Five Points station

Five Points MARTA Station
Company type	Transit station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	December 22, 1979; 46 years ago
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Area served	Atlanta metropolitan area
Products	Rail and bus transit services
Parent	Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)

Five Points serves as the central transfer hub for MARTA, linking all rail lines and functioning as the primary transportation nexus. It grants access to key destinations such as the Five Points Business District, Georgia State University, Underground Atlanta, City Hall, the Richard B. Russell Federal Building, CobbLinc, Ride Gwinnett, GRTA Xpress Transit, Station Soccer, and the tourism hub of Downtown Atlanta. Additionally, bus routes from this station connect passengers to Zoo Atlanta, Grant Park, Atlanta University Center, East Atlanta Village, Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, Carter Center, South Dekalb Mall, and Fulton County Government Center.

While categorized as a subway station, only the Red and Gold Lines travel underground via a tunnel beneath Broad Street between Garnett and Peachtree Center stations. The Blue and Green Lines operate at ground level on the second tier beneath elevated street viaducts in Downtown Atlanta.

Station layout

1F	Street Level	Forsyth and Alabama Streets, plaza level
G	Concourse	Peachtree Street, fare barriers
B1 Platform level	Side platform, doors open on the right
	Westbound	← Green Line toward Bankhead (GWCC/CNN Center) ← Blue Line toward H. E. Holmes (GWCC/CNN Center)
	Island platform, doors open on the left
	Eastbound	Green Line heading toward Edgewood / Candler Park (weekends extend to King Memorial) (Georgia State) → Blue Line traveling to Indian Creek (Georgia State) →
	Side platform, doors open on the right
B2 Platform level	Side platform, doors open on the right
	Southbound	← Red Line, Gold Line bound for Airport (Garnett)
	Island platform, doors open on the left
	Northbound	Gold Line heading to Doraville (Peachtree Center) → Red Line traveling toward North Springs (Peachtree Center) →
	Side platform, doors open on the right

The facility features three distinct levels plus an additional plaza level. The plaza level provides entry to the concourse, Alabama Street, retail outlets along a pedestrianized segment of Broad Street, and includes the MARTA police precinct. The concourse houses faregates and leads to rail platforms; outside the paid zone are services such as a MARTA Ride Store, Reduced Fare Office, Lost and Found, and a Zipcar rental spot. Stairways connect to Peachtree, Alabama, and Forsyth Streets. Within the fare-controlled area are restrooms, an information kiosk, and stair access to platforms.

The Blue and Green Lines run underneath the concourse area while the Red and Gold Lines intersect below them at right angles. Portions of the original Eiseman Building facade remain visible from certain platforms. Elevators provide full accessibility for passengers with disabilities. As MARTA’s busiest station, it accommodates approximately 57,000 riders each business day and more than 27,000 on weekends.

History

Initial planning and conceptualization for the MARTA heavy rail network commenced in 1967, following the Georgia legislature's authorization of MARTA's establishment in 1966. Preliminary designs were completed by the middle of 1968. Detailed design and engineering efforts began in 1973, with property acquisition, demolition, and site preparation taking place during 1974 and 1975. Construction started in early 1976 utilizing the cut-and-cover technique. The Gold Line, originally known as the North-South line, was constructed beneath Broad Street, whereas the Blue Line, initially called the East-West line, paralleled existing downtown freight railroad tracks. Five Points station opened its doors on December 22, 1979, initially operating only the East-West platform; the North-South platform became operational later on December 4, 1981.

Substantial refurbishment of the station’s east and west street-level plazas commenced in April 2006. In 2016, MARTA collaborated with Atlanta United FC to transform a section of the station into a compact soccer field, fostering community interaction and branding initiatives. A pedestrian tunnel connecting to Underground Atlanta at Peachtree Street was closed in 2017 during renovations of Underground Atlanta and has remained inaccessible since. Additionally, from 1979 until Rich’s department store closed in 1991, another tunnel linked Five Points station to Rich’s; this passage now serves as an employee entrance to the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center.

Attractions

Bus routes

The following MARTA bus routes provide service to this station:

Route 3 – Martin Luther King Jr. Drive / Auburn Avenue
Route 21 – Memorial Drive
Route 26 – Marietta Street / Perry Boulevard
Route 40 – Peachtree Street / Downtown
Route 42 – Pryor Road
Route 49 – McDonough Boulevard
Route 55 – Jonesboro Road
Route 186 – Rainbow Drive / South DeKalb
Route 813 – Atlanta Student Movement Blvd.
Route 816 – North Highland Avenue

Connection to other transit systems

External links

Gallery