The Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. released key findings from first-ever comprehensive community study which is designed to better understand how the public perceives the Atlanta BeltLine project. More than 6,000 surveys were completed to gauge the community’s expectations for the project, obtain suggested improvements, and more.

The Atlanta BeltLine is a comprehensive transportation and redevelopment project with wide-ranging implications on Atlanta’s economy and housing market. The purpose of this milestone survey was to understand the community’s perceptions of the project, its overall success, and to identify key areas of strengths and opportunities. Armed with this data, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. will address the community’s concerns while building on proven successes of the project.

Key findings of the survey showed that overall satisfaction with the BeltLine is strong, with the perceived strengths being the quality of trails, parks, and greenspaces, public art, and the BeltLine’s contribution to economic development. 80% of survey respondents are satisfied with the project overall, and 70% feel that the Atlanta BeltLine has improved their neighborhood both economically and socially.  More than 60% of respondents indicate that the BeltLine builds community, is good for health, fitness, and economic activity, and is a good place to visit.

“ABI believes this community feedback is critical, and we are already using the information to determine priorities and next steps,” said Brian P. McGowan, CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.

Primary opportunities for strengthening ABI’s work emerged in the areas of trail development, housing and transit, with the speed of the completion of the development project identified as a top priority. The availability of affordable housing is the second greatest priority, as displacement of low income residents was listed as a concern. Speed of construction of the Atlanta BeltLine transit system ranked as the third highest priority, as more than 80% of respondents indicated they would use the transit once completed.

The outreach was conducted using third-party vendor InfoSurv.  Surveys were sourced randomly online and via phone, with the majority responding via the Atlanta BeltLine newsletter.  Social media and paper surveys were also used to collect survey data.