Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2014, that the 2.7-mile Atlanta streetcar line would be officially launched for service on Dec. 30, fulfilling a pledge by the mayor last April to open the line before the end of 2014.
The streetcar will operate free of charge to passengers during its first three months of operation. Children under 10 will be able to ride free of charge even after revenue service begins next spring.
An opening ceremony will take place at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the 30th at the Woodruff Park streetcar stop, located at Peachtree Street and Auburn Avenue, the mayor's office said.
Ongoing testing along the line since last August, involving four Siemens S70 streetcars, failed to allay anxiety among streetcar supporters nationwide, who feared a delay into 2015 would generate continued negative publicity extending beyond Atlanta itself. Washington, D.C.'s oft-delayed initial streetcar line along H Street has generated similar concerns.
The City of Atlanta will share direct operating responsibility of the new line with Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), which agreed last spring to act as a partner in the effort. The streetcar line offers direct connections to MARTA rapid rail service at Peachtree Center Station.