The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) hosted an in-person public meeting to provide updates and gather community insights for the MARTA Rapid Campbellton/Greenbriar Transit Hub.
MARTA, in collaboration with the City of Atlanta, is investing in a high-capacity transit in the Campbellton Corridor to improve connectivity, accessibility, and mobility in Southwest Atlanta. According to their website, the corridor, which links the Greenbriar Mall area to the Oakland City MARTA station, is currently being served by one of MARTA’s busiest bus routes, 83 Campbellton Road.
MARTA Rapid is the Authority’s bus rapid transit mode, the first in the region, and is characterized by high-capacity buses running in dedicated right-of-way and mixed traffic lanes on existing roads.
This multimodal investment aims to greatly enhance the service area and transform how residents travel to jobs, services, and other points of interest while supporting the community’s growth and development for years to come.
Project elements include new transit supportive infrastructure along Campbellton Road, including sidewalks, bike lanes, and street cape improvements have been identified to support the implementation of a “gold standard” center-running Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
Attendees also had the opportunity to engage with the MARTA project team in an open house format to learn more about the project.
Following this interactive session, a detailed project presentation provided comprehensive updates on the economic and transit-oriented development (TOD) master plan, project design, and funding process.
Additionally, the Campbellton Corridor Transit Project is paid for through the More MARTA Atlanta half-penny sales tax, but additional federal funding is also being considered, including the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)’s Small Starts Discretionary Grant Program, a Capital Investment Grant.
Tracie Roberson, MARTA project manager, said she assures safety measures will be in place for pedestrians including signalized crosswalks and barriers to prevent cars from using dedicated lanes.
“This bus rapid transit will make sure we address safety concerns,” she said. “We hear that all the time as well. How is this going to be safe? How we’re going to be able to access this bus rapid transit in a pedestrian friendly way? And like we said, economic growth.”
Additionally, she said there will be crosswalks at the hub that are “signalized and are completely safe.”
“It’s happening everywhere and shouldn’t be a challenge, but again, a lot of this is new, so you have to kind of be open to changing how you do things and also pay attention.”
She said there will be sidewalks and bike lanes that are along each side on the pedestrian ways to also provide additional mobility for those who are pedestrians.
Also, during the event, attendees such as Campbellton resident Barbara Scott said she doesn’t have much faith in the project because she has a history of being promised things in the neighborhood.
“I just want to make sure this is a legitimate project because things have been promised before and never came to light,” she said.
Construction for the project is projected to begin in 2028 and Roberson said due to an ongoing project in Summerhill, the traffic has been crazy, and it will end up happening at the Campbellton Corridor as well.
“It’s [in Summerhill] have impacted businesses and other people who live, work, and play in that area,” she said. “The same will happen right here in this corridor and when construction begins, you’ll have dedicated MARTA team members who will be out in the field talking to you, making sure that you are aware of what’s going on when construction starts, how it’s going to impact your day-to-day motions.”
Additionally, looking around, several of the attendees looked and sounded skeptical of the overall project with some saying, “It’s a nice plan, but a little unrealistic” and “We’ve been here before”.
However, Roberson assured the audience the project will happen and to have faith in the process. As of right now, they are awaiting approval on funding.
The project is currently in the planning phase and is projected for completion in late 2030, according to MARTA. To view the project map or for more information, visit connectcampbellton.com.
