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MARTA is one of the largest public works projects in the southeast U.S. At left, Buckhead Station. |
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The impact of construction on the local environment was minimized. |
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MARTA transports an average of 500,000 passengers every day. |
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An Emphasis on Sustainability
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The MARTA heavy rail system was planned in a cruciform design with an East-West line and a North/Northeast-South line intersecting in downtown Atlanta. It is integrated with a 2,400-kilometer (1,500-mile) bus network. Most of the subway portion of the system, 20 kilometers (12.5 miles), is cut-and-cover construction-with the exception of the Peachtree Center Station, which was mined through rock to avoid disrupting Atlanta's commercial district.
William T. Medley, Assistant General Manager of Transit System Development for MARTA, said, "I have worked with PB personnel for the last 15 years and have found them to be responsive, highly professional and excellent design engineers, especially for underground transit structures. They designed our award-winning Peachtree Center Station, mined from rock beneath the Atlanta CBD. This design, with its unique, exposed rock-surfaced walls, resulted in substantial construction cost savings to MARTA."
The trackways and aerial structures were carefully planned to fit into neighborhoods, with attention to safety, aesthetics and economics. The rail system was designed to provide a smooth, quiet ride, with numerous engineering techniques such as placing rails for subways and aerial structures on neoprene and steel cushions and using continuous welded rail to reduce noise and vibration. To smooth the ride, in some areas two block ties were mounted in elastomer on top of concrete track slab. Additionally, floating slab isolation was used where necessary.
PB worked with MARTA to protect the environment by promoting mass transit as an energy-efficient, pollution-reducing means of transportation. Specific considerations were taken in order to minimize the impact of construction - including creating a protective buffer for a unique stand of hemlock trees; maintaining the natural features and open spaces of station locations; and incorporating industrial wastewater systems that use recycled water and stormwater treatment devices and special water runoff controls.
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