Initiative to inform voters on transportation referendum kicks off Wednesday in Midtown

Wednesday evening in Midtown, a diverse 60-member-plus transit coalition will kick off its grassroots campaign to engage voters for July’s transportation referendum.

The Livable Communities Coalition of the Metro Atlanta will be kicking off the Fast Track Forward initiative to inform metro Atlantans before they cast their vote this summer. Fast Track Forward is an educational campaign centered on the merits of the more than $3 billion in new transit projects included in the Transportation Investment Act list to be voted on July 31.

The event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at at Colony Square with Atlanta Regional Commission Executive Director Doug Hooker set to be the featured speaker. Read more what these proponents of transit in Metro Atlanta are about here.

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This week, the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership announced the election of Ansley Park resident Charles Shufeldt as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the non-profit organization.

Shufeldt succeeds John W. Somerhalder, who recently was elected chairman of the board of directors for Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. and will remain on the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership board, on which he has served since 2009. As chairman of the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership board, Shufeldt will continue to lead the organization’s work in gaining support from and partnerships with the private sector.

"Charlie's long-term commitment to the vision of the Atlanta BeltLine, coupled with his tenured involvement with the PATH Foundation and Trees Atlanta and seasoned career in finance, positions him to lead the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership into the future," said Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Executive Director Valarie Wilson in a news release. "Charlie has been an integral part of the board and a valued leader in helping engage the private sector in the realization of the Atlanta BeltLine vision."

Shufeldt and his wife Margaret have lived in Ansley Park since 1984.

“I will be dedicated to advancing our efforts to engage the private sector in this transformational project - not just in fund raising, but through all of our programs that build community support for the Atlanta BeltLine and address key issues like affordable housing, equitable development, and improved health outcomes," Shufeldt said in a press release

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The Atlanta BeltLine is the $2.8 billion redevelopment project that is building a network of public parks, multi-use trails and transit along a historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown and connecting many neighborhoods directly to each other.

The BeltLine and the City of Atlanta are hosting meetings with the Cobb County Department of Transportation, to discuss proposed transit alternatives that could connect the Cumberland area to Midtown. Come and receive more information from the meetings that will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and all the information presented will be the same at each meeting. 

Monday, April 30 Location: Woodruff Arts Center, Memorial Arts Bldg (Alliance House Theatre) 1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, 30309

Monday, May 7 Location: Piedmont Hospital Piedmont Hospital, McRae Auditorium, 1984 Peachtree Road  NW, Atlanta, 30309

Monday, May 21 Location: Atlanta Community Food Bank 732 Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW, Atlanta, 30318

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Do you have questions about the proposed one cent sales tax? The Atlanta BeltLine will be hosting "Transportation Referendum Information Sessions" throughout the Atlanta BeltLine in the coming weeks. All meetings are from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the information presented will be the same at each meeting.

Thursday, May 10 (Northeast) Location: Martin L. King Jr Recreation Center 90 Boulevard Avenue, Atlanta, 30312

Monday, May 14 (Southeast) Location: Trees Atlanta 225 Chester Ave. SE, Atlanta, 30316

Thursday, May 24 (Southwest) Location: West Hunter Street Baptist 1040 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, S.W. Atlanta, 30310

Monday, June 4 (Northside) Location: Piedmont Hospital Piedmont Hospital, McRae Auditorium, 1984 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta, 30309

Thursday, May 31 (Westside) Location: Atlanta Community Food Bank 732 Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW, Atlanta,