MARTA to begin Five Points redesign in June, close station for 18 months

Original article by Atlanta Journal Constitution. 

MARTA plans to start construction in June on a major redesign of Five Points, the transfer point for the system’s four rail lines.

CEO and General Manager Collie Greenwood provided the update during a Thursday briefing to MARTA’s Board of Directors about current and upcoming service disruptions.

The concourse levels and plaza will be closed for 18 months during construction, according to a draft environmental assessment. Passengers will not be able to enter or exit the station, except to make transfers from platform levels. It could require thousands of daily users to adjust their routines.

“There are now signs on the streets, there are shovels in the ground and [crews] are bringing construction and disruption,” said Greenwood, referring to the agency’s active projects. “But it is a sign of progress, and I think our customers will come to understand that.”

MARTA plans to remake the exterior of the Downtown station with a modern feel. The $206 million project involves swapping out a brutalist canopy for an airy roof, reconnecting Broad Street for pedestrian traffic and carving out ample public space. Bus bays will line Alabama and Forsyth streets to facilitate transfers.

The redevelopment will likely not be done in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but MARTA is “committed to delivering a world-class transit experience” during the event, a spokesperson previously told Atlanta Business Chronicle.

The redesign is part of the More MARTA Atlanta program, a multi-billion-dollar expansion supported by a voter-approved sales tax. It made the cut as a priority project, which local officials have questioned after the agency placed others on the back burner due to funding constraints.

Business and civic leaders have criticized the project over the placement of bus bays and how plazas would be maintained. Last year, Atlanta City Councilmembers Amir Farokhi and Jason Dozier urged MARTA to spend more time on the redesign. The elected officials chided the bus layout as a danger to pedestrians and cyclists.

MARTA is underway with a separate project to rehabilitate the interior of Five Points, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. That work includes adding new lighting, signage and tiles; upgrading escalators and elevators; and cleaning the Eisemen façade within the station.

As soccer fans file into Atlanta in 2026, they will be greeted with an upgraded Airport Station and enhancements at other Downtown stations. Tile and wall repairs, light fixture and signage replacement, and plaza and entrance upgrades are planned at Garnett, Peachtree Center, GWCC/CNN, GSU and Vine City.

MARTA is now constructing its first bus rapid-transit route. The Summerhill line is scheduled to connect Downtown to the BeltLine’s Southside Trail by 2025. Buses will mostly run in dedicated lanes with traffic signal prioritization to mimic the speed of rail.

“We keep saying that we’re embarking on the most ambitious expansion program in 40 years, but until now, those have been words on a page,” said Greenwood, referring to the build-out of new transit lines and systemwide station improvements.