The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority ( MARTA , ) is the premier public transport operator in the metropolitan area of ​​Atlanta. Formed in 1971 as a tight bus system, MARTA operates a bus route network connected to a rapid transit system composed of 48 miles (77 km) of railway lines with 38 railway stations. It is the eighth fastest transit system in the United States by passengers.
MARTA operates almost exclusively in Fulton, Clayton and DeKalb districts, although they maintain a two-way bus service at Cobb County (Six Flags Over Georgia and the nearby Cumberland Transfer Center next to the Cumberland Mall). MARTA also operates a separate paratransit service for customers with disabilities. In 2014, the average daily total passenger for the system (bus and train) is 432,900 passengers.
Video Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
History
MARTA was originally proposed as a fast transit agency for the districts of DeKalb, Fulton, Clayton, Gwinnett, and Cobb. These are the five original districts in the metropolitan area of ​​Atlanta, and to this day are the five largest regions in the region. MARTA was formed by the Georgia General Assembly act in 1965. That same year, four of the five metropolitan areas (Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett) and the City of Atlanta passed a referendum authorizing participation in the system, but the referendum failed at Cobb County. Although the 1968 referendum to fund MARTA failed, in 1971, voters in Fulton and DeKalb districts managed to pass a 1% sales tax to finance MARTA operations, while the Clayton and Gwinnett areas massively rejected taxation in the referendum, fearing the introduction of crime and "elements undesirable ". Gwinnett County remained outside the MARTA system, but in November 2014, Clayton County voters issued a 1% sales tax to join the MARTA system, reversing its decision in 1971. In 1971, the agency agreed to buy Atlanta, which had only buses. Transit Company; the sale of the company closed on 17 February 1972, giving control to the agency over all public transit in the Atlanta area directly.
Construction began on the MARTA heavy rail system in 1975, with the first rail service commencing on 30 June 1979. The system has since built most of the proposed rail lines, as well as stations in Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and North Springs that are not included in the original plan. The missing rail segments of the original plan include the Tucker-North DeKalb line with services to Emory University and North Druid Hills, Northwest lines with services to Brookwood and Northside Drive, a western extension to Brownlee-Boulder Park near Fairburn Road, Proctor Creek line extension to West Highlands, and a branch of the southern route to Hapeville and Clayton County.
Maps Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
System
MARTA consists of heavy rail freight and bus transit systems that operate mainly within the boundaries of Fulton, Clayton and DeKalb areas. In addition to Atlanta itself, transit agencies serve many suburbs in the service area, including Alpharetta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, College Park, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, East Point, Ellenwood, Fairburn, Forest Park, Hapeville, Jonesboro, Lake City, Lovejoy, Lithonia, Morrow, Palmetto, Riverdale, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Stone Mountain, and Union City. MARTA also serves the airport via a station located next to the main terminal. Although Cobb County is not part of the MARTA system, the agency operates a limited bus route to the Cumberland Boulevard Transfer Center and another to Six Flags Over Georgia.
The MARTA system allows bicycles on trains and buses to have 2 bikes on racks mounted on the front of the bus. At the airport, bicycles can be locked on all parking decks, as long as it does not block pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
In 2007, MARTA had 4,729 full-time and part-time employees, among which 1,719 were bus drivers or train operators. Train and bus operators, station agents, railway maintenance workers, and many other MARTA employees are represented in the negotiations by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 732.
MARTA has its own police department with 300 officers wearing badges, making it the ninth largest police department in Georgia.
Rel
MARTA's fast rail system has a 47.6 mile (76.6 km) route and 38 railway stations located on four service lines: the Red Line (before October 2009, known as the North-South Line), the Golden Line (former Northeast- South) Line), Blue Line (former East-West Line), and Green Line (formerly Proctor Creek Line). The track for this system is a combination of elevated paths, at ground level, and below ground.
The deepest station in the MARTA system is the Peachtree Center Station located in a hard-rock tunnel, 120 feet (36 meters) below downtown Atlanta, where the highest hill in Atlanta is 1100 feet (300 meters) above sea level. No tunnel layers are installed in this station, or in adjacent tunnels. The architects and civil engineers decided to leave this with a rough gneiss stone wall. The highest station in the MARTA system is the King Memorial Station. It's 90 feet up on the active CSX rail page.
MARTA switched to a color-based identification system in October 2009. Previously, the lines were named based on their terminal stations: Airport, Doraville, North Springs, H. E. Holmes, Bankhead, King Memorial, Candler Park, Indian Creek; or by their compass direction. During the transition between the two naming systems, all stations on the Red and Gold lines use their original orange sign, and all stations on the Blue and Green lines use their original blue mark.
All rail lines have a primary nexus at the Five Points station, located in downtown Atlanta. The MARTA train is operated using the Automatic Train Control system, with one human carrier per carriage to make announcements, operate the doors, and operate the trains manually in case of control system or emergency system malfunctions. Many suburban stations have free and free long-term free parking at the park and ride lot. These stations have also pointed kisses and riding passenger drop-off areas close to the station entrance.
Rolling stock
The MARTA rail car is an air-conditioned steel railway that can operate at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). The train is powered by an electrically operated third rail and can be operated in any combination of two to eight train cars.
Marta's current railway car fleet consists of three different classes of rail cars in pairs:
- The CQ310 class (96 active cars, car numbers 101-200, built by SociÃÆ'Â © tÃÆ' Â © Franco-Belge, 1979-1982)
- The CQ311 class (120 active cars, 201-320 car numbers, built by Hitachi, 1984-1987)
- Class CQ312 (100 active cars, 601-702 car numbers, built by Breda, 2001-2005)
In 2002, Alstom was contracted by MARTA to overhaul all 230 CQ310 and CQ311 cars as part of a $ 246 million repair contract. Rehabilitated cars have improved passenger facilities and improved driving power and hardware control. The first rehabilitated cars began operations on March 12, 2006. The rehabilitation was completed on February 23, 2009.
In 2011, Alstom was awarded an additional $ 117 million contract with MARTA to improve train control and SCADA systems. The new technology is designed to provide the MARTA rail team with more efficient operation, better communication between rail and station, improved monitoring capabilities, faster response times, and reduced maintenance costs. Included in the project are upgrades for all 318 railway cars to install the enhanced Fault Identification and Monitoring System (FIMS) and full color driver display built by Quester Tangent. The new system passed the "mini fleet" test in 2015.
In 2012, the CQ310 111 and 112 cars are converted into work cars.
On December 1, 2017, MARTA posted a notice of intent to award a $ 146 million contract for the "Railway Life Extension Program" to Kinkisharyo International LLC to remodel 212 trailer trains.
Bus
The MARTA bus system serves a wider area than the rail system, serving areas in Fulton, Clayton and DeKalb districts such as the cities of Roswell and Alpharetta in North Fulton, along with South DeKalb. The MARTA bus service for Clayton County takes effect March 21, 2015. In 2010, MARTA has 554 diesel and compressed natural gas buses that include more than 110 bus routes operating 25.9 million annual vehicles (41.7 million kilometers). MARTA has one bus route that provides limited services in Cobb County (Route 12 has been extended to Cobb County's Cumberland Boulevard Transfer Center). All the MARTA bus lines feed or cut down the MARTA rail line as well. Marta shuttle service is available for Six Flags Over Georgia during the summer of the national park.
In addition to the free parking adjacent to many railway stations, MARTA also operates five parks and rides served mostly by bus routes (Windward Parkway, Mansell Road, Stone Mountain, Barge Road and South Fulton).
Mobility service
In accordance with the United States with Disabilities Act (ADA), MARTA provides Mobility for persons defined as disabled by ADA. MARTA uses 211 special vehicles equipped with elevators for this service, and can deliver passengers to their final destination (sidewalk service to the sidewalk) or can deliver passengers to the nearest accessible train or train station (feed service). Mobility is limited to existing rail and bus routes and can not extend radius of more than 0.75 miles (1.2 km) from the existing route. Mobility services are only provided during the hours of the repaired route to serve the area. Applications for acceptance to Mobility services are required; reservation required for each trip. In fiscal 2006, Marta provided 289,258 Mobility trips.
Average cost for MARTA to provide one-way travel for passengers Individual mobility is US $ 31.88. This is far more than the $ 4.00 price that the Mobility rider has to pay. Americans with Disabilities Act prohibit MARTA to charge Mobility more than twice the normal fixed route rate.
The 2001 federal civil suit, Martin v. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, was brought in by several disabled drivers who accused MARTA of violating the ADA by not providing: bus timetables and route information in an accessible format, buses with wheelchair lifts, stopping the announcement of rail and bus routes, and adequate staff to schedule and deliver timely Mobility services. The district court ruled in 2002 that MARTA violated the ADA and granted the plaintiff an injunction requiring MARTA to improve services to persons with disabilities.
Ticket structure and operation
Currently, the full one-way tariff for MARTA is US $ 2.50. The New Breeze Card is $ 2. Passengers carry an additional $ 1. Passengers aged over 65, disabled passengers and Medicare recipients are entitled to a discounted rate of $ 1. One one-way paratransit rate is $ 4. Ten full one-way trips can be purchased for $ 25, and twenty full tariff travel can be purchased at a discount of $ 42.50. MARTA also offers unlimited travel through several transit pass options: 1 day pass $ 9, 2 days pass $ 14, pass 3 days $ 16, 4 days pass $ 19, pass 7 days $ 23.75, and 30 day pass for $ 95. Additional discounted pass programs allow university students and staff to purchase monthly calendar tickets. Additional discounts are available to corporate partners that sell monthly MARTA to employees and also to groups and conventions visiting Atlanta. Some employers (at their own expense) also provide cheaper fees or free MARTA to employees to encourage the use of public transport. Children up to 46 inches (120 cm) can ride for free with riders paying rates; the limit is 2.
Free transport also operates within the MARTA area, but is not part of MARTA. The Buckhead Uptown Connection (The BUC) runs around Buckhead, uptown Atlanta and the third major business district behind downtown and downtown. These include the Lenox Square mall and many tall buildings and skyscrapers built along Peachtree Road. The Atlantic Station Shuttle offers services between MARTA Art Center Station and the Midtown Atlantic Station neighborhood. Georgia Tech operates the Tech trolley between the central campus, Technology Square, and Midtown MARTA Station, as well as the "Stinger" bus around the campus. Emory University operates the shuttle bus "The Cliff" inside and around the campus. Clifton Corridor Transportation Management Association (CCTMA) operates a shuttle that connects Emory with downtown Decatur and MARTA Decatur station.
Breeze Card
MARTA completed its "Breeze" smart card tariff payment system in September 2006, replacing the token-based tariff collection system previously. The new Breeze card allows the rider to load money on the card to use from time to time, and to add unlimited days unspecified to the calendar period. The Breeze Card ($ 2) is for every passenger who drives MARTA. The new Breeze tariff gate is designed to help prevent tariffs fraud; with an older ticketing rate collection system much easier and is estimated to cost MARTA $ 10 million per year. Other transit transit systems such as GRTA Xpress and CCT also have Breeze systems.
MARTA stopped selling tokens after the Breeze conversion. Cards (no tariffs) are sent by mail free of charge to those who request them when the system is first implemented.
To protect against any hacking problems experienced by the current Breeze Card, Marta launched a new Breeze Card in January 2016. This new card costs $ 2.
Hours of operation
MARTA operates 365 days a year. Train services are provided from 4:45 am to 1:00 am, Monday to Friday, and from 06:00 to 01:00 on Saturdays, Sundays & amp; mostly holidays. During certain events (New Year's Eve) trains run until 2:00 am (Trains also operate throughout the night during winter storms, though not in passenger service, to prevent ice forming in non-underground trails.) On weekdays, fire operates every 20 minutes on all railroad from initial service till 6:00 am. From 06:00 to 09:00 and 3:00 am to 7:00 pm, trains run every 10 minutes on all railways. From 9:00 to 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, trains run every 12 minutes on all railways. From 8:30 pm until the end of service, trains run every 20 minutes on all train lines. MARTA's Red Line railway service operates only between North Springs and Lindbergh Center stations after 8:30 pm. MARTA's Green Line railway service operates only between Bankhead and Vine City stations after 8:30 pm; Monday-Friday (with the exception of public holidays and track work performed by the authorities). On weekends and holidays, trains run every 20 minutes on all train lines. Bus routes have varying frequencies depending on the demand of passengers.
Reciprocal value
Through an official tariff reciprocity agreement, MARTA drivers can transfer for free to three other metro-Atlanta transit systems: Gwinnett County Transit, Cobb Community Transit and GRTA Xpress. Some of these agreements require that no system significantly transfers more than others. MARTA has stated that this is the case, that incoming transfers (from MARTA from other systems) and outgoing transfers (from MARTA to other systems) are similar (for the second quarter of 2006, 8888 daily passengers are transferred in and 8843 are transferred out). The morning transfer analysis (5 to 9 am) for MARTA shows that Cobb County has 718 incoming transfers but only 528 outbound, Gwinnett County has 239 inbound and 269 outbound, and GRTA Xpress has 1,175 incoming but 615 outbound. Some people suggest that more people from other systems can benefit from free transfers than those living in the MARTA service area. However, it has been noted that workers who travel to Atlanta from other systems will be more likely to travel home, resulting in the same amount of transfers.
Funding
Sales tax
In addition to the tariff collection, MARTA's budget is funded by a 1% sales tax in the Fulton, Clayton and DeKalb regions along with limited federal money. In 2017, City Atlanta raised their sales tax to MARTA to 1.5% to upgrade and expand MARTA. For fiscal year 2007, MARTA had a recovery ratio of 31.8%. By law, the funds from the 1% sales tax should be shared equally between the operational budget and the capital expenditure of MARTA. This restriction does not apply to other sources of income, including passenger income. This division was written into the MARTA law in the MARTA formation on the grounds that MARTA should continue to expand and invest in the system. However, MARTA has no active rail construction project. Capital funds continue to decline every year, creating shortages. Operating funds limit the number of services provided by MARTA. The sales tax law was amended by the state legislature in 2002 to allow for a 45%/55% temporary/temporary capital blocking. An additional 5% for this operation expired in 2005. A bill of 2005 to renew the division was filed by the Legislative Marta Supervisory Committee, which forced MARTA to issue new budgets with service cuts. The 45%/55% split of capital/operations is temporarily renewed in the 2006 state legislative session. The capital fund surplus has resulted in projects, such as the $ 100 million Breeze Card ticket collection system and US $ 1.1 million automatic toilets at the MARTA station Five Points, which occurred at the same time as MARTA struggled to pay for buses and rail operations. By 2015, the Georgia General Assembly approves a new bill that no longer requires MARTA to divide the 1% Sales Tax. Due to the low Sales Tax Revenue and no funding source from the State of Georgia, MARTA was forced to remove 43 bus routes, eliminate transport, (Excluding Six Flags Over Georgia and Braves Shuttle) and reduced the frequency and hours of the Railway Service. MARTA also closed most of the station's toilets. There are 13 public toilets stations open to the public, most of which are located at the end of every lane including College Park, Arts Center, Peachtree Center, West End, Avondale, Kensington and Lindbergh Center. There are two Ridestores available. Two Ridestores are located at the Airport and Five Points Train Station. Despite the massive cuts, MARTA estimates the system will still reach 69.34 million US dollars for FY 2011; that was withdrawn from their Selected Account. An additional $ 9 million has been posted for 2013. This money is being reinvested into the system by adding frequencies to trains and bus routes.
The current 1% sales tax is set to be reduced to 0.5% by 2032. In early 2007, MARTA made a request to Atlanta City, DeKalb County and Fulton County for a 15-year extension of a 1% sales tax from 2032 to 2047 , with a sales tax of 0.5% from 2047 to 2057. This is the fourth time in its history that MARTA sought counseling, most recently in 1990. MARTA says a tax commitment is needed for institutions to secure long-term security. The funding is in the form of bonds to pay for any future expansion into the system. The resolution calls for four new routes: bus rapid transit from H.E. Holmes Station to Fulton Industrial Boulevard, bus rapid transit from Garnett station to Stonecrest Mall, transit to BeltLine, and direct transit links from Lindbergh Center to Emory University (formerly "C-Loop"). To approve a tax extension, two of the three government agencies need to approve the extension. In March 2007, City of Atlanta voted 12-1 to approve an extension. In April 2007, the DeKalb County Commission also approved a sales tax extension. Some Fulton county officials oppose the extension of the sales tax on the grounds that the proposed service extension does not include the previously proposed expansion of the North Rail line to Roswell and Alpharetta in North Fulton County.
Country funding controversy
MARTA was formed through the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Act of 1965, an act of the Georgia General Assembly. In addition to allowing the creation of agencies, and the collection of revenues from taxes, the previous law places restrictions on how the agency manages its funds. In particular, the law stipulates that any funds obtained from the sale of bonds and capital goods will be spent on capital expenditures, and that any additional proceeds are set aside to pay off bond debt. Although the enabling law limits how MARTA can manage its money, MARTA has never received operational funding from the State of Georgia, making it the largest public transport agency in the United States and the second largest transit agency in Anglo-America (after the Toronto Transit Commission) receive state or provincial funding for operational costs. Funding restrictions on MARTA have been removed by 2015, with the passage of House Bill 213 by the General Assembly.
In early April 2009, the Georgia General Assembly created a budget crisis for MARTA for failing to pass a bill that would allow it to access its own reserve account, to compensate for the large drop in sales tax revenues during the end of the 2000s Recession. MARTA stated that this can force an agent to stop operations one day a week, possibly a work day. The agency's budget crisis forced MARTA to lay off 700 employees. Service cuts and other budget tightening measures began in fiscal year 2011, with the first affected service marks in September 2010. Governor Sonny Perdue refused to call a special session as requested, and did not issue an executive order as he claimed to be invalid for do it.
Government
MARTA is a multi-county authority administered by the board of directors, comprised of designated representatives of the city of Atlanta (3 members), and the remainder from Fulton district (3 members), Clayton (2 members) and DeKalb (4 members). In addition, there is 1 member from Georgia Transportation Department, and 1 member of Georgia Regional Transport Authority) who also serves on the Board of Directors of MARTA.
Positions on the MARTA board are directly appointed by the organizations they represent. Although the state of Georgia does not contribute to MARTA's operational funding, it still has voting members on the MARTA board. A similar situation occurred in both Clayton and Gwinnett areas during most of MARTA's history; as a consequence of submitting an authorization referendum but not a referendum on funding. Gwinnett County has a representative on the Board of Directors of MARTA without paying into the system. This situation became controversial in 2004 when Gwinnett Mychal Walker's representative was found to have received US $ 20,000 from a lobbyist seeking a US $ 100,000,000 contract with MARTA. Despite the controversy, as well as the powerful MARTA board that Walker violated MARTA's ethical policy, Gwinnett Regional Commission initially failed to move Mr. Walker from his position on the MARTA Board. Finally, the state legislature is required to amend the laws governing the MARTA Council to allow for the dismissal of a member whose territory of deployment is not acting upon the request of dismissal. Before the new law can be used, Mr. Walker was arrested for unrelated child support offenses, resulting in his shooting by Gwinnett County Commission.
The highest position in MARTA is the general manager and chief executive officer. In October 2007, Dr. Beverly A. Scott was appointed as the new general manager. Prior to joining MARTA, Dr. Scott serves as GM/CEO of the Sacramento Regional Transit District. He has more than 30 years of experience in the transportation industry. After 5 years in MARTA, he decided not to renew his contract with the MARTA Board of Directors. Scott's last day is December 9, 2012. Keith Parker is General Manager/CEO of MARTA from December 9, 2012 - October 11, 2017. Jeffrey A. Parker is General Manager/CEO of MARTA. Before Dr. Scott, General Manager of MARTA was Richard McCrillis from 2006 to 2007. In October 2007, McCrillis retired after 22 years of work at MARTA.
The General Assembly of Georgia has a permanent committee in charge of its financial oversight. During the 2009 legislative session, Representative Jill Chambers, chairman of MARTOC at the time, introduced a bill that would place MARTA under the GRTA, and permanently abolished the requirement that Marta split her spending 50/50 between capital and operations. This will enable MARTA to avoid service cuts at times when low sales tax revenues are due to recession, without having to ask state legislatures for temporary exemptions (usually split 55/45) as previously received. The bill was not ratified, but funding restrictions have been removed by 2015.
Performance and security
During fiscal 2005, MARTA had 79% customer satisfaction. Timely performance for rail service is 91.64%. The average distance between rail service interruptions is 9,493 miles (15,278 km) and the average distance between bus failures is 3,301 miles (5,312 km).
MARTA has suffered two fatal accidents which resulted in an official investigation by the National Transportation Safety Agency. On February 25, 2000, a train near the Avondale station hit two automatic railway control technicians checking the relay boxes; one person was seriously injured and another technician was seriously injured. Workers have failed to impose restrictions on secure clearance for track work. In addition, the railroad system controller, aware of the workers, failed to notify the train driver of the presence of the technician. The second accident occurred on 10 April 2000 when the train hit a bucket elevator containing two contract workers at Lenox station; the workers were seriously injured. Although the MARTA employee who accompanied the worker told the railway control center over the work on the track, the control center employees failed to block the passage in the automatic rail control system and also failed to notify the unscheduled southern train of the worker's presence. In 2001, MARTA settled with the families of two workers killed at a price of US $ 10.5 million.
In addition to these accidents, MARTA trains have dropped four times in recent years. The latest incident occurred at the Medical Center station on December 4, 2006 when a train carrying passengers was transferred via a rail switch. No injuries were reported. The previous failure occurred in July 1996 during the Olympic Games in Atlanta. Cars paired on trains that have mechanical problems apart from other cars at Indian Creek station (the last station on the east path). The train started rolling, bumping the bumper at the end of the track and running out of the way. The train operator, the only person on board, received minor injuries. In June 1996, a small derailment occurred at the intersection between the North and Northeast lines; MARTA estimates there are 150 people in it. The derailment occurred when a train watchdog told the train driver to turn the train after realizing the train was misplaced on a split path; MARTA's investigation of the incident showed a derailment causing damage of $ 125,000 on trains and trajectories and causing injuries to 16 passengers. And in August 1994, a small release took place in the transition between Candler Park and Inman Park. About 20 passengers were on board and no one was hurt.
On December 31, 2007, MARTA suffered three separate escalator accidents that injured at least 11 people. The incident occurred when a large crowd headed to Chick-fil-A Bowl. Two escalators failed at Five Points station, and one escalator failed at the Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center station. MARTA initially blamed the incidents on rowdy customers who jumped on the escalator. However, subsequent official investigations showed that weak braking and motor systems were the cause of the incident.
In September 2008, the Fulton County jury awarded a woman $ 525,000 for injuries received in an accident at the Peachtree Center station. MARTA has been criticized for its escalator maintenance policy following a recent injury resulting from an overload escalation, but has discussed plans to improve its policy and regulate passenger loads with the station dealer installed.
Expansion Package
The previous expansion package
MARTA was built with at least three segments for rail lines that were never built. The Northwest line to Cobb County has a stub tunnel in the east of the Atlantic Station, but the rebuilding has not yet been built with MARTA stations in mind, and Cobb County will either get a light rail or commuter train system (both of which have learned) or a bus rapid transit service see Northwest Corridor HOV/BRT). The Northwest line is cut back to a distance of two stations, and then the idea falls entirely.
The South Line's branch to Hapeville was considered for expansion into Clayton County as far as Forest Park, but this idea also broke off when voters from the area initially refused to approve tax funding for the channel. Another idea to spur rail lines is to lane over the ground from nearby International Airport for a spur line to the city of Hapeville, but no work has ever been done. The idea to revive the expansion plans in the form of heavy rail and buses was agreed to go once again before voters in November 2014 by Clayton county commissioner in July 2014 with a 1% sales tax providing funds for the expansion. This time, the referendum was approved and Clayton District chose to join MARTA, the first system expansion beyond Fulton, Dekalb and the city of Atlanta.
But another proposed spur line will branch off from the Blue Line in DeKalb County, running northeast to the North Druid Hills, Emory University, and Tucker towns. Now being considered is the idea for light rail lines (rather than heavy trains) from Avondale Station to Lindbergh Center, via Emory/CDC.
The Northeast line of the rail system, which had ended in Doraville for two decades, was considered to be extended to Gwinnett County as far north as Norcross, Georgia, but the idea was interrupted when voters in the area refused to approve the tax-funding sale for it.
The Proctor Creek branch is also projected to go one more station to the northwest to the Western Highlands, but no work has been done for it.
The westward expansion to Fulton Industrial Boulevard through the use of heavy rail extension or bus rapid transit has been proposed as an extension of the West Line since the system was planned.
The last three MARTA railway stations to be built, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and North Springs - all north of Interstate 285 Perimeter, opened in 2000. The line to those stations runs on the surface of the Georgia 400 highway median line built right next to east of the Buckhead area during the early 1990s. This is one of only two places where Marta's rail system extends outside Interstate 285. The others are at the Indian Creek Station east of DeKalb County.
From 2000-2011, there were no active railway expansion projects in the MARTA system due to the lack of additional sales tax revenues, the need to spend a limited capital budget to rejuvenate the old rolling stock, replace the tariff collection system, improve the track and the electrical system, as well as other long-term maintenance, repair, and operating requirements.
Mall in Stonecrest Expansion
The eastward expansion focuses on bus rapid transit from downtown Atlanta along I-20 and the expansion of heavy rail transport from Indian Creek station, south along I-285 to I-20, then east along the I-20 corridor to the Mall at Stonecrest. The current Green Line will also be extended to the east from the current terminal at Edgewood/Candler Park station to the Mall in Stonecrest.
BRT Memorial Drive
Currently the only recent expansion in the entire MARTA system is the development of a fast transit bus along Memorial Drive from Kensington Station to Marta Street Park Goldsmith and lots of climbing on Batu Mountain and Ponce De Leon Avenue. (Bus Service started operation on 27 September 2010). The bus has two routes: QÃ, Express runs between MARTA's Kensington Station and 150-car Park-and-Ride free on Goldsmith Road & amp; Memorial Drive; The Express just stopped twice along the road on North Hairston Road and once again at Georgia Perimeter College.
The Q Limited also runs north along Memorial Drive from Kensington Station, but branches off North Hairston Road en route to East Ponce de Leon Avenue. QÃ, Limited has four stops along the road in addition to the same stop for the Express Implementation of revenue collection services was originally planned for early 2009.
Due to low users, the BRT service has been discontinued.
Atlanta BeltLine
In addition, several traffic corridors are currently being studied by MARTA for possible system expansion. BeltLine is the latest proposal for the use of light rail and the possibility of bus or tram services on the railway line around the Atlanta business district. The conversion of the existing railway line to the right into the proposed BeltLine also called for the creation of three additional MARTA quick transit stations where existing lines cut the Belt Line at Simpson Road, Hulsey Yard, and Murphy Crossing.
Clifton Corridor
The quick transport alternative was in October 2011, under consideration for the Clifton Corridor, from the Lindbergh Center, following the CSX rail corridor to Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control, with possible continuations along the northern edge of Decatur to the Avondale MARTA station. Bus options, light rail and fast railways have been considered, with light rail selected as 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 400 corridor to northern Fulton. The initiative commenced in December 2011, envisioning the extension of the 11.9 mile fast freight service, starting in the south at North Springs Transit Station, the current terminal of the existing Red MARTA Line. From there, such an extension will continue north through the cities of Sandy Springs, Roswell, and Alpharetta, ending around the Windward Parkway.
At the fifth public meeting on the subject on 26 September 2013, the study has narrowed the alternative field of transit technology to three, all using existing road rights along SR 400: heavy rail transport (HRT, extending Red Line to the north), transit light-rail (LRT), or bus rapid transit (BRT). Initial designs for all three options include stations near Northridge Road, Holcomb Bridge Road, Mansell Road, North Point Mall and Windward Parkway; early sketches of the LRT and BRT options also include stations near the Old Milton Parkway.
In June 2015, the project moved into the Environmental Impact Study phase of the planning process. According to MARTA Representative at the April 2015 meeting, expansion can be opened by 2025 at the earliest with the best scenario assumption. Federal funding is still not approved; The Environmental Impact Study must be complete. At the April 2015 meeting, the LRT option has been removed. The HRT option has been approved as a Local Choice Alternative, although two BRT options exist - which will run on dedicated bus lines and others to integrate with Georgia DOT's planned work for the corridor. The integrated GDOT option will include the division of normal traffic lanes at least in some parts of the route. Plan to station at Mansell Rd. and Haynes Bridge Rd. has been merged into one station at North Point Mall.
Propose a new infill station
Adding another station to the existing lane near Armor Yard (MARTA's main rouard, opened in 2005) has also been discussed, such as the Red and Gold MARTA line, BeltLine light rail route northeast, proposing commuter train lines to the northeast points such as Athena ("Brain Train") and Gainesville, all going through Armor Yard. Mechanicsville Boone Murphy Crossing Krog
The proposed Atlanta Multimodal Passenger Terminal (MMPT) will be built next to Five Point stations, connecting MARTA to the surface of the passenger rail, including commuter trains, future intercity rail, Amtrak, and high-speed trains in the Southeast Corridor.
Additional expansion plans for MARTA and other Atlanta transportation agencies are detailed in Mobility 2030 schedule by the Atlanta Regional Commission to improve transit throughout the year 2030.
Clayton County
On July 5, 2014, Clayton County Commissioner, 3-1 (Jeff Turner, Shana Rooks, and Sonna Gregory voted), agreed to a contract with MARTA to expand service to the region, financed by 1 percent sales tax. The Fulton and DeKalb regional leaders approve of the expansion. On November 4, 2014, Clayton County residents approved a 1% sales tax to join MARTA. The Bus Service is implemented on March 21, 2015. The contract also includes provisions for future rail transit to the area by 2025. A capacity/high-capacity proposal calls stations in Hapeville, Mountain View/ATL Hartsfield International Terminal, Forest Park, Fort Gillem , Clayton State/Morrow, Morrow/Southlake and Jonesboro in 2022. A station in Lovejoy is also proposed, which will be opened as the next phase.
Criticism and attention
MARTA's criticism comes from various groups. MARTA's opponents are critical of Marta's inefficiency and alleged spending wastage. MARTA's supporters are critical of the lack of state and regional support from MARTA. In recent years, additional concerns have been raised regarding the reliability of services, as well as the governance structure of MARTA.
Lack of regional financial support
Since the establishment of MARTA, the state government of Georgia has never contributed to MARTA's operational funding. Currently, MARTA is the largest mass transportation system in the United States that does not receive state funding. Revenues from Georgia's motor fuel taxes are currently limited to roads and bridges and can not be used for public transport, further complicating the potential source of state funding for MARTA. In addition, the other two largest sub-districts (Gwinnett and Cobb counties) refused to join or fund MARTA. Both Gwinnett and Clayton districts initially agreed to join MARTA but rejected the MARTA train and bus services when voters in their respective countries voted against payments to help fund the system. Clayton County joined MARTA in November 2014. Gwinnett together with Cobb County instead created their own independent bus system: 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 Transport Authority in partnership with 11 Atlanta metro districts including Fulton and DeKalb, which commenced operations on June 6, 2004.
Members of the MARTA Council were criticized for not being regular users of MARTA and therefore unaware of the concerns of MARTA commuters. The newly appointed CEO, Keith Parker, departs daily from Dunwoody to headquarters using the Red Line.
Because there is no funding from the state of Georgia and limited funding from Fulton, Clayton and DeKalb districts, MARTA has been struggling for years to provide adequate services to the metropolitan area. As a result, MARTA has gained a well-known reputation throughout the Atlanta metro area for being ineffective and uncomfortable. Many people who have cars avoid using the system altogether while residents in the suburbs usually drive their cars to Marta railway station (rather than using bus services) if their work is close to the adjacent ones. Marta's financial structure (tied to a 1% sales tax) has forced the agency to cut service during times of economic depression, which further raises complaints about the inconvenience and inadequacy of MARTA services.
Although neighboring districts do not pay for MARTA, many of their residents use MARTA by driving directly to the MARTA station or by using a regional or regional bus system linking to MARTA. The 1988-1997 plates study shows that 44% of parked cars in MARTA's parking are from outside the Fulton and DeKalb areas. The current tariff reciprocal agreement also allows non-paying districts to provide bus services to residents who provide free connections to MARTA (see Reciprocal rates ). According to the 2000 MARTA passenger study, 12% of MARTA riders live outside the MARTA service area.
The effect of race on expansion and funding
It is often argued that racial politics also plays a role in future service and service planning for MARTA. Opponents of Georgia's transportation policy have accused a racially-based two-tier system, where billions of dollars are spent by the country on road expansion to help whites travel largely from rural and suburbs (such as GRIP), while service cuts in MARTA have hurt most African Americans. Contest supporters that part of the state fund for highways comes from gasoline taxes, user fees analogous to the tariff of motorists paying MARTA. MARTA supporters have alleged that the lack of participation from other Atlanta metro states has its roots 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 held hostage for the race, and I think it's time we acknowledge it and talk about it." The 1999 MARTA motorist survey, almost 20 years, revealed that 78 percent of MARTA drivers are African Americans.
Criminal activity
Despite having a strong security record, throughout MARTA's history there have been ongoing concerns about criminal activity on the MARTA train and in and around the MARTA railway station. In the aftermath of a 1985 incursive attack on the daughter of a Georgia State University professor, a complaint was made that MARTA did not report annual crime statistics. The 1986 review of the previous year's records by the MARTA audit office and the State MartaOC's Supervisory Committee (MARTOC) shows no deliberate reporting of violations, but more than crime reporting due to MARTA including unrelated railroad crimes and non-compliance with the system Reporting Uniform Crimes (reporting various crimes by the same person and not just the most serious crimes).
According to Federal Transit Administration records, Marta's crime statistics are in line with similar-sized systems, such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit in the San Francisco Bay area. However, high-level crime at or near MARTA has led to the impression that MARTA is unsafe and does not have a strong police presence, despite having its own police department. From 2005 to 2009, two murders and one rape were reported on the MARTA property. The most commonly reported crime is theft. The most common area for crime is the MARTA rail service, followed by MARTA parking lot. For fiscal year 2009, MARTA has a crime rate of 3.09 per 1,000,000 riders, with 483 crimes reported throughout the year.
The suburban districts oppose the expansion of MARTA on the basis that it will lead to increased crime, as well as the cost of expansion and the perceived lack of need for areas that are currently outside the transit of MARTA. It is said that because the MARTA service area includes some of the most economically and economically-depressed neighborhoods in Atlanta, the expansion of MARTA will allow crime to spread to the suburbs. MARTA CEO, Dr. Scott, has acknowledged the assumption and cited a study that found no transit system to eradicate crime. Other allegations often cite the case of Washington Metro, which provides services in economically depressed areas with limited problems in Washington DC stopping in the suburbs.
Service reliability
Like a typical transit train in the United States, the MARTA rail line has two parallel tracks. Any work failure or work resulted in the joint use of other tracks by train will be opposite, a situation known as single tracking. There are no current plans to expand the number of tracks. MARTA is currently nearing the end of complete replacement of tracks on all railways. Over the last few years, this replacement work has caused agents to implement single tracking over the weekend, which in turn has caused weekend customers to experience less frequent services.
In the summer of 2006, as a result of unusually high summer temperatures, many of Marta's rail cars became overheated, damaging on-board propulsion equipment. As a result, many trains are on strike and should not be repaired for repair. This is further exacerbated by the fact that at certain times up to 50 older rail cars do not function as part of the Marta railway rehabilitation project. To compensate for the reduced number of operational railways, MARTA shortened trains from six to four cars. This sometimes causes almost half the trains to be shortened, creating crowded conditions for passengers.
Misuse of funds by employees for personal expenses
In 2006 internal and external corporate expenditure audits MARTA disclosed personal expenses on a pair of MARTA credit cards used by former General Manager and CEO Nathaniel Ford and two of his secretaries. Ford costs include $ 454 in the golf pro shop, $ 335 in clothing from Men's Wearhouse and $ 58 visits to the dentist. In response to the 2006 audit, Ford sent MARTA a check for $ 1,000 in exchange for the fee. Additional credit cards at the expense of two secretaries, Iris Anthony and Stephannie Smart, were also revealed. Smart uses the card to pay about $ 6,000 in personal expenses, and then agrees to repay this amount to MARTA.
Incident
On October 15, 2011, Joetavius ​​19-year-old Stafford was killed by a MARTA police officer at the Vine City train station. MARTA claimed that Stafford was armed while his brother said he was unarmed. After a full investigation, there is evidence that Stafford was armed and the MPO was cleansed.
On November 20, 2017, the Weather Channel reporter camera used to film the Georgia Dome explosion was obscured by the MARTA bus during the duration of the explosion. The video then turns into a meme.
See also
- List of MARTA railway stations
- List of metro systems
- List of United States transit system by user
- National Narrowcasting Network
- Railway Network
- Royal Bus Lane
References
External links
- the MARTA website
- MARTA Breeze website
- Georgia's New Encyclopedia article
- Website of Georgia Regional Transport Authority
- Clayton County C-TRAN website
- The Cobb Transit Community website
- Gwinnett County Transitory Site
- nycsubway.org Atlanta page
- Assess Election Defeat - New Directions and Value for MARTA
- Clueless Commuter Guide for MARTA
- Citizens for Progressive Transport - Atlanta Chapter
- Railfanning.org: MARTA Profile
- The MARTA rail line is integrated with google maps
- Station Map 5 Point
- Atlanta Magazine - Where All This Is Wrong
- Martin Stupich Photographs, 1977-1978 MARTA development from the Atlanta History Center
- Metropolitan Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) collection from Georgia State University
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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