Beltline Corridor Details
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Description
The proposed Beltline is a 22-mile facility that encircles the central portion of the City of Atlanta and includes transit, trails, and parks. This unique and exciting transit project has the potential to connect existing neighborhoods with existing MARTA rail stations while providing the necessary transit capacity to serve planned developments for decades to come. Historically, transit has been envisioned for portions of the Beltline as far back as the early 1960s. Yet the current vision for the Beltline project represents a new opportunity to develop transit as part of a comprehensive plan for development and transportation.
The project is proposed to be constructed within existing freight rail rights-of-way that snake between the in-town neighborhoods surrounding central Atlanta. Some segments of these freight rail lines are inactive, while some portions, particularly in the northwest, remain in heavy use. This freight activity poses a challenge as MARTA works to develop a cost-effective and environmentally sound transit route that meets all Federal safety requirements.
The Beltline Alternatives Analysis was completed in August 2006, and the MARTA Board of Directors adopted route alignment B3 as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the corridor. The specific type of rail technology (light rail, modern streetcar, etc.) will be defined in the next phase of the study. The LPA must now enter the environmental analysis stage of the project development process which will enable the formulation of a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). The DEIS will document all social, environmental, and potential economic impacts associated with the LPA. During the preparation of the environmental impact statement, a final determination will be made regarding the specific details of the rail technology. The current LPA adopted by the MARTA Board does not specify the type of rail technology.
The Beltline will be developed over several phases, the order of which has yet to be determined.
Current Documents and Information
Proposed Alignment
The proposed alignment was arrived at after screening all proposed alignment alternatives and technologies for fatal flaws. Please be aware that the number of stations and exact routing are not set in stone, and will not be finalized until after the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) has been approved by the Federal Transit Administration.
Detailed Technical Screening and Selection of Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA)
This report provides detailed information on how each alternative was evaluated with the help of the community. In addition, the Report identifies the preferred technology and alignment for which environmental impacts will be assessed. The document is presented as a whole and by chapters for your convenience. The Executive Summary has also been published under a separate cover for easier printing (Click here).
Click on the individual chapters to view them:
Click here for the entire LPA Document. (file size: 35 MB)
To view the PDF files, Adobe Acrobat Reader required.
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