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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Gold Line (MARTA)

The Gold Line is a rapid transit line in the MARTA rail system. It operates between Doraville and Airport stations, running through Doraville, Chamblee, Brookhaven, Atlanta, East Point and College Park.

The Gold Line was previously called the Northeast-South Line until MARTA switched to a color-based naming system in October 2009. The North-South Line, from its launch, was considered one line, denoted with an orange color on old system maps until 2006 when the North Branch and the Northeast branch were redesignated as the North-South Line (the current Red Line) and the Northeast-South Line (the current Gold Line). Technically, with the 2009 designation change, there is no longer a mention of the color orange for the line. Using the Five Points station as a reference point, the Northeast Line was designated for trips headed to Doraville, and the South Line was designated for trips headed to the Airport.

The rail line was part of the initial MARTA north–south rail service in 1981. The first segment ran from the Garnett to the North Avenue stations, although the Peachtree Center opened the year after as an infill. In 1982, it expanded north to Arts Center, and in 1984, it expanded as far north as Brookhaven and as far south as Lakewood/Fort McPherson. The East Point station opened, extending the line two miles to the south. A little more than a year later, the Chamblee station began service and served as the temporary terminus of the North Line. In 1988, the Airport station opened, and became the terminus of the South Line. In 1992, the North-South Line was extended northward to its current terminus at Doraville. In 1996, MARTA extended North Line services to Dunwoody. This created two branches of the North Line, and the Doraville branch was redesignated as the Northeast Line to avoid confusion. It finally extended north to its current terminus at North Springs in 2000.

Now known as the Gold Line, it shares trackage with its counterpart, the Red Line, between the Airport and just north of the Lindbergh Center.

Line description

The Gold Line runs above ground, at grade and below ground in various portions of its route. It begins at the northeastern terminus, Doraville station in Doraville. The nonrevenue tracks extend northeastward from the station north of I-285. It then goes southwestward paralleling Peachtree Road in DeKalb County. Upon entering Atlanta in Buckhead, it crosses over the Red Line in the median of GA 400 before joining the Red Line, going southwest paralleling I-85. It turns south through Midtown and enters downtown Atlanta, where it meets the Blue and Green Lines at Five Points station. Leaving downtown, the Gold Line continues south, paralleling Lee Street and Main Street into East Point and College Park before reaching its terminus at the Airport station.

Naming controversy

When the color-based name change was proposed, it was the Yellow Line at first. However, in February 2010, the name was revised to Gold in order to address a concern among the Asian-American residents along the rail corridor. The section of the Gold Line that is not shared by the Red Line has a significant number of Asian-American residents, to whom the term "yellow" is considered racist. Despite the color name change, interestingly many MARTA system maps denoted the Gold Line with the yellow color still until 2017.

Stations

listed from northeast to south

Station Code Opened Rail Line
Transfer
Doraville NE10 1992
Chamblee NE9 1987
Brookhaven/Oglethorpe NE8 1984
Lenox NE7 1984
Lindbergh Center N6 1984  
Arts Center N5 1982  
Midtown N4 1982  
North Avenue N3 1981  
Civic Center N2 1981  
Peachtree Center N1 1982   Atlanta Streetcar access
Five Points 1981*      
Garnett S1 1981  
West End S2 1982  
Oakland City S3 1984  
Lakewood/Fort McPherson S4 1984  
East Point S5 1986  
College Park S6 1988  
Airport S7 1988  
  • Note: The east–west (now Blue/Green Line) platform opened in 1979.

References

  1. ^ Ariel Hart (February 11, 2010). "MARTA changes "yellow" line to "gold"". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 14, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  2. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ne-dor-overview.aspx"
  3. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ne-cha-overview.aspx"
  4. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ne-bro-overview.aspx"
  5. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ne-len-overview.aspx"
  6. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ne-lin-overview.aspx"
  7. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-art-overview.aspx"
  8. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-mid-overview.aspx"
  9. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-nor-overview.aspx"
  10. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-civ-overview.aspx"
  11. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-pea-overview.aspx"
  12. ^ "Peachtree Center Station Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DDOKOpKmJA"
  13. ^ "Five Points Station Tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkLKot2vk3Y"
  14. ^ "Five Points Station http://itsmarta.com/ns-fiv-overview.aspx"
  15. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-gar-overview.aspx"
  16. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-wes-overview.aspx"
  17. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-oak-overview.aspx"
  18. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-lak-overview.aspx"
  19. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-eas-overview.aspx"
  20. ^ "College Park Station http://itsmarta.com/ns-col-overview.aspx"
  21. ^ "Airport Station Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNcj6GOTen0"
  22. ^ "Airport Station http://itsmarta.com/ne-air-overview.aspx"
  23. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ne-overview.aspx"
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