May 2012

1. May 2012 Atlanta BeltLine Project and Transit Implementation Strategy

2. Agenda • Atlanta BeltLine Overview • Why is the Atlanta BeltLine important? • Where is the Atlanta BeltLine? • What is the Atlanta BeltLine? • How is the Atlanta BeltLine happening?

3. Why Is The Atlanta BeltLine Important? Why Where What How Update You Q&A Atlanta Faces Challenges: • Population growth: As the ninth most populous city in the country, Atlanta’s population is projected to grow by ~250,000 by 2040* • Traffic congestion: Hurts air quality, quality of life, and economic development. • Insufficient parks: Second lowest percentage of park space (<4%) among 25 largest U.S. cities. • Unbalanced economic development: Development has been uneven throughout the City, creating disinvestment in some areas. • Unplanned growth: Leads to sprawl and disconnected pockets of development. • *Atlanta Regional Commission

4. Why Where What How Update You Q&A Why Is The Atlanta BeltLine Important? The Atlanta Beltline Will: • Provide Transportation Options and ConnectImprove Transit Accessibility in Activity Centers • Improve Quality of Life by Adding: • parks, • trails, • public art, • enhanced mobility • walkablecommunities. • Revitalize Neighborhoods that have not seeninvestment. • Create a Healthier City • cleaner land, • more opportunities to exercise, • More alternatives to driving. • Drive Economic Growth, • create jobs • encourage development. • Connect Atlanta’s people, places, and communities.

5. Concept 3 Adopted – Atlanta Regional Commission (2008) Connect Atlanta Adopted – Atlanta City Council (2008) Why Where What How Update You Q&A Why Is The Atlanta BeltLine Important?

6. Why Where What How Update You Q&A Where is The Atlanta BeltLine? • In the heart of the Atlanta region • Connectsmany of Atlanta’s cultural destinations • Utilizes historic freight rail rights of way around the center of town

7. Why Where What How Update You Q&A What is The Atlanta BeltLine: Key Elements Parks and Arboretum Trails Transit & Transportation Infrastructure Jobs & Economic Development Affordable Workforce Housing Streetscapes & Public Art Historic Preservation Environmental Clean-up

8. I-85 I-75 Peachtree Ck Park Waterworks Park Ansley Sq. Piedmont ParkExpansion Historic 4th Ward Park Maddox Park I-20 Enota Park Murphy Crossing Park Stanton/ Four Corners Intrenchment Woods Park Lawton St Park Boulevard Crossing Park Hillside Park I-75/85 Why Where What How Update You Q&A What is The Atlanta BeltLine: Parks & Trails • Parks: Up to 1,300 acres of new parks and greenspace; improves existing parks • Trails: 33 miles of trails connecting parks, businesses, and neighborhoods, and cultural destinations • Arboretum: 22-mile linear connection of trees Colonial Park Westside Reservoir Park Southside H.S. Park

9. Why Where What How Update You Q&A Maddox Park Westside Reservoir Park What is The Atlanta BeltLine: Transit Lindbergh Center • In-town circulator: 22-mile loop; 2-3 miles from downtown; connects 45 neighborhoods • Modern Streetcar: Neighborhood friendly, can be crossed on foot • Uses existing rail corridor: preserves existing neighborhoods • Part of an integrated transit system: • 5 potential connections with MARTA • Connects with Atlanta Streetcar and proposed Streetcar System • First transit leg could be constructed within the next 10 years. BUCKHEAD I-85 I-75 Atlanta Memorial Park Peachtree Creek Park Ardmore Park Waterworks Piedmont Park Expansion Piedmont Park Bankhead MIDTOWN Historic Fourth Ward Park Inman Park/Reynoldstown Washington Park Ashby I-20 I-20 Oakland Cemetery Enota Park Grant Park Glenwood W. Park DOWNTOWN Southside H.S. Park West End Four Corners Park Stanton Park Murphy Crossing Park Boulevard Crossing Park Hillside Park I-75/85

10. Why Where What How Update You Q&A What is The Atlanta BeltLine: Jobs & Economic Development • Economic Development: Projected $20 billion dollar increase in tax base due to new development • Jobs program: Trains residents for construction jobs along the Atlanta BeltLine in partnership with the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency AMLI Old Fourth Ward

11. Why Where What How Update You Q&A What is The Atlanta BeltLine: Affordable Workforce Housing • Atlanta’s largest investment in affordable housing: 15% of all net bond proceeds are put into an affordable housing trust fund  • Incorporating permanent affordability through the creation of Community Land Trusts (CLTs), led by the Atlanta Land Trust Collaborative • Goal to create 5,600 rental and owner-occupied units through down payment assistance, developer incentives, and property acquisition Homes.BeltLine.org Sky Lofts

12. Why Where What How Update You Q&A What is The Atlanta BeltLine: Streetscapes & Public Art • Art on the Atlanta BeltLine • Art.BeltLine.org • Art on the Atlanta BeltLine • Permanent public art installations • Creation of performance space • Atlanta’s largest public art display • 66 artists in 2011 – a 30% increase from 2010 • Streetscapes • Featuring “complete streets:” well-maintained with wide sidewalks, trees, benches, etc. • Public art installations such as the West End Remembers mural on White Street

13. Why Where What How Update You Q&A What is The Atlanta BeltLine: Environmental Cleanup • Clean up approximately 1,100 acres of contaminated industrial properties • More than 73 acres of brownfieldshave been remediated or are currently in remediation, protecting public health and increasing property values

14. Why Where What How Update You Q&A What is The Atlanta BeltLine: Historic Preservation • Reuse of old railroad corridors • Adaptive use of historic structures Rail Depot Maddox Park WesternElectric Cut Rate Box Company

15. Why Where What How Update You Q&A How Does The Atlanta BeltLine Happen: Master Planning PUBLIC INPUT AND PLANNING: • Residents participate in Master Planning and Corridor Design through Study Groups: • Expected adoption of all 10 plans by early 2012 PLANNING INCLUDES: • Land use and connectivity plans thatshape thoughtful, pedestrian-friendly and transit-oriented development • Creation of complete communities where you can live, work, play, pray, learn, shop, etc. • Appropriate density around parks and corridor • Park master plans • Sample Subarea 5 • Darker = Denser • Purple = Mixed Use • Orange = Residential • Green = Park • Yellow = Single Family

16. Why Where What How How Update You Q&A How Does The Atlanta BeltLine Happen: Funding Projected cost: $2.8 billion Public and private funding sources: • Tax Allocation District bonds • City of Atlanta • Park Improvement Bonds, • Public Works, • Watershed Management • Capital Campaign • Federal funding Approximately $345 million committed to date to implementation

17. Why Where What How Update You Q&A How Does The Atlanta BeltLine Happen: City Transit Initiatives on Transportation Referendum Vote - July 31, 2012 Key Facts • 10.2 miles of rail transit (streetcar) • ~50% on the Atlanta BeltLine Corridor • ~50% on-street into regional job centers (Downtown and Midtown) • Regional connectivity via MARTA system www.TransformMetroAtlanta.com

18. Why Where What How Update You Q&A How Does The Atlanta BeltLine Happen: City Transit Initiatives on Transportation Referendum Vote - July 31, 2012 Key Regional Benefits • Direct connections to more than 100,000 jobs within a ¼ mile of the route. • Direct connections for tens of thousands of students at Georgia Tech and GSU. • Direct connections to MARTA at three stations. • Direct, last mile connections to key regional destinations, such as Piedmont Park, Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Aquarium, Phillips Arena, Georgia World Congress Center, Carter Center, MLK Jr. National Historic site, and downtown and midtown circulation from MARTA.

19. Why Where What How Update You Q&A How Does The Atlanta BeltLine Happen: Sustainability Principles • Brownfield redevelopment: Decreased public health risks, increased property values • Reusable energy: Reduced maintenance costs for the City, lower carbon footprint • Green demolition: Less impact on our landfills, fewer greenhouse gasses • Native/naturalized plants: Fewer / no chemicals, reduced maintenance costs for the City, enhanced opportunities for wildlife • Reduce storm water runoff: Decreased burden on aging city infrastructure, minimized flooding and property damage

20. How Does The Atlanta BeltLine Happen: Transit Implementation Strategy • Evaluated a conceptual network of 19 interconnected streetcar corridors including Atlanta BeltLine and Atlanta Streetcar • Identified candidate corridors for implementation in the 2012 – 2022 time frame • Continuous community engagement(220 attendees to date) • Citywide Conversation, 2/17/11 • Study Groups, 3/7-28/11 • Peak Democracy Online Survey, 3/2011 • SAC/TAC Meeting, 4/15/11 • SAC/TAC Meeting, 6/15/11 • Citywide Conversation, 6/30/11 • SAC/TAC Meeting, 9/23/11 • Citywide Conversation, 12/1/11 • NE Study Group, 2/9/12 • Westside Study Group, 2/28/12 • Midtown Neighbors Association 3/7/12 • Citywide Conversation, Spring 2012 (Upcoming) Connect Atlanta Plan Transit Corridors Streetcar Corridors Downtown Streetcar

21. How Does The Atlanta BeltLine Happen: Sustainability Principles • EVALUATE Transit Corridors • ANALYZE Corridor Segments • PRIORITIZE Constructible Projects CORRIDORS SEGMENTS PROJECTS

22. How Does The Atlanta BeltLine Happen: Sustainability Principles EVALUATE • Evaluate concept corridors based on 5 guiding principles: • Project Readiness • This principle considers a project’s likelihood to be implemented in a relatively short timeframe. • Practicality / Ridership • This principle considers a project’s effectiveness measured in terms of population and employment served and its ability to generate ridership. Combined with financial considerations, practicality also considers the cost effectiveness of a project. • Equity • This principle considers a project’s benefit to economically disadvantaged populations. • Financial Leverage • This principle considers a project’s ability to attract local and federal funding. Cost effectiveness and the ability to attract local investment are components of this principle. • Development Impact • This principle considers a project’s potential ability to attract real estate development within the corridor.

23. Recap of Corridor Refinement Process Concept corridors identified Concept corridors evaluated Corridors analyzed by segment Information gained from corridor evaluation, segment analysis, and public input result in definition of Segments for detailed analysis How Does The Atlanta BeltLine Happen: Sustainability Principles

24. Integrated Network of Atlanta BeltLine and Atlanta Streetcar segments Segments 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 on City Streets Segments 3, 4, 5 and 6 on Atlanta BeltLine Corridor Segments 1 thru 4 on Regional Sales Tax List for Funding Next Steps If Regional Sales Taxes passes Segments 1 thru 4 built in five to seven years Identify additional segments to be funded from other sources (federal and local) Finalize comprehensive phasing and financial plan for entire City network Update Regional Plan How Does The Atlanta BeltLine Happen: Sustainability Principles

25. Why Where What How Update You Q&A Progress Update: The Atlanta BeltLine is Here Historic 4th Ward Park PARKS: • Over 480 acres of land have been secured for parks and greenspace, with help from the Trust for Public Land. • 2011 Park Openings: Stanton Park, Historic Fourth Ward Park and Skatepark, Boulevard Crossing Park • The Piedmont Park Conservancy is expanding Piedmont Park • West Side Reservoir, Enota, Maddox, Lang Carson, and Perkerson Parks are in various stages of planning and design Tony Hawk at HFW Skatepark D.H. Stanton Park Historic Fourth Ward Park Boulevard Crossing Park

26. Why Where What How Update You Q&A Progress Update: The Atlanta BeltLine is Here TRAILS: • Built by PATH, 3.5 miles of multi-use trails have opened along the southwest and northern sections of the Atlanta BeltLine. • Seven miles of hiking trails are open. • The Eastside Trail – 2.5 miles connecting Piedmont Park to Dekalb Avenue – is under construction ARBORETUM: The Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum – created by Trees Atlanta – is being planted as implementation progresses. West End Trail Northside Trail Eastside Trail Eastside Trail Eastside Trail Northeast Corridor

27. Why Where What How Update You Q&A Progress Update: The Atlanta BeltLine is Here • AFFORDABLE HOUSING: $8.8 million has been allocated to the Atlanta BeltLine Affordable Housing Trust Fund.  Funding committed to 43 rental and 80 owner-occupied units to date.  • ATLANTA LAND TRUST COLLABORATIVE: Creating permanently affordable housing using community land trust (CLT) model. Demonstration projects underway in Pittsburgh and Reynoldstown. • ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:  Over 50 residential and commercial projects have already been initiated within the Atlanta BeltLine Study Area since 2005.  Huff Heights Glenwood Park Amli Old 4thWard Huff Heights Sky Lofts Enso at Glenwood Enclave at Grant Park Inman Park Village

28. Why Where What How Update You Q&A Progress Update: The Atlanta BeltLine is Here TRANSIT: • Nearly 50% of right-of-way has been secured (NE, SW, Reynoldstown) • Foundational transit work to be completed in 2012: • Environmental Impact Study (EIS) – determines transit/trail alignment, stop locations, train type, as well as environmental impacts • Transit Implementation Strategy –identifies costs and timelines, prioritizes projects for transit. Northeast Corridor

29. May 2012 Atlanta BeltLine Project and Transit Implementation Strategy