Atlanta Streetcar to start passenger service on Tuesday
Kicks off ‘where Peachtree meets Sweet Auburn’
- Atlanta Streetcar
- Be free and explore this beautiful city, you gorgeous hunk of metal
After delays, cost overruns, and a few weeks of reminding automobiles that you don’t screw with fixed-rail transit, the Atlanta Streetcar has an official opening date: Tuesday, Dec. 30. Let the three months of free rides commence!
Mayor Kasim Reed made the announcement this afternoon in a statement, saying:
The Atlanta Streetcar Project is a collaborative effort among Atlanta’s political, business, and transit communities to create efficient, sustainable, and critical infrastructure that connects neighborhoods, the metro area, and the greater region. With the support of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER II Grant, Atlanta leaders have worked diligently to bring the Streetcar to our city safely and just in time for the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl and New Year’s celebrations.
All passengers are invited to ride for free for the first three months of Streetcar service. Children under 10 years old will always ride free, so I encourage families to ride the Streetcar as you visit our world-class tourist attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca Cola, and the College Football Hall of Fame. The Streetcar connects these attractions to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., birthplace and museum, and with a short ride, passengers can visit the new Center for Civil and Human Rights. These two institutions pay tribute to Atlanta’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, American history, and world history, and the role we will continue to play in expanding rights for all people in the future.
I wish all Atlanta residents and visitors happy holidays, and invite everyone to join me, City officials, and the hard-working women and men who achieved this milestone on December 30 where Peachtree meets Sweet Auburn at the Woodruff Park Streetcar Stop at 11 a.m. for the grand opening celebration.
You’ll recall that Reed promised the transit line would be up and running before the end of the year. Eat that, Politifact!