Atlantans hoping for a swift commute might soon be able to rejoice. In a recent city council meeting, MARTA's CEO Collie Greenwood shed light on a project that could bring new train stations to the city, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. These proposed stations, however, won't sideline the much-debated BeltLine streetcar expansion.

Mayor Andre Dickens stirred the pot with his State of the City address, floating the ambitious idea for these stations without touching on the fate of the streetcars. Greenwood underscored that both projects are moving forward, saying, "We’re progressing on both projects," he explained to the city council transportation committee. One of the envisaged stops, tentatively set for Murphy Crossing in Oakland City, would dovetail nicely with the BeltLine on the Red and Gold lines.

Despite the potential benefits that new stops present, naysayers point out the pitfalls of expanding streetcar services. Some Atlanta residents, such as Tayyeba Steele-Hassan, believe the streetcar expansion may turn out to be a costly error. "I think it’s wonderful because you have a lot more people that are living around the BeltLine," Steele-Hassan told FOX 5 Atlanta. Yet, she voiced her concern about the streetcar's potential underuse and financial implications.

Amid discussions, there remains considerable ambiguity on when these new stations might break ground, with Greenwood admitting to a need for "a lot of financial analysis that has to happen, a lot of scope analysis that has to happen." There's talk of delving into local, state, federal funding sources and revenue from developments on MARTA land to foot the bill, as Greenwood hinted in the meeting obtained by Axios. "We’re not ruling anything out, but I would say we’re not beholden strictly to what has been said in the past," he said.

While transit advocates are leaning towards progression, week-backed opposition from varied quarters—comprising residents, developers, restaurant owners—still exists, pushing for the redirection of funds assigned for the streetcar towards other transit pursuits. With both projects in limbo and city bigwigs tight-lipped on definitive plans and funding, local groups like Thread ATL are left pondering the viability of each. "Until there is a clear plan and funding source for the infill stations and shovels in the ground for the streetcar extension to the BeltLine it's impossible to not have questions," Matt Garbett from Thread ATL conveyed to Axios. Time will tell if these tracks will lead to Atlanta's transit revolution or if they'll veer off into yet another planning dead-end.