Could the end of WFH flexibility for thousands of metro Atlantans spell good things for downtown businesses, new developments, and MARTA? Will it spur lasting vibrancy on some of the city’s oldest streets? Is traffic Armageddon coming?
Those are among the unanswered questions swirling as a new post-pandemic era appears to be dawning downtown, with President Donald Trump mandating that federal agencies return employees to the office full-time, beginning this week.
In response, MARTA has issued a message to reborn intown commuters and downtown workers forced to leave hybrid work behind: Leave the driving to us.
The transit agency issued alternate-transportation tips and reminders today for workers trying to reach destinations such as the Richard B. Russell federal building, which stands near two of Atlanta’s most extensive redevelopment projects, Centennial Yards and Atlanta Ventures’ South Downtown. Both projects have debuted fresh retail offerings—comfort Thai food, coffee, and a brewery among them—since COVID-19 shuttered federal offices.
MARTA predicts Trump’s mandate will translate to more congestion from single-occupancy vehicles on Atlanta streets and downtown parking becoming more expensive and scarce.
As the AJC notes, downtown Atlanta counts one of the largest supplies of federal office buildings in the country—workplaces for thousands of government employees—outside of Washington D.C.
“It can be difficult to get back into the habit of going into the office five days a week—it’s been an adjustment for many of us,” Collie Greenwood, MARTA general manager and CEO, noted in today’s announcement. “So, let MARTA drive, and you can listen to music or scroll on your phone during your commute and not have the added stress of traffic and parking.”
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As MARTA officials relay, Five Points station is the most convenient connection to downtown federal office buildings. It provides direct access to the Richard B. Russell building via a tunnel.
Five Points is also the connecting point for all four MARTA rail lines and these 10 bus routes, as the transit agency notes:
Route 3 – Martin Luther King Jr Dr/Auburn Ave
Route 26 – Marietta Street / Perry Boulevard
Route 40 – Peachtree Street / Downtown
Route 49 – McDonough Boulevard
Route 186 – Rainbow Drive / South DeKalb
Route 816 – North Highland Avenue
Route 813 – Atlanta University Center
For the uninitiated, the following rail stations also serve downtown (and lest we forget the Atlanta Streetcar as well) ——>
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