MARTA: Don’t shut down pedestrian and bus access to Five Points station

Campaign updates

July 3, 2024:

MARTA announced it would pause the project, four weeks after our coalition's letter and three weeks following Mayor Dickens’ request to wait for the audit of the More MARTA funding program to be completed. This was a win – albeit temporary – for accessibility, for transit riders, and for our city’s commitment to sustainable transportation! It wouldn’t have happened without the 814 of you who signed the petition, the Five Points Coalition, the support of the Atlanta City Council, and extensive media coverage.

However, this victory simply preserves for now what we have today: walkup and elevator access to all levels of the Five Points station. The roof still needs repairs, and the overall level of transit service in our region remains less frequent, less reliable, and less accessible than what riders really need. As MARTA moves forward with any future plans for Five Points, it is crucial that improved accessibility features, including elevators serving all levels of the station, are included. The next round of planning must genuinely incorporate community input from the beginning to better serve the needs of all transit riders. This win underscores the incredible power of community action. When we come together, raise our voices, and fight for what is right, we can achieve remarkable results. The strength of our community has made this possible, proving that collective effort can bring about meaningful change.

June 20, 2024

MARTA planned to shut down street access to the Five Points MARTA station to pedestrians and bus riders, and add inequitable delays for people with disabilities for potentially 4 years! That’s why members of our Safe Streets & Transit Coalition decided to take action. We’ve been advocating hard to keep Five Points open and our efforts seem to be gaining traction. Read more

823 signatures

On June 3, 2024 a coalition of organizations called for MARTA to maintain pedestrian, bus, and ADA access at Five Points Station during its four-year construction project. Coalition members include transit advocacy groups, neighborhood organizations, and groups supporting older adults and those with disabilities.

The letter, addressed to MARTA's General Manager & CEO, Collie Greenwood, follows.

Dear CEO Greenwood,

As transit advocates, we recognize and appreciate the vital role of MARTA in our region’s transportation network. We can also appreciate the nuance, compromise, and complexity of major public works projects, however, we are deeply concerned to hear about MARTA’s plans to close the Five Points Station to pedestrian and bus access until 2028 (with the notable exception of the 2026 FIFA World Cup). Seventeen thousand pedestrians and bus riders rely on Five Points for access to the MARTA heavy rail system, and this closure will severely impact their daily lives. This impact is anticipated to be most disproportionately felt by Black and brown communities, low-income riders, seniors, and people with disabilities.

A customer traveling westbound who typically accesses MARTA on foot via Five Points will have to walk or roll 17 extra minutes—each way—on their daily commute to get to the GWCC station. A rider traveling to Lindbergh station after taking a bus from South DeKalb will be forced to perform an additional transfer to the East-West line at King Memorial and then to the North-South line at Five Points, adding significant travel time to their trip. Perhaps most egregiously, passengers traveling westbound from East Lake station that need the elevators to transfer lines could incur 45 minutes of additional travel time each way. Under the current plan, those passengers would have to ride past Five Points, board a mobility shuttle at Peachtree Center, transfer to the train at the Georgia State station, and then head westbound, adding a transfer to a low frequency bus.

It is imperative that any transformation to the Five Points Station must maintain pedestrian, bus, and ADA access for the duration of the project, even if it extends the project timeline. Five Points is the heart of the system; your riders depend on it. Access should not only be restored for the World Cup; it needs to remain open every single day.

We urge MARTA to consider the following:

Prioritize safe access for people of all ages and abilities within the Five Points station, without adding a bus bridge or additional delay to transfers for people with mobility challenges.
Keep at least one point of entry to the station open for pedestrians throughout construction.
Do not re-route bus riders to other stations.

We acknowledge that these requests will have significant impacts, may delay the project completion, and could necessitate other adjustments. However, they are essential to the wellbeing of riders, the City of Atlanta, and the MARTA system.

Thank you for your leadership and consideration of these important matters.

Sincerely,

New Disabled South

Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association

Propel ATL

Georgia Conservation Voters

Georgia STAND-UP

Georgia Sierra Club

MARTA Army

ThreadATL

TransFormation Alliance

Carver Market

Atlanta Bike Grid

Focused Community Strategies

NPU M