Gold Line (MARTA)
| Company type | Rapid transit route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1981-12-04 |
| Headquarters | Atlanta , United States |
Area served | Atlanta metropolitan area |
| Products | Rapid transit service |
The Gold Line is a rapid transit route within the MARTA rail network, connecting the Doraville and Airport stations. It serves prominent areas such as Doraville, Chamblee, Brookhaven, Atlanta, East Point, and College Park.
History
The section now shared by the Gold and Red Lines initially launched on December 4, 1981, under the name North-South Line, operating between and . An additional station was added on September 11, 1982, at , followed by an extension southward to West End. By December 18 of the same year, the line was further extended north to reach and .
A major phase of growth took place on December 15, 1984, with new stations opening at , , , , and Brookhaven/Oglethorpe station. The latter two stations marked the beginning of what would become the Gold Line branch. Further extensions included East Point in August 1986; Chamblee in December 1987; College Park and Airport in June 1988; and finally Doraville in December 1992.
On June 8, 1996, MARTA unveiled a new branch—which is currently known as the Red Line—serving areas like Buckhead, Medical Center, and Dunwoody. To distinguish between branches, the Dunwoody branch kept the North-South Rail Line designation while the Doraville branch was renamed the Northeast-South Rail Line or simply the Northeast Line. Initially, both branches were depicted as a single orange line on system maps until December 2006, when the North-South Line was assigned red and the Northeast Line orange.
In October 2009, MARTA adopted a color-based naming scheme: the Northeast Line was redesignated as the Yellow Line. However, due to objections from Asian-American communities along the route concerning the "Yellow Line" label, it was renamed the Gold Line in February 2010.
At present, the Gold Line shares its tracks with the Red Line from Airport station up to just north of Lindbergh Center station.
Future
On March 25, 2024, Atlanta’s mayor Andre Dickens announced plans for four new infill stations within the MARTA rail system. Among them is Murphy Crossing, which will serve both the Red and Gold Lines on the western side of the Atlanta Beltline. Subsequently, on April 11, Dickens introduced another shared station for these lines called Armour Yards, located near the Armour Yard district.
Line description
The Gold Line includes sections that are elevated, at street level, and underground. Starting at Doraville station in Doraville, it extends northeast beyond I-285 via nonrevenue tracks. The route then heads southwest following Peachtree Road through DeKalb County before crossing over the Red Line in Buckhead along GA 400. It then merges with the Red Line running alongside I-85, passing through Midtown en route to downtown Atlanta where it connects with both the Blue and Green Lines at Five Points station. From there it continues southward paralleling Lee and Main Streets into East Point and College Park before ending at Airport station.
Naming controversy
Initially designated as the Yellow Line, this name was changed to Gold in February 2010 following concerns raised by Asian-American residents along its corridor who found "yellow" offensive. Despite this revision, many MARTA maps continued to display the Gold Line using yellow coloring until as late as 2017.
Stations
organized from northeast to south
[[Oakland City station|| S3 || rowspan="2" | December 15, 1984 || Red [[Lakewood/Fort McPherson station|| S4 || Red [[East Point station|| S5 || August 16, 1986 || Red [[College Park station (MARTA)|| S6 || rowspan="2" | June 18, 1988. || Red [[Airport station (MARTA)|| S7 || Red| Station | Code | Inaugurated | Rail Line Connections |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doraville | NE10 | December 29, 1992 | |
| Chamblee | NE9 | December 19, 1987 | |
| Brookhaven/Oglethorpe | NE8 | December 15, 1984 | |
| Lenox | NE7 | ||
| Lindbergh Center | N6 | Red | |
| Arts Center | N5 | December 18, 1982 | Red |
| Midtown | N4 | Red | |
| North Avenue | N3 | December 4, 1981 | Red |
| Civic Center | N2 | Red | |
| Peachtree Center | N1 | September 11, 1982 | Red Streetcar |
| Five Points | December 4, 1981 | Blue Green Red | |
| Garnett | S1 | Red | |
| West End | S2 | September 11, 1982 | Red |