By Jennifer Lifsey, Atlanta News First

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Atlanta and MARTA officials are planning to build new stations along MARTA’s existing rail lines.

Mayor Andre Dickens made the announcement during his annual State of the City address. He talked about how Ponce City Market was a catalyst for the revitalization of its neighborhood, and now the city wants to replicate that success with a redevelopment project called “Murphy Crossing.”

The mayor said the city will build a brand new MARTA rail station at Murphy Crossing that will not only bring more rail access to the southwest Atlanta community but also connect MARTA rail to the BeltLine for the first time.

In addition to this new station, the mayor said the city is partnering with MARTA to build three additional infill stations throughout the city. Details on those have not been released.

“Investments like Murphy Crossing and high-capacity transit on Campbellton Road will ensure that residents on the southside will have access to the best Atlanta has to offer,” Mayor Dickens said. “But we’re not going to stop there. To create healthy, thriving neighborhoods, we must build a transportation system that is accessible to residents across the city.
Our current MARTA rail system is underutilized, in part, because we don’t have enough stations located where our residents need them most.”

The mayor said a better, more accessible rail system is key to Atlanta’s future, and reinforced his commitment to ensuring that Atlanta residents have access to quality transportation.

Decaturish media partner Atlanta News First provided this story.