Beltline officials to present ‘transit roadmap’ at tonight’s quarterly briefing

Attend any Beltline meeting and you’re bound to hear the question: “When’s transit going to be built?”

Considering that the project has always been presented as connecting more than 45 neighborhoods throughout Atlanta with parks, trails and a light rail or streetcar system, it’s understandable people would ask. But thanks to some harsh realities — i.e. transit requires lots of studies and costs a lot of money — it’s been difficult for project officials to give an answer. Or to even present how it plans to get from dirt to tracks.

After tonight’s quarterly briefing at Atlanta Public Schools, the public should have a better idea. Officials with Atlanta Beltline Inc., the nonprofit entity tasked with building the $2.8 billion project, will present their strategy, or “roadmap,” for making transit along the 22-mile loop a reality.

In addition to offering an overview of similar transit systems in other cities, Beltline officials will introduce the concept of building the project’s light-rail or streetcar system in segments. They’ll provide a briefing on House Bill 277, the proposed regional sales tax which voters will decide in 2012, and how that funding could play a role in building the 22-mile loop.

Officials say follow-up meetings will be held in 2011 to discuss their plans in greater detail.

The meeting starts 6 p.m. at Atlanta Public Schools downtown offices at 130 Trinity Ave, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303.