Beltline Inc.’s role to grow beyond greenway project | www.myajc.com

The city is expanding the role of Atlanta Beltline Inc. beyond the Beltline: The nonprofit guiding development of the greenway will now be a key player in the city’s transit future.

The Atlanta City Council passed legislation this week naming the organization the city’s agent in completing the streetcar expansion and building out the city’s Connect Atlanta comprehensive plan, an aspirational list of street, transit and bicycle projects.

From here on, city officials will send work orders to Atlanta Beltline Inc., or ABI, which will then handle the bidding and oversee much of the process.

For Atlantans, the arrangement could mean projects like bicycle programs move faster, as ABI is expected to more quickly execute planning and construction. For ABI, the change signals the non-profit’s growth into the city’s go-to organization for transit needs. And for the city the move is a step towards greater control over its transit future.

To that end, Atlanta has applied to become a Federal Transit Administration grantee. When that happens, the city no longer must rely on MARTA or other entities to qualify for federal funding for projects such as the streetcar expansion. In fact, the city could become a competitor to MARTA and other counties for grant dollars.

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