MARTA: Mayor considers 10-year fix for Five Points

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has asked MARTA to consider a 10-year fix to the canopy at Five Points station, rather than proceeding with a permanent fix as planned, the transit agency says.

CEO Collie Greenwood told the MARTA board of directors Thursday that the mayor’s office wants cost and other information about a 10-year fix to assess the benefits of waiting to replace the leaky canopy and revamp the pedestrian plaza around the downtown transit hub.

Greenwood said MARTA is trying to gather some of the information the mayor has requested. But he said it could take a year to gather the kind of detailed comparison information Dickens has requested. And he said such a delay could substantially increase the cost of the $230 million project , threaten current and future federal funding for MARTA, and expose the transit agency to lawsuits from contractors who have already spent money and are prepared to begin construction this month.

Board members also expressed skepticism that a delay in the Five Points project is the way to go.

“If we pause this contract, it’s going to cost somebody a lot of money,” board member Bill Floyd said.

Michael Smith, Dickens’ press secretary, issued a statement saying the mayor “is working to build a city of healthy neighborhoods where people can easily access jobs, schools, food, recreation and other necessities.”

“Time is money, which is exactly why MARTA should consider pausing their current plan— which does not move anyone, anywhere, any faster — and quickly conduct a deep assessment of the alternative proposal which addresses maintenance concerns in the station, minimizes impacts to riders (particularly those with physical or mobility challenges), saves money and allows for those funds to be properly allocated toward projects that move people from point A to point B,” Smith said.

No Atlanta board members attended Thursday’s meeting, leaving the body without a quorum.

The Five Points rehabilitation has been politically divisive since MARTA unveiled its plans last year. The agency wants to remove the leaky concrete canopy over the station and replace it with a translucent roof.

It also plans to build street-level bus bays and create more green space around the station. MARTA officials say the work is not merely aesthetic — the leaky canopy poses a safety risk for passengers and a maintenance challenge that has defied temporary fixes.

Most of the money will come from a half-penny transit sales tax that Atlanta voters approved in 2016. MARTA also received a $25 million federal grant and a $13.8 million state grant for the project.

That plan sparked a backlash from some political and business leaders. But MARTA believed it had Dickens’ blessing to proceed.

That’s changed since MARTA announced in May that it planned to close pedestrian and bus access to Five Points during construction. Rail passengers would still be able to switch trains, but the street closure would force other people to board and depart trains at other nearby stations.

The plan sparked a renewed backlash , and Dickens himself ultimately asked MARTA to delay the project. After initially resisting , MARTA recently announced that it’s pausing construction .

On Thursday, Greenwood provided more details. He said the agency has paused construction for six weeks to try to address the mayor’s concerns.

Greenwood said Dickens wants to consider a 10-year fix to the canopy. But he expressed skepticism about such a plan.

Even the six-week “pause” is not cost-free. MARTA attorney Peter Andrews told the board the pause will cost contractor Skanska about $500,000 in overhead and other expenses. He said a longer delay would be more costly, as the company already has agreements with subcontractors, leased a giant crane and incurred other costs.

Greenwood said MARTA is waiting for Dickens to indicate how it wants the transit agency to proceed. He said the mayor has not ruled out proceeding with the project as planned.

Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC

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