Connect400 - Public meetings for MARTA planning on GA 400 [update: article]

Speakers at the MARTA Connect400 meeting. Left to right: Igna Kennedy (PEQ President), GA Senator Brandon Beach, Mark Eatman (MARTA project manager), Janide Sidifall (MARTA project manager)

On Thursday evening, I went to a MARTA Connect400 public meeting. MARTA is hosting three public meetings this month to request public comments on the upcoming environmental impact study for transit extension along GA 400. GA 400 is extremely congested during rush hour north of Sandy Springs. Connect400 formally started in 2011, with projected start of operations in 2025.

The meeting started with an interactive poster session dealing with the location, timeline, and constraints of the MARTA extension. MARTA requested comments on where the transit extension should cress GA 400. The poster session was followed by a presentation that highlighted the upcoming environmental impact study. 

GA Senator Brandon Beach made an appearance at the meeting and vowed to support the MARTA extension (he chairs the GA Senate Science and Technology Committee). His support comes from these factors he cited:

• Millenials want transit (own fewer cars/homes/landlines), and you have to offer transit to attract talent.
• Seniors will need transit.
• Companies are relocating to close proximity to a MARTA station (he cited Mercedes-Benz, but we can insert All State, NCR, and more).

Map showing where meeting attendees live (blue) and work (orange).

Earlier in March, the MARTA board adopted a locally preferred alternative for transit along GA 400:  a rail extension beyond North Springs to Windward Parkway, with five new stations:

• Northridge
• Holcomb Bridge
• North Point Mall (Encore Parkway)
• Old Milton
• Windward

The environmental study will be based on three technology options and two alignments:

• Heavy rail (Red line extension) parallel to GA 400, crossing the freeway twice. $2-2.5bn.
• Bus Rapid Transit on exclusive right-of-way, with same alignment as rail (upgradeable to heavy rail once built). ~$1bn.
• Bus Rapid Transit using managed (toll) lanes on GA 400. ~$600M.  

The public meetings serve the following purposes:

• Clarify purpose and need of the study
• Collect input on resource considerations: communities, land constraints, safety...

The environmental study will also explore funding and produce a document for the Federal government.

The deadline to submit comments is May 11 for consideration in the environmental study (contact the project managers cited in photo). Not sure to like the project? Attend the last public meeting April 30.

Overall it was a good meeting and we are all eager to see trains shuttling population between North Fulton and Buckhead/Downtown Atlanta.

Update: New media coverage of the MARTA expansion to the north (via NextCity.org), with more comments from the project managers.