Q: Is transit really necessary? With so many people crowding the trail, why don’t we forget transit and just widen the trail?

(faq.)  A: This common question has at least two solid, simple answers. The first is that walking, biking and other examples of people-powered mobility are wonderful forms of transportation, but they don’t work for everyone at every time of day or in every season. Winter cold, summer humidity, pouring rain, driving snow, the dark of night, visual impairment, physical disability, physical injury, chronic pain, heavy or cumbersome loads, travel time, and long distances are all good reasons that we need transit service on the Atlanta Beltline. Basically, we need to make sure that everyone can benefit.

The second answer is that this city is changing before our eyes. Over the next generation, the Atlanta Beltline will help our region manage significant population and job growth by expanding the reach of MARTA’s existing rail network. As regional car traffic into downtown and midtown continues to increase along city streets, and as new developments like Ponce City Market open and new connections to the corridor are made, the need for the Atlanta Beltline to accommodate even greater volumes of people will become increasingly urgent. Only transit within a dedicated right-of-way can reliably and inclusively provide this service.  >> Ryan Gravel

Thankfully, city and project leadership remain focused on transit implementation. Find updates here.

This is my response to a question I get asked a lot. It in no way represents any official statement on behalf of the various agencies, organizations, or individuals responsible for implementing the Atlanta Beltline. Last updated on September 27, 2014. See other questions here.

Comments are fine, but I’d rather talk about action – preferably over a beer somewhere like Aftercar.