City officials, downtown stakeholders, and mobility advocates gathered near MARTA's Five Points station to formally ask the transit agency to pause its planned renovation and closure, which was scheduled to begin within a month. The rally and press conference, organized by nonprofit Propel ATL, drew Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman, councilmember Jason Dozier, Central Atlanta Progress president AJ Robinson, Propel ATL executive director Rebecca Serna, disability advocate Carden Wyckoff, and Georgia STAND-UP executive director Deborah Scott.
Organizers aimed to persuade MARTA to reconsider its $250 million renovation and closure of street-level access to the station, set to begin July 29. Opponents argued the closures would have "an undue effect on the lives of the 17,000 pedestrians and bus riders who rely on Five Points to access the MARTA heavy rail system." Several city councilmembers have also criticized the redesign for restricting pedestrian and cycling access in favor of bus infrastructure.
MARTA officials had already acknowledged changes were in the works following weeks of pushback, including a possible temporary elevator to accommodate riders with disabilities during construction. But in a statement to Urbanize Atlanta, MARTA said the full four-year renovation would proceed, with engineers studying whether at least one entrance could remain open for street-level access — a decision not expected soon. "The goal is to get started with the deconstruction and demolition work and reevaluate street-level access after 18 months," the agency said.
MARTA's stated goal for the bunker-like 1970s transit hub is a more open, vibrant city center with smoother access to trains and buses. Mayor Andre Dickens has asked MARTA to keep Five Points open until an ongoing audit of the agency concludes.
Original reporting by Josh Green for Urbanize Atlanta, published June 2024.