Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative

The Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative (CCTI) is the proposed light rail connection from the Lindbergh MARTA Station to Emory’s campus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Veterans Administration Medical Center and other institutions and businesses in the Clifton Corridor area. It is the largest employment center in the region without direct access to MARTA rail or the interstate. The CCTI will provide access to thousands of job opportunities for people in Atlanta and throughout the region with all levels of experience and education that otherwise would be out of reach. 
 
Emory is grateful to the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (ATL) for including the CCTI in its first regional transit plan and for the time and resources that have gone into the planning process. We value our partnership with MARTA and the City of Atlanta and are encouraged by their continued commitment to the CCTI, including $350 million in local match funding. Emory continues to work with our regional partners to make the CCTI a reality. 

The Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative 

YEARS IN THE MAKING 

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), and its predecessors, first recognized the need for MARTA to serve the Clifton Corridor employment center in 1961 and that need has now grown to serve close to 30,000 employees and 15,500 students along with more than two million healthcare patient visits annually. 
 
MARTA has been committed to advancing the CCTI through the federal process for almost two decades through investments in funding, planning and community engagement. With Emory’s right of way contribution and active engagement to identify revenue toward a local funding match, the CCTI is a strong contender for federal funding to finally make this much needed project a reality. 

ECONOMIC IMPACT 

Nearly $1 billion in new facilities investment is occurring along the proposed Clifton Corridor transit rail line. Emory, the largest employer in Atlanta with an annual economic impact of $14.8 billion (2019), is currently constructing $480M in new facilities along the CCTI route.  The CDC, the nation’s health protection agency, is investing an additional $420 million on infrastructure improvements at its Clifton Road campus, including a new research lab facility. 
 
With healthcare, scientific research and technology forecasted for the largest job growth, the CCTI will provide access to these jobs of the future for all Atlantans bringing with it the opportunity for increased economic development and innovation. 

ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY 

The CCTI will connect the Atlanta region and intown communities to the Clifton area for jobs, healthcare and education that otherwise would be out of reach. There are thousands of job opportunities for people with all levels of experience and education at the CDC, Emory, the VA Medical Center and other institutions and businesses located along the Clifton Corridor. Direct rail to the Clifton Corridor will make access to healthcare easier for patients and their families relying on transit and will provide the opportunity for a more integrated healthcare ecosystem with Grady Health, Hughes Spalding Hospital and other providers. The CCTI will enhance connectivity to support the thriving life sciences collaborations between Atlanta’s research universities and the CDC, expected to significantly increase in the future. The transit line would also provide students at Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Emory, the Atlanta University Center and SCAD Atlanta with expanded access to educational opportunities and internships. Additionally, the CCTI would provide a critically needed option for emergency evacuation, transport and access to serve the CDC and Emory Healthcare facilities. 
 

With an estimated ridership of about 23,000 people per day, the CCTI will increase access and job opportunities for people throughout the Atlanta region.