Atlanta City Council to vote on 22-mile Beltline light rail plan
The Atlanta City Council will consider a resolution Monday supporting light rail along the full 22-mile Beltline loop and asking city leaders to explain how the system would be built and paid for.
The measure reaffirms light rail as a central part of the Beltline's original vision. It also supports using land already reserved for transit and installing rails within grass where possible.
If approved, the resolution would ask Mayor Andre Dickens' administration, MARTA, Atlanta Beltline Inc. and city departments to provide updates on funding and implementation by Jan. 26, 2027.
The legislation would not approve construction or provide money for the proposed rail system.
"We cannot keep kicking this can down the road," Councilmember Kelsea Bond previously said. "It's time to make good on our promise to voters and build Beltline Rail."
The resolution has advanced through the council's Community Development and Human Services and Transportation committees, clearing the way for Monday's vote.
The latest Beltline Transit Study proposes three routes: a full 22-mile loop and smaller northern and southern loops. The system would connect with MARTA and operate alongside the Beltline's walking and biking trail.
The study projects about 4.2 million passenger boardings annually. Trains would operate daily from 6 a.m. until 12:30 a.m., arriving about every 10 minutes in areas where routes overlap.
Transit has long been included in plans for the Beltline, which connects 45 neighborhoods. The rail proposal has faced delays, questions about funding and opposition from critics concerned about its cost and effects on nearby businesses and the existing trail.
Dickens withdrew his support for the proposed Eastside Streetcar extension in early 2025. A MARTA committee later voted to stop work on that portion of the project.
The full council meeting begins at 1 p.m. Monday in the Council Chamber at Atlanta City Hall. The meeting will also be streamed through the Atlanta City Council's YouTube channel and social media pages.
