A rendition of what might possibly take place on the Atlanta Beltline appeared on a large screen facing dozens of people sitting on white folding chairs inside Uptown Towers, a mixed-use project at Lindbergh Station. The 2023 State of the Beltline took place across the street from MARTA headquarters Tuesday morning and one of the many topics of discussion during the annual meeting was titled “Enhancing Equity & Mobility with Transit” in the program, but could have been summed up in just two words: housing and transit. 

To transit or not to transit 

With all of the walkability that takes place on the Beltline, for many the opportunity for a transit system is the next logical step in the ongoing development process. Higgs called transit the “DNA of the Atlanta Beltline” and added that “having transit is something that is really a necessity, it’s not necessarily something nice to have.”

While Atlanta Beltline CEO Clyde Higgs was talking, photos of a transit system in France, with its inner city train running through neighborhoods and walking trails, popped up on the big screen behind him. Though there are no definitive plans for transit projects, just ideas and cool renderings at this point, there is a projected starting point. The eastside trail will be where any transit projects will begin, according to Higgs. He explained that that portion of the Atlanta Beltline is ready right now.

“It comes down to what’s ready today,” said Higgs. “When you think about it from a shovel-ready perspective the east side of the Beltline is ready to go in regards to a technical assessment of future transit. You have to think about how we constructed the Beltline, we did not do this in a clockwise perspective. We have to do segments that are ready.” 

Some of the concerns about transit construction taking place on the Beltline are similar to the concerns that ultimately united many of the city’s residents and many others that do…