Atlanta hopeful about streetcar stimulus money

By Jonathan Shapiro

Atlanta, GA – Atlantans have heard about downtown streetcars for a long time and come early next month, the city may finally have the funds to move ahead with a plan.

A.J Robinson, the president of Central Atlanta Progress, has been lobbying for streetcars for years and says the city may've finally turned a corner.

ROBINSON: We've got to change the way we look at transit and I think once when we make that change a fundamental shift that it's not just about roads It's also about other forms of transportation, I think we'll have a willing partner at the federal level.

The first test comes next month when the federal government decides whether to grant Atlanta roughly 300 million dollars of stimulus money for its downtown light rail plan.

The plan hopes to establish streetcar service up and down Peachtree and east to the King Memorial Marta Station.

MARTA is partnering with business leaders and political groups to lobby for the stimulus money. Spokesperson Ryland McClendon says the city has made a good case.

MCCLENDON: We know it's a very competitive process and we also know that Mayor Reed has gone to Washington and spoken up in favor so we are very optimistic.

McClendon says if Atlanta's application is approved, construction would begin in 2011 and the first streetcars would be operational by 2012.

For WABE News, I'm Jonathan Shapiro.