Georgia Transit-Oriented Development — MARTA and Atlanta Streetcar Authority (GA)
Tracked preemption from the Georgia overlay bundle.
Overview
← All state preemptionsGeorgia overlay roll-upGeorgia zoning wikiGeorgia building codesFederal overlaysGlossaryFederal-conflict: Not flagged
Effective
1965-07-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:GA
Other Georgia preemptions
Georgia Short-Term Rentals — No State PreemptionGeorgia Density / ADU / Design Review — No State PreemptionGeorgia Tree Canopy / Tree Ordinance — No Statewide PreemptionGeorgia Military Installation & Airport Compatible-Use Zoning ReviewGeorgia Local Hazard Mitigation Plan — FEMA Stafford Act §322 ComplianceGeorgia Service Delivery Strategy Act (HB 489) — Intergovernmental Coordination MandateGeorgia Groundwater Recharge Area Protection — DCA Part V Environmental Planning CriteriaGeorgia Wetlands Protection — DCA Part V Environmental Planning Criteria
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
city.has_marta_or_streetcar_service == TruePreempted fields
2 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[*].marta_station_area_joint_development_authority | override | True | MARTA's enabling MARTA Act (1965) and §32-9-1 et seq. grant transit authority joint-development powers on agency-owned land including disposition for TOD without local zoning prerequisite (but local zoning still controls non-MARTA-owned parcels in the station area) |
base_districts[*].permitted_tod_powers | add | ['joint_development_on_transit_authority_land', 'transit_supportive_density_incentives_optional', 'transit_station_area_overlay_district_authorized'] | Local governments may (but are not required to) adopt transit-oriented overlay districts. Atlanta, Sandy Springs, DeKalb, Decatur, Brookhaven, Doraville, Chamblee have adopted TOD-style overlays for MARTA station areas |
Citation
Authority source
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Act of 1965 (Ga. L. 1965, p. 2243); O.C.G.A. §32-9-1 et seq. (mass transportation); ARC Regional Transit Plan
§ MARTA Act §22 (joint development authority); §32-9-1 et seq. (mass transportation)
Research notes
Not a substantive density preemption like CA AB 2097 or MA MBTA Communities — GA does not statutorily mandate TOD zoning near rail stations. MARTA's joint-development authority is the closest analogue: on land MARTA owns adjacent to stations, MARTA can develop or sell for development with reduced local zoning friction (though local zoning still applies to non-agency parcels). HB 930 (2018) created the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (ATL) for regional transit coordination but did not preempt local zoning. Affected cities: Atlanta (heavy rail + streetcar), DeKalb, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville, Decatur, East Point, College Park (heavy rail stations); future ATL bus rapid transit lines (Clayton, Gwinnett, Cobb on referendum-by-referendum basis).