Perhaps reality is — finally — settling in on the city of Atlanta when it comes to the pipedream of running streetcars along the Beltline.
On Tuesday, Councilwoman Marci Collier Overstreet expressed an opinion that these days is sort of brave around City Hall: Maybe now is not the time to dump $230 million in precious funds to expand the downtown streetcar 2-plus miles to Ponce City Market.
Overstreet released a reasoned statement with a cold, hard view of facts — that there are lots of transit needs but not nearly enough money to cover them.
“I agree with Mayor Dickens that we need a robust, substantive, and public debate about putting rail on the Beltline, expanding the downtown streetcar and, most importantly, how to spend our limited transportation dollars,” Overstreet wrote.
She said the city should first finish the 22-loop that will be the Beltline. That could be around 2030. “Then, we can evaluate what kind of transit, if any, should go on the Beltline. Rail may be an option but I’ve not seen a clear path forward, with many unanswered questions remaining.”