Mayor Andre Dickens has changed course on Beltline rail, scrapping support for MARTA's streetcar expansion to the Eastside Trail in the near future. Why it matters: The surprise announcement at yesterday's MARTA board meeting marks a major inflection point in the development of the wildly popular linear park system and Atlanta's future growth.

The mayor is opposed to starting the build-out of a Beltline rail network with the proposed streetcar extension that would run along the Eastside Trail.

Mayor Andre Dickens withdrew his support for beginning phase one of the Beltline light rail project on the eastside, instead pushing for streetcar expansion to the southside.