Atlanta City Council approves Peachtree streetcar study
Officials want to compete for up to $300 million in federal stimulus funding to build project
The Atlanta City Council yesterday approved a deal that could once again see streetcars running along Peachtree.
The Midtown Alliance and Central Atlanta Progress have offered up to $600,000 for MARTA to study the streetcar project, which last year was placed on hold after the city realized its budget woes.
Yesterday’s deal also allows officials to determine if the project could compete for up to $300 million in federal transportation stimulus cash. According to City Council President Lisa Borders’ mayoral campaign website, streetcars could become a reality in five years.
The $1 billion streetcar project, which includes new parks and streetscapes along the streetcar route, proposes connecting Fort McPherson to Buckhead. The first phase eyed for implementation — estimated at $120 million before the market tanked — would connect Midtown to downtown and include an east-west tourist loop stretching from the King Center to Centennial Olympic Park.