MARTA's board of directors received a detailed project update Thursday that included, for the first time, a firm construction timeline for the long-awaited Clifton Corridor light rail line. The 7.6-mile route will connect Lindbergh Center station to Emory University, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention campus, and the planned Avondale station, with four intermediate stops.
General Manager Collie Greenwood told the board that final engineering is on track for completion by December 2026, with construction mobilization beginning in the first quarter of 2027. The project carries an updated cost estimate of $2.8 billion, funded through a combination of the More MARTA sales tax, federal Capital Investment Grants, and state matching funds.
The announcement was met with cautious optimism from transit advocates, many of whom have been pushing for the Clifton Corridor since its inclusion in the original More MARTA referendum in 2016. DeKalb County Commissioner Ted Terry called the timeline "the most concrete commitment we've seen" and urged continued federal funding support.