The Atlanta Beltline is moving forward with a $3.5 billion plan to finish its 22-mile loop of trails, parks and light rail by 2030, one of the most ambitious urban redevelopment efforts in the country.
According to new planning documents released this year by Atlanta Beltline Inc. (ABI), the proposal includes roughly 26 planned stations, with trains arriving every 10 minutes and an estimated $270 million set aside for vehicles, according to ABI’s presentation on Aug. 12.
“Light rail as a preferred alternative [to heavy rail] has been selected a lot of times. It is unquestionable that this mode is the state of the world standard, the one that keeps the corridor the greenest,” said Matthew Rao, co-founder and chair of BeltLine Rail Now, a grassroots equitable transit organization in Atlanta.
Funding for the light rail comes through a combination of sources, primarily from the More MARTA program, which levies a half-penny sales tax dedicated to transit expansion.
Beltline leaders frame the expansion as not just a mobility project but also an equity and housing initiative. ABI has set a goal of delivering 5,600 affordable housing units within the Beltline Tax Allocation District by 2030. As of 2024, 74% of that target has been met.
However, the future of how transit will connect across the city remains unsettled after Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, in a March 13 MARTA board meeting, retracted his support for extending the downtown streetcar. Dickens’ decision not to move forward with the streetcar extension has shifted the spotlight back to the beltline light rail, which would link directly with MARTA stations and serve as the centerpiece of the city’s long-term transit network. Under current plans, priority has shifted to the south side, rather than the eastside corridor originally prioritized.
Advocates stress the urgency of moving from planning to construction. “This is the first time that we have a comprehensive, fairly detailed look at both what the corridor looks like, where the stops will be, what each segment will cost, and we are poised to implement these different projects,” Rao said. “We say it’s critical because it’s a plan, but if you don’t build it, that’s all it is.”
Shaun Green, Senior Transportation Engineer at Atlanta Beltline Inc., emphasizes the project’s broader importance: “Transit is not inexpensive. It’s absolutely critical to the lifeblood of the system and the city.”
Green also noted construction challenges in the northwest corridor, the longest stretch at 5.5 miles between Bankhead and Lindbergh, which is projected to cost about $800 million. “There is no abandoned railroad corridor [here] like there is in the other three quadrants of the beltline. So, we needed to figure out a way to get, generally speaking, between Bankhead and Lindbergh.”
Despite these challenges, advocates like Rao remain cautiously optimistic.
“Now, we have a plan — we know what it costs, we know where the stops are, but how long will it take to build? That’s the part that’s still up in the air,” Rao said.
As the city navigates these complexities, the future of the beltline light rail remains at the forefront of Atlanta’s vision for sustainable growth, equitable access and a connected urban future.