News about Atlanta, auto-sourced from RSS feeds of local and regional media. User names indicate the news source.
From the Saporta Report:
MARTA’s got a brand new look. The regional transit agency gave community members a sneak peek of its new railcars on Jan. 30. The updated fleet will be fully rolled out in early 2026. On Thursday morning, community members crowded on the Lindbergh Center MARTA station platform to watch the agency’s CEO, Collie Greenwood, roll […]
The post ‘The future is now:’ MARTA unveils new railcars at annual address appeared first on SaportaReport.
From the Saporta Report:
AT&T has selected Riley Blount as the new president of its Georgia operations. She is succeeding Venessa Harrison, who is retiring after for decades of service with the telecommunications company. “We are thrilled to have Riley take on the role as president of AT&T Georgia,” Harrison said in a release. “With her extensive experience in […]
The post Riley Blount named as the new president of AT&T Georgia appeared first on SaportaReport.
From the Saporta Report:
The Xpress commuter bus service is set to make some major changes to its routes and frequency in June of this year, and the team working on the Redefining the Ride plan is seeking public comments on the proposed service through Feb. 12. The changes — prompted by lower ridership since the start of the […]
The post Xpress commuter bus service is collecting feedback from riders about proposed changes appeared first on SaportaReport.
Photos: MARTA's futuristic new trains have arrived in Atlanta! Josh Green Thu, 01/30/2025 - 13:49 After several years of funding discussions, design debates, and manufacturing both domestically and overseas, the first example of MARTA’s bold, futuristic new train fleet was at last unveiled in action today.
The sneak peek at Stadler US Inc.’s first CQ400 train for the transit agency came during the State of MARTA 2025: Next Stop: The Future of Transit event at Lindbergh Center station this morning.
Collie Greenwood, MARTA general manager and CEO, outlined investments the agency is making to update the system (from downtown’s Five Points overhaul and the city’s first bus-rapid transit line to the new Communications-Based Train Control system) in advance of major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Super Bowl.
But nothing generated as much interest as a glimpse as the slick new railcars.
“When I stepped onto that new train this morning, it felt like stepping into the future,” said Greenwood at the Uptown Atlanta event. “These new railcars are an inspiration to everyone at MARTA and to our customers who will get to experience a cleaner and safer ride—and hopefully one that shows them how transit can make their lives easier and their trip more enjoyable.”
A juxtaposition of MARTA's first CQ400 train to be operational on tracks (left) and a current railcar. Courtesy of MARTA
Beyond state-of-the-art aesthetics, the new CQ400 trains will have a number of functionality upgrades. Each will be a four-car set with open gangways in between, allowing MARTA riders to pass between more than one car at once. That will make inter-car movement for passengers and security staff easier, per the agency.
Charging stations, digital maps, computerized service information, and forward and inward-facing seats are also included. One goal for MARTA is to provide more room for bikes, strollers, luggage, and people in wheelchairs, officials have said.
According to MARTA, the front exterior of each railcar will have a lighted “smile” in either red, gold, blue, or green that denotes the color of each approaching rail line.
Testing on the first two vehicles to arrive in Atlanta this month is expected to take roughly a year. They are the first models of their kind to operate in the U.S., making the testing phase time-consuming but critical, MARTA officials previously told Urbanize Atlanta.
However, MARTA heads have said additional trains will be delivered after January that don’t require such a long testing period. That means, should all go as planned, the first new MARTA train will go into revenue service in July, per the transit agency.
How the new MARTA railcars' open gangway designs allow for passenger travel throughout the train. Courtesy of MARTA
Today, many of MARTA’s 300 railcars date to the agency’s 1970s beginnings and are prone to breakdowns, agency leaders have said.
MARTA entered a contract in 2019 to purchase $646 million worth of modernized new railcars from Stadler—funded via MARTA’s capital improvement program—marking the largest procurement deal ever for both the veteran train builder and transit agency.
MARTA’s first new railcar body was the subject of an unveiling party in Atlanta before Christmas in 2022, after it had been manufactured in Hungary by Stadler. The next stop was Salt Lake City, where Stadler is building out the fleet to MARTA’s specifications—and piquing the interest of transit nuts during test runs across the mountainous landscape.
MARTA launched an initiative in 2021 called “Your Ride, You Decide” that let people vote on four exterior options for the new fleet.
The front exteriors of railcars will have a lighted “smile” in either red, gold, blue, or green that denotes the color of each approaching rail line, per MARTA. Courtesy of MARTA
The chosen exterior designs most closely resemble the conceptual scheme called “Minimalist: Option A”—if not even more minimalist than originally envisioned.
Both Minimalist options floated by MARTA in 2021 were designed to evoke speed, officials said at the time.
Have a closer look at what they mean in the gallery above.
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• MARTA-related news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
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MARTA Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Rail Car Design Stadler US Lindbergh Public Input Trains Americans with Disabilities Act ADA Alternate Transportation Atlanta Transportation Salt Lake City New MARTA trains MARTA projects Lindbergh City Center Lindbergh MARTA Council for Quality Growth Axis Infrastructure VHB WSP
Images
The front exteriors of railcars will have a lighted “smile” in either red, gold, blue, or green that denotes the color of each approaching rail line, per MARTA. Courtesy of MARTA
A juxtaposition of MARTA's first CQ400 train to be operational on tracks (left) and a current railcar. Courtesy of MARTA
How the new MARTA railcars' open gangway designs allow for passenger travel throughout the train. Courtesy of MARTA
Courtesy of MARTA
Courtesy of MARTA
Courtesy of MARTA
Courtesy of MARTA
Subtitle "It felt like stepping into the future,” says MARTA chief of first CQ400 railcar
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From the Saporta Report:
Along with many of you, I have a deep respect for our former President Jimmy Carter as a human being, statesman, humanitarian and a devoted environmentalist. Indeed, an important part of his presidential legacy is his awareness of the vulnerability of our planet to human activities and climate change, and his many substantive actions to protect […]
The post Honoring Jimmy Carter’s environmental legacy appeared first on SaportaReport.
From the Saporta Report:
Two-day paddle trip through Black history planned on Ebenezer-Abercorn Creeks History buffs and paddlers will float side-by-side during Georgia Rivers’ canoe/kayak adventure on Ebenezer and Abercorn creeks in Effingham County set for March 21 to 23. The two-day paddle trip with indoor and camping accommodations at New Ebenezer Retreat Center will explore some 14 miles […]
The post Reporter’s Notebook: AJC’s new headquarters, Black history paddle trip, APS outperforms in key categories appeared first on SaportaReport.
From the Atlanta Daily World:
Black America Web Self-care is a form of activism for Black Women. It is our way of fighting against the perceptions that depict us as the “workhorses” of the world. For centuries, Black women have fallen victim to the social construct of putting everything and everyone before us. This debilitating notion has and still is … Continued
The post These 5 Self-Care Tips For Black Women Are Life-Changing appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.
Beloved Stone Mountain Trail aims to attract Beltline-style growth Josh Green Thu, 01/30/2025 - 08:07 Despite being much older and longer than its Atlanta Beltline sibling, the Stone Mountain Trail hasn’t been a magnet for economic development on nearly the same scale. DeKalb County is hoping to start changing that soon.
Beginning Sunday, DeKalb County Planning and Sustainability officials will start public engagement efforts for an initiative called the Stone Mountain Trail Master Plan, a reference to the 19-mile, multi-use pathway that links downtown Atlanta to Georgia’s most visited tourist attraction, Stone Mountain Park.
Specifically, the study will target the trail segment that starts near Avondale Estates’ growing central business district and MARTA station and touches all points east—such as famously, globally diverse Clarkston—to the western gates of Stone Mountain Park.
Project officials view the study as “an opportunity for DeKalb County to mirror the success of [the] Beltline as a trail of regional significance, while also prioritizing the preservation of existing neighbors and their local culture,” according to a master plan summary.
Scope of the area in question between Avondale Estates (left) and the most visited tourist attraction in Georgia. DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability; Stone Mountain Trail Master Plan
Work on the master plan is being funded by a Community Development Assistance Program grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission.
The broad goal is to kickstart equitable development near the trail, enhance mobility and connectivity with additions such as microtransit and spur trails, and create more “people-focused spaces” along the outdoor amenity, per county officials.
Should all go as planned, the Stone Mountain Trail study will align economic development opportunities, land use, and transportation upgrades along the greenway without sacrificing affordable housing and spurring displacement, according to the county. (Always a tricky balancing act).
Placemaking efforts could include additions such as new streetscapes, lighting, public art, and wayfinding (yes, the trail can be hard to follow for first-time users).
A design charrette phase is forecasted for May, and the master plan’s final report should be ready by October, per project leaders.
Beginning at Centennial Olympic Park downtown today, the Stone Mountain Trail marked the PATH Foundation’s first trail when it debuted in advance of Atlanta’s Olympic Games nearly 30 years ago.
In Decatur it becomes a side path and then changes beyond Interstate 285 in Clarkston to a rails-to-trails greenway, before switching back to a side path near Stone Mountain Village, per the PATH Foundation.
Today the trail is maintained by the Dekalb County Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Affairs Department.
Various aspects of the 19-mile trail, a recreational gem between downtown and Stone Mountain Park. PATH Foundation
Public engagement for the Stone Mountain Trail Master Plan is scheduled to kick off this weekend.
Expect a project booth from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 at the Avondale Estates Farmers Market. That will be followed by the official Kickoff Open House from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at Clarkston Library (951 N. Indian Creek Drive).
Additionally, DeKalb County officials say a project survey to gather master plan input will launch Feb. 2. Find more details on future meetings over here.
DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability; Stone Mountain Trail Master Plan
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Stone Mountain PATH Trail Stone Mountain Park PATH Foundation Atlanta BeltLine Beltline Atlanta Trails Alternate Transportation Alternative Transportation Atlanta Multiuse Trails Multiuse Trails Stone Mountain Trail Master Plan Atlanta Regional Commission PATH Trails Stone Mountain Trail Dekalb County Recreation Parks and Cultural Affairs Department
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Scope of the area in question between Avondale Estates (left) and the most visited tourist attraction in Georgia. DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability; Stone Mountain Trail Master Plan
Various aspects of the 19-mile trail, a recreational gem between downtown and Stone Mountain Park. PATH Foundation
DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability; Stone Mountain Trail Master Plan
Subtitle Equitable development, transit, “people-focused spaces” sought for segment east of Atlanta
Neighborhood Avondale Estates
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From the Atlanta Daily World:
Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock pressed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a Senate Finance Committee to gain insight on how he would lead if confirmed as Health Secretary. Kennedy is President Trump’s nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Warnock grilled Kennedy’s extreme commentary in which he compared the CDC, which is … Continued
The post Sen. Raphael Warnock Pressed RFK Jr. Who Compared CDC To Nazi Death Camps, Says His Policies Will Hurt Georgians appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.
From the Atlanta Daily World:
In many U.S. communities, eviction moratoriums that were in place during the pandemic have expired. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images by Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, The Ohio State University Every year, 2.7 million households nationwide face a court-ordered eviction filing. Michigan has one of the highest eviction filing rates in the country, tied with Mississippi. Fourteen percent of … Continued
The post Almost half of evicted women and families in metro Detroit say they were illegally pushed out of their homes appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.
From the Atlanta Daily World:
JANUARY 29 1837—The great Russian literary genius Alexander Pushkin dies on this day as a result of a duel. He is generally considered Russia’s greatest poet. Unlike many famous Europeans of color, Pushkin was proud of his Black heritage, which is traced to his great grandfather on his mother’s side—Ibrahim Petrovich Gannibal who was most … Continued
The post This Week In Black History January 29-February 4 appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.