The dark times are almost over: Atlanta Streetcar service will resume in three weeks. 

That’s according to MARTA officials, who announced Monday the city’s purplish-blue streetcars will again be slinking along their downtown loop come Feb. 3, following the completion of urgent Georgia Power underground utility work.   

Streetcar vehicles were pulled from downtown streets in early September. When service does resume, MARTA says Atlantans can expect a cleaner and more efficient streetcar system. 

Courtesy of MARTA

MARTA used the downtime to refurbish stations, perform a deep cleaning along the streetcar route, update vehicles and signage, inspect and repair catenaries, and trim trees, per the agency. 

Georgia Power’s excavation work required one lane closure between Courtland Street and Peachtree Center Avenue. Safety protocol forbids streetcars from operating along open construction areas, according to MARTA. 

As repairs were underway, a MARTA shuttle wrapped to appear similar to streetcars carried passengers along the route to help fill service gaps. 

Streetcar fares are $1 per one-way trip, or $3 for a day pass. 

The Atlanta Streetcar (right) and its equally purplish-blue shuttle counterpart. Courtesy of MARTA

Eleven years ago, Atlanta’s 2.7-mile streetcar system opened—behind schedule and substantially over budget—with a 12-stop route of new tracks. It’s drawn criticism for being stuck in traffic, shut down for some major events, and for pulling in dismally low ridership numbers, but it remains a valuable service for transit riders and downtown guests. (Anecdotally, friends staying downtown with children for last weekend’s Peach Bowl festivities could have benefitted from the relatively cheap, crosstown transit option.)  

Last year, controversial $230-million plans to expand the streetcar system to Ponce City Market via the Beltline were squashed by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ administration. 

Instead, the city has said its focus is now to implement streetcar service to the Old Fourth Ward near Krog Street Market, and along the Beltline’s Southside Trail, in conjunction with MARTA. No timelines have been specified, and funding sources for such projects remain up in the air.  

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