The Atlanta Streetcar returns to downtown on Feb. 3, MARTA announced, ending a suspension that began in early September when Georgia Power began urgent underground utility work along the route.
The excavation required a lane closure between Courtland Street and Peachtree Center Avenue, and MARTA safety protocol bars streetcars from operating alongside open construction. During the shutdown, a shuttle bus wrapped to resemble the streetcars ran the route to fill the gap.
MARTA used the downtime for more than waiting. The agency refurbished stations, deep-cleaned the route, updated vehicles and signage, inspected and repaired catenaries, and trimmed trees along the corridor. Officials say riders should find a cleaner and more efficient system when service resumes.
Fares stay the same: $1 for a one-way trip, $3 for a day pass.
The 2.7-mile, 12-stop system opened 11 years ago, behind schedule and well over budget, and it has taken criticism ever since - for getting stuck in traffic, for shutting down during major events, and for ridership numbers that have never approached projections. It remains, however, a cheap crosstown option for downtown residents and visitors, which is exactly the kind of thing that gets noticed most when it is missing. Anyone staying downtown with children for Peach Bowl weekend this month would have had a use for it.
The system's future shape is still unsettled. Last year, Mayor Andre Dickens' administration killed a contested $230 million plan to extend the streetcar to Ponce City Market along the BeltLine. The city has since said its focus, in conjunction with MARTA, is service into Old Fourth Ward near Krog Street Market and along the BeltLine's Southside Trail. No timelines have been set, and funding for either extension remains unidentified.
Original reporting by Josh Green for Urbanize Atlanta, published January 2026.
