ThreadATL

...but there are still far too many dead spaces within a few blocks of the streetcar tracks. Matching high capacity, fixed-route transit with excellent urbanism (and vice versa) is something Atlanta needs to focus on.

/end

In addition to extending the streetcar route to -- and onto -- the Beltline, and providing it with dedicated lanes, the land-use along the route is in need of attention. Good things are absolutely happening on Auburn Avenue in terms of renovation and construction...

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YouTube video by Classy Whale Can Atlanta's Awful Streetcar Be Fixed?

This video critique of the Atlanta Streetcar is getting a lot of views and comments. What are your thoughts about it?

One issue that doesn't get enough exposure in the video is land-use.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OFS...

Boosting the level of walkable density (including affordable housing) near MARTA is key, as is deploying new rail in places with the capacity for growth to support it, such as the Eastside Beltline. We've already got one slam dunk at the airport. Let's do the same with the rest of the city!

/End

These stats are staggering. They show what a huge achievement in rail we have with this Plane Train. And while that's a big ego boost for us, the fact that the rest of the city outside the airport struggles to find this level of success with rail efficiency should be a concern.

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> The Plane Train moves about 89,285 riders per mile per day. For comparison, the New York City Subway (pre-Covid) carried roughly 22,152 riders per mile. There are only two transit lines in the world that move more people per mile, and they're in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

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Stats from the post:

> If the Atlanta Plane Train were its own transit agency it would rank as the 11th largest in the country due to its phenomenal 250,000 daily riders

> Dallas, the ninth-largest city in America, moves fewer people on its entire rail system than the 2.8-mile Plane Train does

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The Busiest “Rail Line” You’ve Never Heard Of Is In the Suburbs of Atlanta Atlanta’s 2.8-mile Plane Train quietly moves more people each day than most American transit systems, and might be the most efficient rail line in the Western Hemisphere.

The Transit Guy has an excellent post about the success of the Plane Train inside Atlanta's airport. This is the train system that takes passengers to and from terminals.

By ridership, it's one of the 15 busiest train systems in the nation!

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thetransitguy.substack.com/p/the-busies...

With this gift, Atlanta Urban Development Corporation (an organization tasked with developing mixed-income housing on publicly owned land) plans to remake these 22 acres into "transit-connected, vibrant community hub that prioritizes the needs of local residents."

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Microsoft gifting portion of Westside campus property to City of Atlanta Transit-connected acreage fronts Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway where two projects didn't take off

Urbanize Atlanta reports that Microsoft is giving 22 acres near Bankhead MARTA Station to the City for development. This is part of the land Microsoft purchased several years ago with hopes of putting a major headquarters on it -- hopes that fizzled.

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atlanta.urbanize.city/post/microso...

New bike lane

It's not open yet, but the bike lane under construction on Juniper Street looks pretty impressive. The wayfinding signage seems like a nice touch.

Thanks to Councilmember Jason Dozier for introducing legislation to eliminate parking minimums citywide in Atlanta at today's City Council meeting!!

This is a great proposal.

New partnerships needed to create a healthy Downtown and Atlanta region  - SaportaReport Read New partnerships needed to create a healthy Downtown and Atlanta region  by Maria Saporta for SaportaReport here.

Maurice Cox, a national leader in city planning, is consulting with Atlanta on how to make Downtown "a thriving neighborhood."

"Cox spoke of transforming auto-centric spaces into pedestrian-oriented spaces...the goal is to create 20-minute neighborhoods"

saportareport.com/new-partners...

To get around GA's ban on rent control, Atlanta has to offer developers an 'out' for inclusionary zoning (requiring affordable homes): paying in-lieu fees that go into a fund for building affordable homes elsewhere.

The fees were recently increased, so that's good news.

19% of Downtown Atlanta is covered in parking according to this analysis. Honestly, that number seems a bit low. Here's the parking-apocalypse near Underground Atlanta & Five Points MARTA.

We've got a lot of work to do in order to right this wrong & make better use of land in the city center.

This would be an improvement!

Atlanta is using most of its housing trust fund to pay down bond debt & employee salaries instead of creating new homes (which is ridiculous).

Councilmember Matt Westmoreland has a plan for ensuring that most of the fund creates affordable housing.

MARTA rail has limited reach, but we can improve what we have — ThreadATL The combo of suburban sprawl and a compromised rail plan has worked to limit the reach of MARTA rail for Atlanta’s regional residents, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a brighter future for the rai...

The combo of suburban sprawl and a compromised rail plan has worked to limit the reach of MARTA rail for Atlanta’s regional residents. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a brighter future within the footprint of rail coverage that we do have.

www.threadatl.org/blog/marta-r...

Atlanta Housing secures $60 million in financing to build affordable apartments at Civic Center site - Atlanta Business Chronicle Approximately $60 million in financing has been secured for the first phase of the redevelopment.

A long-promised apartment building for low income seniors is slated to begin construction at the empty Civic Center property "soon" & be completed late 2027. $60 mil in funding is secured.

No other construction has been announced yet for the property.

www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news...

Congrats to @cardenonwheels.bsky.social for being selected by Atlanta City Council as the interim Council member for District 2 (my district)! Good choice, y'all.

And thanks to @atlpresscollective.com for the great coverage.

Draft Network | MARTA NextGen Bus The Draft NextGen Bus Network would reduces waiting time for most people and allow most residents of the region to reach more jobs more quickly.

MARTA's interim CEO says the bus network redesign launch will no longer happen in 2025

The redesign reduces the number of routes while increasing the frequency of bus service:
www.martanextgenbusnetwork.com/adopted-fina...

New timeline coming "soon"...
www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/09/09/a...

Addressing homelessness in Atlanta: The fight for Housing First In the wake of Cornelius Taylor’s death, Atlanta navigates the homelessness crisis with a new plan. But do its goals serve residents?

Must read from the @atlpresscollective.com

atlpresscollective.com/2025/09/05/a...

Instagram post: "Atlanta built the trails. Now they're canceling the rails?"

A transit advocacy group in NYC cleverly uses Atlanta's failure to get rail started on the Beltline as a warning: build the rail first, before the 'trail' component sparks anti-transit outrage from residents who don't want to rock the booming-property-values boat.

www.instagram.com/p/DN58BSXEbZB

Could Atlanta tap Midtown’s explosive growth to fund affordable housing? A city councilmember has a plan to turn Midtown’s explosive growth into a new funding stream.

This is a good writeup about the complexity of providing affordable homes through fees, density bonuses, and requirements for below-market-rate units.

It also raises questions: how can we put affordable homes in places with good transit access & safe streets?

atlantaciviccircle.org/2025/08/27/m...

Infuriating statement. This follows the recent plan presented by *his own planning staff* for rail along the entire Beltline. It's time for leaders who are serious about treating Atlanta like a real city, where massive growth and rail are common sense companions.

www.wabe.org/atlanta-belt...

Even when parked, cars are making cities like Atlanta hotter — ThreadATL As if surface-parking spaces weren’t problematic enough, new research finds that parked cars contribute to urban heat islands, exposing pedestrians to even higher levels of heat stress though the “rad...

As if surface-parking spaces weren’t problematic enough, new research finds that parked cars contribute to urban heat islands, exposing pedestrians to even higher levels of heat stress though the “radiative properties” of the materials cars are made of.

www.threadatl.org/blog/even-wh...

Concept Level Capital Cost Estimates (2025)

Important: The Streetcar East Extension is now redesignated as "Crosstown East", and plans are currently being made to drill a tunnel under CSX's Hulsey Yard to connect the NE and SE Quadrants

At a webinar tonight, Atlanta Beltline is sharing their recommendations for the location of transit stations in the Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast parts of the Beltline (and transit alignment in the NW).

Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

beltline.org/events/687ff...

When the city cuts costs by deferring much-needed repairs of sidewalks and ADA ramps, it can mean the difference between someone moving freely or being shut out of public life. Public infrastructure needs to afford dignity to everyone.

threadatl.tumblr.com/post/7913172...

Info from an insider:

The Stitch already has funding in place for the preliminary design work; leaders are formally establishing a Stitch organization; it will shift to a more philanthropy-based funding model for construction costs & they'll try for federal funds again in the future.

Supposedly the Stitch is still happening despite the loss of federal funds? How?

"While the loss of this funding is disappointing, The Stitch is happening. The project will complete shovel-ready engineering... for phase 1 construction by mid-2026"

mailchi.mp/atlantadownt...