By MARTA
Project Part of MARTA’s Investment in Transit Improvements along the Campbellton Road Corridor
MARTA GM/CEO Jeffrey Parker at Oakland City Station
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has completed installation of a new elevator on the Murphy Avenue side of Oakland City Station. A ribbon cutting was held Friday, October 25 with MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker, Atlanta City Councilmembers Joyce M. Sheperd and Cleta Winslow, and members of the community.
The Oakland City project, which also includes $2.8 million in improvements to the Lee Street entrance elevator and both station escalators, is part of a systemwide elevator and escalator rehabilitation program that will include projects at all 38 rail stations over the next several years. It is a $210 million commitment to improving access at our stations.
“The opening of this elevator represents an important step in the work we are undertaking at our stations to better facilitate the ways our riders access transit,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker. “The use of the station has grown, and the area around the station looks different that it did 30 years ago. The completion of the elevator is both a milestone in our progress and another symbol of our commitment to responding to our customers.”
Oakland City Station primarily serves the Oakland City, Sylvan Hills and Capitol View neighborhoods and sees close to 3,500 daily rail riders. The bus routes that originate from the station include one of our busiest, Route 83 that services Campbellton Road. Approximately 4,500 people use this route every day. For many of the senior citizens who live in the recently opened Gateway Capitol View apartments on Murphy Avenue, MARTA rail and bus service is their sole source of transportation.
“The rail and bus service from Oakland City Station provide a valuable link to the neighborhoods and businesses on the southside,” said Atlanta City Councilmember Joyce M. Sheperd. “This additional elevator will make it easier and safer for people to access public transit to travel to South Fulton Medical Center, the College Park Safety Complex, Greenbriar Mall, and all parts of the city.”
“The southside of Atlanta continues to show great economic growth, with increased development and a population that uses public transportation as part of their daily routine,” said Atlanta City Councilmember Cleta Winslow. “This improved access to transit is especially important for the senior citizens who call the neighborhoods around Oakland City home.”
The rehabilitation of station elevators and escalators, along with an estimated $456 million station rehabilitation program that most recently includes the installation of heated shelters for customers on the Oakland City platform, reflect a larger commitment to improved transit amenities along the Campbellton Road corridor. Additionally, MARTA is making a $337 million investment in high-capacity transit improvements on the corridor as part of the Authority’s historic expansion plan.
MARTA’s station improvement programs and transit expansion plans are funded primarily through sales tax revenue, along with capital improvement grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
Featured Image: Atlanta City Council member Joyce M. Sheperd, Atlanta City Councilmember Cleta Winslow, MARTA GM/CEO Jeffrey Parker
