A good bit of TSPLOST opposition came from south Dekalb residents who were dead set on seeing MARTA rail extended to the Mall at Stonecrest, and after a community meeting last week it appears the fervor for the line hasn't subsided. The Federal Transit Administration recently gave a letter of intent on MARTA's locally preferred alternative, or LPA, which states that the agency wants rail extended to the mall and bus rapid transit implemented along I-20 east. Translation: the project moves into the environmental study phase, after having already been under study for the past year.
After that period comes engineering and design, meaning that 2030 might be the soonest that the mall sees a rail connection. The "public scoping" meeting meant to address water, air, noise, and design concerns instead turned into a venting session for frustrated residents who feel like the timeline is already too long. The projected timeline assumes that local funding is in place, so the ultimate date of the inaugural trip could be anyone's guess.
· 18-year wait for rail deemed unacceptable [CrossRoads News]
· TSPLOST pushback from south DeKalb [AJC]