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After widespread opposition, MARTA decides to suspend renovation of Five Points station

Theo

MARTA announced Wednesday that it is suspending the controversial Five Points MARTA station renovation project.

The move follows widespread opposition, including protests, to the $230 million project from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Central Atlanta Progress, PropelATL, Georgia Stand Up, the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association, numerous members of the Atlanta City Council, and disability and mobility advocates.

On May 29, at a meeting of the Atlanta City Council’s Transportation Committee, MARTA announced that it would close Five Points Station for up to four years, including pedestrian access and bus routes. The station is the only intersection of MARTA’s north-south and east-west lines. It is MARTA’s busiest station, with 17,000 riders accessing the transit system at Five Points.

MARTA said it would temporarily open the station during the 2026 World Cup, but would have to close the station to complete the renovation, which is supposed to remove the concrete roof. MARTA later said pedestrian access might not be closed for the duration of the World Cup.

Rendering of the $230 million Five Points MARTA station renovation project (Special: MARTA)

Despite the opposition, MARTA has repeatedly insisted that it is moving forward with the Five Points renovation project, including its plan to close the Five Points station on July 29 for up to four years.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, MARTA released an update to the press. It also posted the following statement on its website, and here is a link to a YouTube video that MARTA included.

As published on MARTA’s website: itsmarta.com

Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman welcomed the news. In a text, he wrote: “This is a small step and hopefully a first step toward a better plan and healthier collaboration.”

We attempted to obtain comment from Mayor Dickens and CAP President AJ Robinson, but no response was received as of press time. We will update this article as we receive feedback.

Dickens recently met with MARTA General Manager Collie Greenwood to discuss the project.

Meanwhile, a major audit of More MARTA funds is underway and is expected to be released by the end of July. Atlanta voters approved the More MARTA half-penny tax in 2016. But in recent years, there have been many concerns about how the transit system is spending that money.

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