ATLANTA — MARTA’s board received an earful Thursday afternoon from people upset over plans to close the Five Points station to foot traffic during renovations.
It is uncertain how long the closure will last, but MARTA board member Rodrick Frierson insists it won’t last for the duration of the four-year project.
Among the people speaking to the board was Carden Wyckoff, who waited patiently in her wheelchair for her turn. She said the current plan would have a major impact on travelers with disabilities.
“This plan takes away my freedom, our freedom,” Wyckoff said.
MARTA will dismantle large portions of the Five Points station for renovations. While the trains will continue to run during the four-year project, passengers will have to board from another station. Entering from the street will be closed for a while.
Because of limited elevator access, Carden Wycoff won’t be able to switch trains at the station; she’ll have to rely on a shuttle.
“This means two to four years of missing buses and train transfers and doubling my travel time,” Wyckoff said.
MARTA’s board insists their plan is to protect passengers during renovations.
“It’s very difficult to do that while we’ve got people ebbing and flowing in that space,” Frierson said. “It’s a safety issue.”
Frierson explained that street entrances will reopen long before the project is complete.
“It’s going to be uncomfortable at first,” Frierson said. “It’s not going to be closed for four years. It’s going to be closed for maybe 18 months or whatever it takes for them to remove the cap and do some other things.”
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has urged MARTA to delay the start of the project until the completion of an audit. The transit authority’s General Manager responded to the Mayor’s request by pointing out that the city approved of the current plan a year ago.