Save MARTA BRT: Get Atlanta’s first BRT line back in its dedicated lanes Downtown!
The Issue
Dear Atlanta,
We ask you to amplify our voices and add your name to this open letter to support our efforts to save MARTA’s Summerhill Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. The original route that was approved by Atlanta City Council, the Federal Transit Authority (FTA), and received a TIGER grant has been changed. A key section in Downtown Atlanta has been replaced with a “Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA)” that the locals do NOT prefer!
Crucially, this new route has three large sections in downtown where it will have to operate in "shared" traffic lanes in contradiction of BRT standards, slowing service and reducing ridership during peak times. In addition, this new route is in conflict with previously adopted plans, including the Downtown Master Plan, and it would not support any known plans for expanding the BRT system through the region, such as the "Hashtag BRT" system plan adopted in the Atlanta City Design.
When this change to the route’s downtown section was made in 2019, little outreach was done to key stakeholders, such as the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association (ADNA) and the approximately 14,500 (and rapidly growing) downtown residents most directly impacted. Those who did manage to hear about and attend the meetings (all of which were held outside the Downtown Atlanta neighborhood) did not get the complete story. Presenters portrayed a choice between the original “northern” BRT route, connecting with just the east-west heavy rail transit (HRT) line, or changing to this current “western” BRT route, which would offer connections to both east-west and north-south HRT lines, including a connection to the central “Five Points” transit station. Most respondents understandably voted to change to the current “western” BRT route given that incomplete information.
In actuality, the “western” BRT route dumps riders in the middle of South Downtown without direct connection to any current or planned rail! The original “northern” BRT route offers a direct connection to MARTA’s east-west HRT line, the new light rail transit (LRT) line, and supports a faster connection to the central Five Points Station via a short walk or taking the rail one stop west. It also supports future extensions of the BRT line to additional areas of the city, including Lakewood, Midtown, Buckhead, direct connections to the existing north-south HRT line, and connections to several more planned transit routes.
According to the latest round of meetings, we are at "60% design" and that design won't be finished for another year. It should not be too late to correct this error in the route, especially since this is simply returning to a previously approved route for this BRT line. That is the whole point of spending all this time and money in the design phase—to get this done right and avoid "wasting" money later in the process. We are aware that there is a clock ticking for the $12.6M Federal grant that was awarded, but there should be plenty of time to make these design changes. And if not, the FTA is able to put the funds on hold so we can take the time to get this right. On top of that, the grant is less than 20% of the cost of the project and we will waste more than that grant amount undoing the wrong BRT infrastructure in downtown if we don't correct this now. This current “western” BRT route also jeopardizes existing plans to bring cycle tracks, wider sidewalks, and outdoor dining to downtown streets as well as upending partially funded plans to restore two-way traffic flow planned along these corridors. Even if those plans manage to survive, other sacrifices will have to be made and more money spent to rework them.
In addition to those signed on below, we are also working to get in contact with as many key stakeholders as we can. All the discussions we have had with other key groups are supportive of these efforts to correct this routing. Please help us to continue engaging other affected individuals and groups, NPUs, neighborhood organizations, city council members, and any other elected officials who want Atlanta to have great transit.
Wishing the best for the future of BRT in the city we love,
Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association (ADNA)
The Issue
Dear Atlanta,
We ask you to amplify our voices and add your name to this open letter to support our efforts to save MARTA’s Summerhill Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. The original route that was approved by Atlanta City Council, the Federal Transit Authority (FTA), and received a TIGER grant has been changed. A key section in Downtown Atlanta has been replaced with a “Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA)” that the locals do NOT prefer!
Crucially, this new route has three large sections in downtown where it will have to operate in "shared" traffic lanes in contradiction of BRT standards, slowing service and reducing ridership during peak times. In addition, this new route is in conflict with previously adopted plans, including the Downtown Master Plan, and it would not support any known plans for expanding the BRT system through the region, such as the "Hashtag BRT" system plan adopted in the Atlanta City Design.
When this change to the route’s downtown section was made in 2019, little outreach was done to key stakeholders, such as the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association (ADNA) and the approximately 14,500 (and rapidly growing) downtown residents most directly impacted. Those who did manage to hear about and attend the meetings (all of which were held outside the Downtown Atlanta neighborhood) did not get the complete story. Presenters portrayed a choice between the original “northern” BRT route, connecting with just the east-west heavy rail transit (HRT) line, or changing to this current “western” BRT route, which would offer connections to both east-west and north-south HRT lines, including a connection to the central “Five Points” transit station. Most respondents understandably voted to change to the current “western” BRT route given that incomplete information.
In actuality, the “western” BRT route dumps riders in the middle of South Downtown without direct connection to any current or planned rail! The original “northern” BRT route offers a direct connection to MARTA’s east-west HRT line, the new light rail transit (LRT) line, and supports a faster connection to the central Five Points Station via a short walk or taking the rail one stop west. It also supports future extensions of the BRT line to additional areas of the city, including Lakewood, Midtown, Buckhead, direct connections to the existing north-south HRT line, and connections to several more planned transit routes.
According to the latest round of meetings, we are at "60% design" and that design won't be finished for another year. It should not be too late to correct this error in the route, especially since this is simply returning to a previously approved route for this BRT line. That is the whole point of spending all this time and money in the design phase—to get this done right and avoid "wasting" money later in the process. We are aware that there is a clock ticking for the $12.6M Federal grant that was awarded, but there should be plenty of time to make these design changes. And if not, the FTA is able to put the funds on hold so we can take the time to get this right. On top of that, the grant is less than 20% of the cost of the project and we will waste more than that grant amount undoing the wrong BRT infrastructure in downtown if we don't correct this now. This current “western” BRT route also jeopardizes existing plans to bring cycle tracks, wider sidewalks, and outdoor dining to downtown streets as well as upending partially funded plans to restore two-way traffic flow planned along these corridors. Even if those plans manage to survive, other sacrifices will have to be made and more money spent to rework them.
In addition to those signed on below, we are also working to get in contact with as many key stakeholders as we can. All the discussions we have had with other key groups are supportive of these efforts to correct this routing. Please help us to continue engaging other affected individuals and groups, NPUs, neighborhood organizations, city council members, and any other elected officials who want Atlanta to have great transit.
Wishing the best for the future of BRT in the city we love,
Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association (ADNA)
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on October 14, 2021