Atlanta has come too far to stray from the proven choice that will connect 45 neighborhoods with high capacity transit.
This is part two of a six part series on why I believe Beltline Rail and in particular starting with the Streetcar East extension is crucial for the city’s future.
| Part One | Density |
| Part Two | Connectivity |
| Part Three | Congestion |
| Part Four | Equity |
| Part Five | Timeline and Economics |
| Part Six | Ensuring Success |
A region is only as good as it’s core. Currently, Atlanta is a city of nodal development and one dominated by it’s suburbs. With under 10% of the total metropolitan area living within the City of Atlanta, efforts to densify the core have accelerated in the past decade. Many of those advances have been along the Beltline. While we have made many great strides in Midtown, Buckhead, and now even Downtown, things can said to be “dartboard” in nature.
While things have been slow to evolve along the current Streetcar line, providing a direct link between Downtown and the boom of the Eastside Beltline will benefit both districts and help fill the gap quicker.
Today, there are only a few subpar options to get between Downtown and the Eastside Trail outside of a car.
- Take the current streetcar and walk 1/2 mile from the closest stop
- Take MARTA and walk 3/4 mile from King Memorial or Inman Park stations
- Bike the semi-protected, often blocked by deliveries and illegal parking Edgewood / Auburn Ave bike lanes
- Freedom Park Trail
In conjunction with increased bike infrastructure, upgrades to the existing streetcar line, infill potential (all of which will be explored later further in part six), and the North Ave BRT project, a safe cohesive connection between arguably the two most important parts of the City will lead us toward the all important goal of having a seamless urban environment.
Further more, when combined with potential infill stations, the complete loop of Beltline rail will seamlessly connect 45 neighborhoods providing unparalleled access to jobs, services and unlock the full potential of our MARTA network.
Stay tuned for part three!
To learn more about Transit on the Beltline visit: https://beltline.org/learn/progress-planning/transit/beltline-transit-study/
To support the fight for Beltline Rail visit: https://beltlinerailnow.com/
To read all my Atlanta articles visit: https://philveasley.com/atlanta-articles/
Phil Veasley is a Professional Engineer working to design safer multimodal infrastructure in cities throughout the US.
My goal is to create cities that are safe and effective for all people to move about outside of cars. To achieve that we have to focus on creating equitable, dense, and vibrant cities full of walkable neighborhoods with a various mix of housing choices, schools, restaurants, transit, and services. We cannot have safe multimodal infrastructure without the density to support it and we cannot have equitable density without safe multimodal infrastructure. Outside of designing safe streets, my passions are sketching ideas for infill neighborhoods, floor plans, urban photography, and exploring our cities on foot or bike. Please check out the menus above for all of my ideas and also check out my YouTube, Instagram, BlueSky Social, and Twitter accounts.
Opinions and insights are my own and are not representative of my employer or any organization.
Phil Veasley 
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