, through the duration of any proposed construction is non-negotiable,” spokesman Michael Smith said in a statement.
The renovation will consist of removing the leaky concrete canopy that’s currently over the station plaza and replacing it with a translucent roof. MARTA also plans to build new street-level bus bays and add green space.
The agreement preserves MARTA’s original design plans, which were criticized by some city leaders who called it “underwhelming.” Downtown business leaders had also asked for the design to be revisited.
The whole project was initially projected to cost $230 million but will cost more due to the delays. MARTA has incurred a roughly $10,000 per-day fine from contractors since the project was paused July 3. Federal and state money will cover a combined $38.8 million. The rest will be paid for with money from the half-penny transit sales tax approved by Atlanta voters in 2016.
The sales tax money is also a point of contention between MARTA and city officials following an audit into the More MARTA spending. City auditors say the transit agency overcharged for services by as much as $70 million, a figure MARTA disputes. MARTA has now hired its own auditing firm.
It’s unclear where discussions between MARTA and Dickens about the audit stand. In addition to the financial dispute, the audit determined there was no agreed-upon project list. Greenwood upset City Council members in September when he said he would only negotiate the issues with Dickens.
MARTA officials said originally the decision to close pedestrian access at Five Points was a “trade-off” made to speed up construction, similar to the decisions to close the Airport and Brookhaven/Oglethorpe stations during renovations. Following criticism of the impact of lengthy closures on riders, the transit agency then floated the possibility of using underground tunnels to preserve pedestrian access. Dickens also proposed a 10-year fix instead of a permanent fix.
Under the new agreement, Greenwood said MARTA will keep the entrance on the Forsyth Street side open “during the majority of construction.” MARTA spokeswoman Stephany Fisher said riders could expect temporary closures that last a few hours at a time, not days. The bulk of the closures will happen at the start of the project while a crane is put in place.
Demolition paperwork was filed with the City of Atlanta this week but is not yet approved. Fisher said MARTA is still determining when construction will begin. The entire remodel was originally slated to take four years and conclude in 2028.
She said MARTA intends to give at least six weeks notice to riders before work starts.
Staff reporter David Wickert contributed to this report.
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