MARTA suspends Five Points station renovation plans

MARTA announced Wednesday afternoon that it would suspend “service impacts” at the Five Points station, which was scheduled to begin operations this weekend, as part of a $230 million renovation project.

The announcement comes after weeks of resistance from Mayor Andre Dickens, the Atlanta City Council, Central Atlanta Progress and a rally at the station last week to protest the renovation.

MARTA issued this statement:

As we continue to work with Mayor Dickens on the Five Points transformation project, we are suspending the immediate implementation of service impacts. Eight downtown bus routes scheduled to be relocated this Saturday, July 6 will remain stationed at Five Points, and customer impacts scheduled for July 29 will be suspended.

As previously reported, design issues and decades of water infiltration have resulted in damage throughout the station, including critical electric train control equipment, and the safety of our customers will remain our top priority. To learn more about the original architect’s design flaws and view the ongoing water infiltration and damage, click HERE.

MARTA remains confident that removing and replacing the canopy is the best option, and has been endorsed by our partners at the City of Atlanta. We are committed to continuing to work with the Mayor and other stakeholders to make these critical infrastructure and safety improvements, enhance the customer experience, and ensure Atlanta continues to grow as a world-class destination.

The renovation, which would be funded by the More MARTA sales tax, would close the station for four years. A city-required audit of the More MARTA program is still underway, and a final report is expected this month.

In its initial announcement of the closure, MARTA said there would be no pedestrian access and bus routes would be relocated to other nearby stations for the duration of the project.

Stakeholders said closing MARTA’s busiest station to buses and pedestrians would cause hardship for those who rely on public transit and also impact the 2026 World Cup matches.