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eorgia|Stone Mountain]] and Ponce De Leon Avenue. (Bus Service started operating on September 27, 2010). The bus had two routes: The Q Express runs between MARTA's Kensington Station and a free 150-car Park-and-Ride lot at Goldsmith Road & Memorial Drive; The Express only stops twice along the way at North Hairston Road and again at Georgia Perimeter College.

The Q Limited also ran north along Memorial Drive from Kensington Station but branched off at North Hairston Road on the way to East Ponce de Leon Avenue. The Q Limited had four stops along the way in addition the same stops for the Express The implementation of revenue-collecting service had initially been planned for early 2009.

Due to low ridership, BRT service was discontinued.

Atlanta BeltLine

Additionally, several traffic corridors are currently being studied by MARTA for possible system expansion. The BeltLine is a current proposal for the use of light rail and possibly bus or streetcar service on existing railroad rights-of-way around Atlanta's central business districts. The conversion of existing rail right-of-way to the proposed BeltLine also calls for the creation of three additional MARTA rapid transit stations where existing lines intersect the Belt Line at Simpson Road, Hulsey Yard, and Murphy Crossing.

Clifton Corridor

Rapid transit alternatives are as of October 2011, under consideration for the Clifton Corridor, from Lindbergh Center, following the CSX rail corridor sto Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control, with possible continuation along the northern edge of Decatur on to Avondale MARTA station. Bus, light rail and heavy rail rapid-transit options had been considered, with light rail being selected as the preferred option.

Connect 400

The Georgia 400 Transit Initiative (also known as "Connect 400") is a MARTA project to study options for expanding high-capacity transit along the Georgia State Route 400 corridor into the northern reaches of Fulton county. The initiative, kicked off in December 2011, envisages an 11.9-mile extension of rapid transit service, starting in the south at North Springs Transit Station, the current terminus of the existing MARTA Red Line. From there, such an extension would continue northward through the cities of Sandy Springs, Roswell, and Alpharetta, terminating in the vicinity of Windward Parkway.

As of the fifth public meeting on the subject on September 26, 2013, the study had narrowed the field of transit technology alternatives to three, all using existing right-of-way along SR 400: heavy-rail transit (HRT, extending the Red Line northward), light-rail transit (LRT), or bus rapid transit (BRT). Early designs for all three options include stations near Northridge Road, Holcomb Bridge Road, Mansell Road, North Point Mall, and Windward Parkway; initial sketches of the LRT and BRT options also include a station near Old Milton Parkway.

As of June 2015, the project is moving into the Environmental Impact study stage of the planning process. According to MARTA Representatives at the April 2015 meetings, the expansion could open in 2025 at the earliest assuming a best-case scenario. Federal funding is still not approved; the Environmental Impact study must be complete. By the April 2015 meeting, the LRT option has been discarded. The HRT option has been approved as the Locally Preferred Alternative, though two BRT options exist - one that would run in a dedicated bus guideway and the other to integrate with Georgia DOT's planned work for the corridor. The GDOT integrated option would include sharing normal traffic lanes at least in some parts of the route. The plans for stations at Mansell Rd. and Haynes Bridge Rd. have been merged into one station at North Point Mall.

Proposed new infill stations

Adding another station to the existing line near Armour Yard (MARTA's main railyard, opened 2005) has also been discussed, as the Red and Gold MARTA lines, the northeast BeltLine light rail, proposed commuter rail lines to points northeast such as Athens (the "Brain Train") and Gainesville, would all pass through Armour Yard. Other stations that have been proposed are; Mechanicsville, Boone, Murphy Crossing, and Krog.

The proposed Atlanta Multimodal Passenger Terminal (MMPT) would be built next to Five Points station, connecting MARTA to surface passenger rail, including commuter rail, future intercity rail, Amtrak, and possible high-speed rail in the Southeast Corridor.

Additional expansion plans for MARTA and other metro Atlanta transportation agencies are detailed in Mobility 2030 a timeline by the Atlanta Regional Commission for improving transit through the year 2030.

Clayton County

On July 5, 2014, the Clayton County Board of Commissioners, by a margin of 3-1 (Jeff Turner, Shana Rooks, and Sonna Gregory voting in favor,) approved a contract with MARTA to extend service to the county, financed by a 1 percent sales tax. Fulton and DeKalb county leaders approved the expansion. On November 4, 2014, Clayton County residents approved the 1% sales tax to join MARTA. Bus Service was implemented on March 21, 2015. The contract also includes provisions for future rail transit to the county by 2025.

One high-capacity/rail proposal calls for stations at Hapeville, Mountain View/ATL Hartsfield International Terminal, Forest Park, Fort Gillem, Clayton State/Morrow, Morrow/Southlake and Jonesboro by 2022. A station at Lovejoy is also proposed, which would open as a later phase. In 2018, commuter rail was selected as the locally preferred alternative of transit mode along the corridor.

Gwinnett County

In September 2018, MARTA's Board of Directors and the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners gave conditional approval to an agreement which would see MARTA assume, and significantly expand, operations of Gwinnett's bus system (in operation since 2001) and clear the way for the long-sought-after extension of MARTA's rail system into the county from its current terminus at Doraville. The population of Gwinnett County has significantly increased, and become more racially and ethnically diverse, since 1990, the last time the county rejected joining MARTA. Whereas white business elites were the initial demographic to support the MARTA in 1965, most black voters had voted to fund transit. However, large communities of rural white Georgians opposed MARTA.

The original plan in 2018 includes a detailed multi-year plan to expand heavy rail rapid transit in Gwinnett County. Some aspects of the Connect Gwinnett plan will include a train that runs every ten minutes, and also get more buses to take people to the MARTA station. This was possible because Georgia Legislature permitted counties to raise taxes to fund transit, which before was not allowed. The contract with MARTA would go into effect only if a public vote, that was scheduled for March 19, 2019, succeeded. The agreement called for a new one-cent sales tax that would be collected in Gwinnett County until 2057. On March 19, 2019, the third transit referendum failed, with 54.32% of the vote being "No" to expand. Gwinnett County Commissioner Charlotte Nash stated that she would possibly try again in the future for another referendum, probably during an election cycle with a bigger turnout.

Criticism and concern

Criticism of MARTA has originated from many different groups. Opponents of MARTA are critical of MARTA's perceived inefficiency and alleged wasteful spending. Supporters of MARTA are critical of the almost complete lack of state and regional support of MARTA. In recent years, additional concerns have been raised regarding the reliability of service, as well as the governing structure of MARTA.

Lack of regional financial support

Since the formation of MARTA, the Georgia state government has never contributed to MARTA operational funding. Currently, MARTA is the largest mass transportation system in the United States not to receive state funding. Revenue from the Georgia motor fuel tax is currently restricted to roads and bridges and cannot be used for public transportation, further complicating potential sources of state funding for MARTA. In addition, the other largest two suburban counties (Gwinnett and Cobb counties) have refused to join or fund MARTA. Both Gwinnett and Clayton counties initially agreed to join MARTA but refused MARTA rail and bus service when voters in their respective counties voted against paying to help fund the system. Clayton County finally joined MARTA in November 2014; Gwinnett is planning a referendum in March 2019 to see if residents want to join. Gwinnett, along with Cobb County, created independent bus transit: Cobb Community Transit on July 10, 1989, Gwinnett County Transit on November 5, 2001. A separate regional bus transit service, Xpress, is operated by the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority in partnership with 11 metro Atlanta counties including Fulton and DeKalb, and began service on June 6, 2004.

The MARTA Board members are criticized for not being regular users of MARTA and thus are not actually aware of the concerns of MARTA commuters. Former CEO, Keith Parker, was known for commuting daily from Dunwoody to the headquarters using the Red Line.

Due to no funding from the state of Georgia and its limited funding from Fulton, Clayton and DeKalb counties, MARTA has struggled for many years to provide adequate service to the metropolitan area. As a result, MARTA has gained a notorious reputation throughout the metro Atlanta area for being ineffective and inconvenient. Many people who own cars avoid using the system altogether while residents in suburban areas usually drive their car to a MARTA rail station (instead of using bus service) if their job is near an adjacent one. MARTA's financial structure (being tied to a 1% sales tax) has forced the agency to cut services during times of economic depression, further resulting in complaints about the inconvenience and inadequacy of MARTA services.

Although surrounding counties do not pay for MARTA, many of their residents use MARTA by driving directly to a MARTA station or by using a county or regional bus system which connects to MARTA. A license plate study from 1988 to 1997 showed that 44% of the cars parked in MARTA park-and-ride lots were from outside of Fulton and DeKalb counties. Current fare reciprocity agreements also allow non-paying counties to provide bus service for their residents which provide free connections to MARTA (see Fare reciprocity). According to a 2000 MARTA ridership study, 12% of MARTA riders live outside of MARTA's service area.

Effects of race on expansion and funding

It is often argued that racial politics also play a role in the operation and future service planning for MARTA. Opponents of Georgia's transportation policies have alleged a race-based two-tiered system, where billions are spent by the state on highway expansion to aid the automobile commutes of mostly White residents of the suburbs and rural areas (like GRIP), while service cuts at MARTA have hurt mostly African Americans in low-income areas where residents cannot afford automobile ownership. Proponents contest that a portion of state funding for highways comes from the gasoline tax, a user fee analogous to the fare MARTA riders pay. Supporters of MARTA have alleged that the lack of participation by other metro Atlanta counties is rooted in racism and classism. In 1987, David Chesnut, then chairman of MARTA, stated, "The development of a regional transit system in the Atlanta area is being held hostage to race, and I think it's high time we admitted it and talked about it." As part of its Title VI plan, MARTA data revealed that 75 percent of MARTA riders were Black in 2015. MARTA is sometimes sarcastically said to stand for "Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta", a replacement backronym, due to the relatively low number of white riders, particularly after peak commuting hours.

Criminal activity

Despite a strong safety record, throughout MARTA's history there have been continued concerns regarding criminal activity on MARTA trains and in and around MARTA train stations. In the aftermath of a 1985 aggravated assault against the daughter of a Georgia State University professor, complaints were made that MARTA was underreporting its annual crime statistics. A 1986 review of the previous year's records by MARTA's audit office and the state legislature's MARTA Oversight Committee (MARTOC) showed no deliberate underreporting of crime, but rather over-reporting of crime because MARTA included crimes not related to the rail line and did not adhere to the Uniform Crime Reporting system (reporting multiple crimes by the same person instead of only the most serious crime).

According to Federal Transit Administration records, MARTA's crime statistics are in line with those of similar-sized systems, such as Bay Area Rapid Transit in the San Francisco Bay area. However, high-profile crimes on or near MARTA have created the impression with some that MARTA is unsafe and lacks a strong police presence, even though it has its own police department. From 2005 to 2009, two homicides and one rape were reported on MARTA property. The most common crime reported was larceny. The most common area for crime was MARTA's rail service, followed by MARTA's parking lots. For fiscal year 2009, MARTA had a crime rate of 3.09 per 1 million riders, with 483 crimes reported during the entire year.

Suburban counties have opposed expanding MARTA on the basis that it would lead to increased crime, as well as the cost of expansion and the lack of perceived necessity to areas currently outside MARTA transit. It is alleged that because MARTA's service area includes some of Atlanta's most economically depressed and high-crime neighborhoods, expansion of MARTA would supposedly allow crime to spread to suburban areas. MARTA CEO, Dr. Scott, has acknowledged that assumption and cites a study that did not find transit systems to nucleate crime. Other counterarguments often cite the case of the Washington Metro, which provides services in economically depressed areas with limited problems in suburban Washington D.C. stops.

Reliability of service

As is typical of rail transit in the United States, MARTA's rail lines have two parallel tracks. Any train failure or track work results in shared use of the other track by trains going opposite directions, a situation known as single-tracking. There are no plans at this time to expand the number of tracks. MARTA is currently nearing the end of a complete replacement of tracks on all rail lines. Over the past few years, this replacement work has caused the agency to implement single-tracking on the weekends, which in turn has caused weekend patrons to experience less-frequent service.

In the summer of 2006, as a result of unusually high summertime temperatures, many MARTA rail cars became overheated, damaging on-board propulsion equipment. As a result, many trains broke down and had to be taken out of service for repair. This was further compounded by the fact that at any given time up to 50 older rail cars were out of service as part of MARTA's rail car rehabilitation project. To compensate for the reduced number of operating rail cars, MARTA shortened trains from six to four cars in length. This sometimes resulted in almost half of the trains being shortened, creating crowded conditions for passengers.

Misuse of funds by employees for personal expenses

In 2006 internal and external audits of MARTA corporate spending revealed personal charges on a pair of MARTA credit cards used by former General Manager and CEO Nathaniel Ford and two of his secretaries. Ford's charges included $454 at a golf pro shop, $335 in clothing from Men's Wearhouse and a $58 visit to the dentist. In response to the 2006 audit, Ford sent MARTA a check for $1,000 as reimbursement for the charges. An additional credit card with charges involving two of his secretaries, Iris Anthony and Stephannie Smart, was also uncovered. Smart used the cards to pay approximately $6,000 in private expenses, and subsequently agreed to repay this amount to MARTA.

Incidents

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2011)

On October 15, 2011, 19-year-old Joetavius Stafford was killed by a MARTA police officer at the Vine City rail station. MARTA claims that Stafford was armed while his brother said he was unarmed. After a full investigation, there was evidence that Stafford was armed and the MPO was cleared.

In June 2018, a MARTA contractor died after being struck by a train while working on the tracks between Buckhead and North Springs stations.

See also

• List of MARTA rail stations
• List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership

References

1. "Memorial Drive Arterial Bus Rapid Transit". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
2. "Beltline Corridor Details". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
3. MARTA Clifton Corridor Archived January 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
4. Light Rail Transit Recommended for the Clifton Corridor - Annals of Transportation - Curbed Atlanta. Atlanta.curbed.com (March 22, 2012). Retrieved on 2013-08-16.
5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
6. MARTA, Connect 400. "September 26, 2013 Presentation" (PDF). MARTA Ga 400 Corridor Presentations. MARTA. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
7. MARTA, Connect 400. "Connect 400 Newsletter #3: September 2013" (PDF). MARTA Ga 400 Corridor Newsletters. MARTA. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
8. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. ""Connect 400" Transit Initiative Moves Forward". April 9, 2015.
10. John Ruch (July 5, 2014). "Clayton approves MARTA contract for November ballot". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
11. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
12. Saporta, Maria (July 13, 2018). "Commuter rail is MARTA's choice for Clayton County". Atlanta Business Journal. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
13. "How Racial Discrimination Shaped Atlanta's Transportation Mess". Streetsblog USA. 2017-02-08. Retrieved 2020-12-05.
14. "Connect Gwinnett: Transit Plan | Gwinnett County". www.gwinnettcounty.com. Retrieved 2020-12-05.
15. Estep, Tyler (September 6, 2018). "MARTA board approves historic Gwinnett contract". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (ajc.com). Retrieved September 12, 2018.
16. Curt Yeomans. "Gwinnett back at square one after MARTA rejected in key vote". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
17. ^ Cite error: The named reference cloaf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
18. ^ Cite error: The named reference bullard was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
19. "Cobb Community Transit (CCT) History". Cobb County Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 29, 2008.
20. ^ "Task 1.2 Existing Transit Service Inventory" (PDF). Regional Transit Action Plan Technical Memorandum Number 2. Manuel Padron & Associates, Inc. and URS, Inc. April 30, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2008. Retrieved February 29, 2008.
21. "About Xpress". Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved February 29, 2008.
22. "Atlanta weighing transit expansion". The New York Times. August 13, 1989. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
23. Schmidt, William (July 22, 1987). "Racial roadblock seen in Atlanta transit system". The New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
24. "Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Title VI Program Update June 2016 - 2019" (PDF). Itsmarta.com. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
25. McCosh, John (February 11, 2001). "MARTA calls on marketers for image aid; Can soft drinks fill empty seats?". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
26. Torres, Angel O.; Bullard, Robert D.; Johnson, Glenn D. (2004). Highway robbery: transportation racism & new routes to equity. Boston: South End Press. p. 53. ISBN 0-89608-704-2.
27. Harris, Karen (May 30, 1986). "MARTA over-reporting its crimes, legislative audit finds". The Atlanta Journal.
28. ^ Donskey, Paul; Daniels, Cynthia (February 9, 2007). "MARTA: HOW SAFE? Transit system officials defend security, cite low crime totals, despite a few high-profile incidents". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
29. "MARTA Police: Crime Stats". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
30. Firestone, David (April 8, 2002). "Overcoming a Taboo, Buses Will Now Serve Suburban Atlanta". The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
31. "We're Building a Better Way". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
32. "MARTA Track Renovation Information". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Archived from the original on June 29, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
33. Donsky, Paul (September 12, 2006). "MARTA riders crowd heat-diminished fleet". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
34. ^ Mahoney, Ryan (August 18, 2006). "Ex-MARTA CEO abused credit cards". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved October 27, 2006.
35. Steve Visser (October 17, 2011). "MARTA: Dead teen was armed" The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Accessed October 26, 2011.
36. Steve Visser (October 20, 2011). "Forensic evidence little help in investigation of MARTA shooting" The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Accessed October 26, 2011.
37. Adrianne Haney (June 13, 2018). "MARTA contractor struck by train Sunday night has died" 11-Alive. Accessed March 12, 2020.

External links

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• MARTA website
• MARTA Breeze website
• New Georgia Encyclopedia article
• Georgia Regional Transportation Authority website
• Clayton County C-TRAN website
• Cobb Community Transit website
• Gwinnett County Transit website
• nycsubway.org Atlanta page
• Assessing Electoral Defeat - New Directions and Values for MARTA
• The Clueless Commuter's Guide to MARTA
• Citizens for Progressive Transportation - Atlanta Chapter
• Railfanning.org: MARTA Profile
• MARTA rail lines integrated with google maps
• 5 Points Station Map
• Atlanta Magazine - Where It All Went Wrong
• Martin Stupich Photographs, 1977-1978 of the development of MARTA from the Atlanta History Center
• Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Collection from Georgia State University

v t e Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)
Red Line	Airport College Park East Point Lakewood/​Fort McPherson Oakland City West End Garnett Five Points Peachtree Center Civic Center North Avenue Midtown Arts Center Lindbergh Center Buckhead Medical Center Dunwoody Sandy Springs North Springs
Gold Line	Airport College Park East Point Lakewood/​Fort McPherson Oakland City West End Garnett Five Points Peachtree Center Civic Center North Avenue Midtown Arts Center Lindbergh Center Lenox Brookhaven/​Oglethorpe Chamblee Doraville
Blue Line	Hamilton E. Holmes West Lake Ashby Vine City GWCC/​CNN Center Five Points Georgia State King Memorial Inman Park/​Reynoldstown Edgewood/​Candler Park East Lake Decatur Avondale Kensington Indian Creek
Green Line	Bankhead Ashby Vine City GWCC/​CNN Center Five Points Georgia State King Memorial Inman Park/​Reynoldstown Edgewood/​Candler Park
Atlanta Streetcar	Centennial Olympic Park Carnegie at Spring Luckie at Cone Peachtree Center Woodruff Park Park Place Hurt Park Auburn at Piedmont Sweet Auburn Market Dobbs Plaza Edgewood at Hilliard King Historic District
Other	List of MARTA bus routes MARTA rail History List of stations Breeze Card Projects BeltLine Clayton County commuter rail Clifton Corridor

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