Beltline Rail Now! launches petition urging ‘aggressive timeline’ for trail transit

Advocacy group Beltline Rail Now! on Sunday kicked off a petition that, once signed and delivered, will urge city leaders to make trailside light rail transit a top priority.

Spearheaded by Beltline champion and former Atlanta City Council President Cathy Woolard and project inventor Ryan Gravel, the organization aims to press Beltline officials to fulfill the transit promises presented during the idea's inception.

(These ambitions were further backed by a 2016 referendum that called for transit enhancement throughout the city.)

BRN!'s new petition will ask Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, MARTA CEO Jeffery Parker, and the Atlanta City Council to activate an "aggressive timeline" for light rail development along the Beltline loop.

This summer, the MARTA board is expected to announce how it plans to divvy up TSPLOST cash to fund transportation projects.

As of press time, more than 100 had signed the petition.

BRN! claims lining the Beltline loop with light rail will relieve Atlanta of some traffic problems and suggests that population density becomes an asset when cities aren’t “choking” on interstate congestion, according to the Change.org page.

The group also asserts that a good transit system paired with the multi-use trail network is the best way to connect Atlanta neighborhoods and boost nearby economies.

Beltline Rail Now!’s next community meeting will be held May 13. The location has yet to be determined.

• Support Atlanta BeltLine Rail Now! [Change.org]
• MARTA: Atlantans don’t want just any transit on Beltline—they want light rail [Curbed]