Atlanta Transit Facing Service Cuts

Written by Becky Striepe
Published on April 6th, 2009
3 Comments
Posted in Atlanta, Georgia

Strict restrictions on how MARTA spends its revenue mean the system can’t afford to pay for its operating costs.


[Waiting for the Train. Creative Commons photo by Wesley Fryer]

The General Assembly voted down Senate Bill 120, which would have allowed MARTA to tap into $65 million in capital reserve funds. Since the system receives absolutely no state funding, it relies heavily on sales tax revenue to stay afloat. It’s a state restriction that is tying up the much needed money: MARTA is required to spend 50% of its revenue on operating costs and 50% on capital expenses. The really infuriating part of this vote is that the bill failed for reasons that had nothing to do with Atlanta’s transit system.

According to the AJC:

The measure passed the Senate, then surfaced in different bills as it got caught up in political wrangling over other transportation funding proposals. The House passed a bill that would have eased the restriction to 40 percent, but to do that House members stripped out a bill that the Senate wanted.

General Manager Beverly Scott has talked about a number of cutbacks. The most shocking is doing away with all service on Fridays. This would be devastating for the half million folks who rely on MARTA to get to and from work on weekdays. Many of these riders do not have another mode of transportation. On top of that, service cuts will hurt local businesses. Scott mentioned doing away with services like the shuttle from Five Points Station to Turner Field and buses for runners participating in the Peachtree Road Race, along with reduced overall hours. These services not only get workers to and from businesses and events - customers rely on them as well.

Get Heard
The MARTA board is going to vote in June and plans to roll out changes in September. You can tell officials what services are most important to you by taking the MARTA survey. Make sure to leave a comment at the end to address any specific cuts that have you concerned.

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3 Comments

  1. 1
    Robert Lamb said on April 6th, 2009 at 1:47 pm

    Ugh, nacho stands and paid parking at East Lake station then, I guess. :(

    ~rl

  2. 2
    Becky said on April 6th, 2009 at 2:16 pm

    Yeah, but gross food on the train will make for great stories!

  3. 3
    Jess said on April 6th, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    How sad is it that a modern US city is even faced with such a decision.

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