ATLANTA — In the wake of MARTA announcing Phase One of its Five Points Transformation Project, and how service will be impacted, the Atlanta area transit agency says they’ve gotten a variety of feedback, alternate ideas and suggestions about how to proceed.
MARTA shared a statement with Channel 2 Action News saying that they understand people’s concerns but urged patience.
“MARTA acknowledges that the first phase of this work is inconvenient, and we pledge to continue listening to customers and other stakeholders on how we can improve. We ask that you meet us halfway while still holding us accountable,” a MARTA representative said.
On Tuesday, Channel 2 Action News reported that the Atlanta City Council had asked MARTA to delay the project at Five Points Rail STation, a move which followed a similar request from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens on June 10.
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MARTA plans to begin construction on the project in July. The project, and interruptions at Atlanta’s busiest MARTA station, were announced on May 29.
However, the more immediate changes to the station will take about 18 months, according to MARTA.
Officials from the transit agency told Channel 2 Action News that the concrete canopy at Five Points Station needs to be taken down, and that while there will be aesthetic changes for the station after it’s removed, it’s not a cosmetic fix.
“It is ultimately with safety in mind that we need to correct the deficiencies of the existing canopy design. The current design retains water and, despite efforts at repairs to waterproofing, water damage continues to weaken the concrete, ultimately reducing the lifespan of the structures,” a MARTA representative said.
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A more comprehensive construction project for Five Points is expected to take four years to complete, but MARTA said street-level access will not be impacted for that amount of time.
Instead, street-level access will only be impacted while the canopy work is underway.
“The deconstruction of the canopy and demolition work on the plaza are painstaking tasks, involving a massive support system of staging and falsework on the concourse and plaza levels up to the top of the canopy with a crane removing enormous pieces of concrete from the center of the station. In addition, the nature of the structure itself does not lend to taking it down in sectioned-off areas, it must be deconstructed in a very specific sequence of activities,” according to MARTA. “The safety of our customers, our employees, and the construction workers is the most important thing. This is non-negotiable and the plan to temporarily close street-level access at the station is the safest and most efficient way to complete this work.”
MARTA said customers who normally access Five Points Station from the street will have several other options to connect to the MARTA system in downtown Atlanta.
“Downtown Atlanta is the most transit-rich part of the system, with four rail stations within a half-mile (10-minute walk),” according to MARTA officials.
Still, MARTA said that during the first phase of the overall project, if engineers can safely give passengers street access, they’ll work to implement it as soon as is feasible.
You can go online to www.itsmarta.com/fivepoints for trip planning to ensure elevator access.
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