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Atlanta Beltline officials recommend $3.5 billion light-rail system to connect neighborhoods across the city

Atlanta Beltline Inc. officials presented final recommendations for a light-rail system that would encircle the city's 22-mile loop. The project is estimated to cost $3.5 billion and could carry 4.2 million annual riders. Shaun Green, the Beltline's principal engineer, stated that the ridership projections are intentionally conservative to meet Federal Transit Administration preferences. The proposed system features a three-loop structure, including a full Beltline Loop and two smaller loops connecting directly into downtown Atlanta. Trains would operate for over 18 hours daily with 20-minute headways, providing 10-minute wait times at stations. Planners selected the CSX rail corridor for the northwest quadrant because it offers the fastest travel times, lowest capital cost, and direct access to Piedmont Hospital. The study, which took three and a half years to complete, also designates 13 stations along the southern corridor. Next steps include securing funding and completing additional planning and engineering work with the City of Atlanta and MARTA. The administration announced a four-station infill initiative in 2024, and the Beltline will next analyze the feasibility of a station near Murphy Crossing.

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