Politics & Government

Midtown-to-Cobb Transit Line At Risk if Voters Reject Tax

Mayor Reed: City would see 10-20 years of prosperity if transportation addressed.

A high-speed rail line from Midtown to Cobb County is just one of the transportation projects that may never become a reality, unless area residents and their metro Atlanta counterparts approve a regional, one-cent-sales-tax referendum next year.

“The stakes are very high,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who attended a regional transit meeting of local mayors and legislators Wednesday night.  “What we’re doing is complex and hard, and it’s something that’s never been done in the history of Georgia.

“But we’re not spending our energy and time on issues that are small. If we succeed on these issues surrounding transportation, we’re going to have a 10- to 20-year period of prosperity that is unmatched in Georgia’s past.”

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The meeting, held in the old Atlanta City Hall council chambers, was organized by metro Atlanta leaders to build support for the special local option sales tax (SPLOST). Several metro counties and municipalities have submitted multi-million-dollar “wish lists” of projects for their area, which could be funded if voters approve the tax next year.

A final list of projects will be released in August.

Find out what's happening in Midtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here are the Midtown-related projects requested by the city of Atlanta:

  • A Midtown to southeast Atlanta, and Midtown to southwest Atlanta streetcar system;
  • A streetcar system connecting Midtown to south Buckhead; and
  • A Midtown to Cobb transit line, beginning at the Arts Center MARTA station and running along I-75 north.


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