.featured-events__slide-heading { Atlanta city council OKs audit into billion-dollar MARTA program Apr 21, 2023 Updated Apr 21, 2023 (The Center Square) As the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority advances its More MARTA Atlanta Program, the agency's position is bolstered by what. Of that sum, $174 million will go to the northeastern section linking Ponce City Market to MARTAs Lindbergh Station and $196 million to a southwestern stretch between I-20 and Oakland City Station. , Some stops have a shelter, a schedule, lighting, youre on an expansive sidewalk. MARTA Federal funding for transit projects like the BeltLine, Clifton Corridor, and Campbellton Road have the opportunity to successfully compete for federal funds from the Federal Transit Administration, creating the potential to bring some of our federal tax dollars back to Atlanta. MARTA celebrates Autism Awareness Month with new program MARTA has the funding, bandwidth, expertise, and a clear path forward. The digital home of Reporter Newspapers and Atlanta Intown. program. MARTA, DEKALB COUNTY ADVANCE KENSINGTON TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT WITH REZONING APPROVAL ATLANTA - The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and DeKalb County will advance a transit-oriented development (TOD) Master Plan for Kensington rail station on the East/West Line after the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved rezoning . If all that sounds like a lot of money, thats because it is. I havent been around long and I dont have all that history I would just say that projects take time, said Rocha. The More MARTA Atlanta program is funded by a 2016 half-penny local sales tax. "In Atlanta in the 21st century, transit is the lifeblood of opportunity," said Board . Here are seven notable nuggets about More MARTA Atlanta: As the name suggests, all the projects are within the city of Atlanta, made possible by a half-penny sales tax approved by voters in 2016. Stay tuned to this page and email us at The bikers and skaters and joggers and baby strollers that pack the Atlanta BeltLine may soon have to learn to share their beloved space with transit vehicles.The biggest single chunk of the More MARTA funding $570 million is going to equip the BeltLine with the light rail that was central of its original vision for creating a new transit corridor around the citys core. MARTA keeps over 185,000 cars off the road everyday. On Tuesday, Atlanta leaders called for an audit into the More MARTA program. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to keep up with all things Housing and Democracy related in metro Atlanta. The More MARTA Atlanta program will help reach some of our most vulnerable residents, providing them access to opportunity and jobs, while enhancing our public transportation system in a way that will have a positive impact on both economic development and quality of life, said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. In the fall of 2022 at the request of the Atlanta City Council, MARTA and City leadership began discussing a possible reorganization of the program based on available funding. Tier II projects will be initiated at a later date as additional funding from the tax is available. Terms of Service apply. We are adding approximately 200 new shelters and amenities at our bus stops each year. The council says the audit is simply good governance and that it wasnt spurred on by one specific action. Whether the nine projects we see in this first phase are the right ones is fair for debate., GET INVOLVED: MARTAs board of directors will meet Thursday, April 27 at MARTA headquarters at 2424 Piedmont Rd. The council says the audit is simply good governance and that it wasn't . The More MARTA program is funded by a half-penny sales tax approved by Atlanta voters in 2016 specifically to build new rail, streetcar extensions, new bus lines and new stations. Sometimes its the political will of a project to move forward.. In response, MARTA said the audit request was disappointing and disingenuous and accused the council of playing politics. MARTA also said the audit would only slow down projects. The audit would also review federal funds received and spent by More MARTA to date, including federal COVID-19 relief funds. PDF More MARTA Atlanta FACT SHEET - static1.squarespace.com The final list of projects approved in 2018 includes 36 miles of enhanced bus routes, and 29 miles of light rail. By John Ruch Stepping back from a fiery rebuke of the Atlanta City Council's call for a "More MARTA". Despite the massive declines in fare revenue wrought by the pandemic, MARTA CEO Jeffrey Parker told Atlanta Magazine in February that federal transit relief funding has put the agency in good financial shape until at least 2024, and that the More MARTA program can proceed as planned. So it definitely is a huge inequality with the transit experience, no matter what part of the metro youre in., Kotak agrees that bus stop and sidewalk improvements need to be immediate priorities in the region. Join our next career fair or apply online today. None of these buses have their own lane. Through its recent Bus Stop Census, MARTA Army inventoried at least a third of the stops within the MARTA service area. Are these public dollars being spent as the public intended them to be spent, questioned Atlanta City Councilmember Amir Farokhi. hosted three public updates April 18-20 to share information with the public font-size: 95px; Both of these investment areas touch tens of thousands of people every day. h3 { Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Last chance to weigh in on Atlantas zoning code update, Controversial plan to house homeless in Reynoldstown could get downsized. More MARTA is a transit improvement partnership between MARTA and the City of Atlanta that is designing and building transit projects to address the current and future transportation needs of Atlantans by increasing accessibility, mobility, and connectivity. This effort will be key in creating a more comfortable rider experience, says Height. MARTA intends the redesign to be budget neutral, meaning it doesnt plan to add additional bus service as part of the initiative. MARTA and the City of Atlanta will host three public updates to share information and take questions and comments about the More MARTA Atlanta Program. Four years after the More MARTA referendum, what improvements are now tangible for Atlanta transit riders, and what can riders expect to see in the next four? It will include 14 stops with buses. . It includes light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), and arterial rapid transit (ART) systems, as well as new transit centers, local bus service, and various station upgrades. In the fall of 2022 at the request of the Atlanta City Council, MARTA and City leadership began discussing a possible reorganization of the program based on available funding. More MARTA is a transit improvement partnership between MARTA and the City of Atlanta that is designing and building transit projects to address the current and future transportation needs of Atlantans by increasing accessibility, mobility, and connectivity. More MARTA Atlanta -Background Program approved by voters in 2016 by an overwhelming majority of 71%. I think that we have all been incredibly frustrated over the last several months with the lack of understanding of finances, timeframes, decision making and it continues to go on in the planning and execution of the More MARTA project, said Shipman, who as council president typically does not speak about proposed legislation before a vote. Faroki also questions MARTAs wisdom in project selection. We need sidewalks so that people can safely get onto a bus and then get off a bus and go to destinations as opposed to walking through the mud. Every step of the program has been taken in concert with the City of Atlanta, the agency said. Height says theres wide variation in bus stop quality. Atlanta transit riders aren't thrilled with scaled-down More MARTA projects. below for recordings of the April 19 and 20 meetings, as well as links to the Were in this together. To advocate and provide safe, multi-modal transit services that advance prosperity, connectivity and equity for a more livable region. The Atlanta City Council on Monday approved a financial audit of a MARTA program that was funded by a 2016 half-penny sales tax. More MARTA's Bus Improvements Boost Mobility in Midtown - MidtownATL.com A list of 73 projects was narrowed to 17 priority In 2018, the MARTA board of directors approved 17 capital projects to be paid for with More MARTA funds. MARTAs upcoming bus network redesign is a promising way to generate significant service improvements in the near future, but so far the agency doesnt plan to increase the budget for bus operations as part of the initiative. The sales tax is expected to generate $2.7 billion over 40 years; more money for the More MARTA program is coming from public and private dollars. , Better local bus service will do far more for the Atlanta community than BeltLine Rail could., has committed to establishing a network of bus-only lanes and installing upgrades like transit signal priority on city streets by 2022. 'More MARTA' audit confirmed as City Council presses for women/minority Phone: 404.463.3100. MARTA is accusing the city council of playing politics. 13 MARTA HOSTS PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR BANKHEAD STATION MASTER PLAN CONGRESSWOMAN NIKEMA WILLIAMS TO HONOR MARTA BUS OPERATOR COY DUMAS, JR. FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE MARTA IS HIRING! Current plans call for two tiers of projects. Seven years later, some local elected officials and members of the public seem less than enthused with the transit agencys pared down, bus-heavy agenda, which one observer nicknamed Just a Bit More MARTA, at a public update meeting April 20. PDF Board of Directors Work Session May 3, 2018 7 Things to Know about the More MARTA Plan - ARC Kotak thinks that transit advocacy in Atlanta hasnt always been well coordinated, and getting different factions on the same page will be key to advancing major improvements in the coming years. 27, MARTACONNECT AVAILABLE TO BUS ROUTE 183 CUSTOMERS IMPACTED BY SERVICE SUSPENSION, MARTA MARKS EARTH DAY WITH ONGOING COMMITMENT TO SYSTEMWIDE SUSTAINABILITY, TRIP GIVEAWAY, MARTA POLICE IS HIRING! More by Dyana Bagby, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). MARTA has disputed that assertion. Uptown Test Kitchen and Chow a la Carte open May 26 for lunch and dinner, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In 2019, the MARTA Board of Directors approved More MARTA Atlanta, a slate of 17 projects at a projected cost of $2.7 billion that would add new light rail lines, bus rapid transit and arterial rapid transit and make station improvements. The Emory area became eligible for More MARTA Atlanta funding when it was annexed by the city of Atlanta at the beginning of this year. More MARTA Atlanta Program Paves the Way for Increased Connectivity and Economic Development The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Board of Directors has unanimously. This is something where it definitely needs a lot of public engagement, a lot of public feedback, and were hoping MARTA and Jarrett Walker will pay attention to what the current riders actually want and need. He says that Georgia Sierra Club is currently brainstorming about the role it can play in the outreach process. We have a lot of voices at the table for some of these projects [and] we want to make sure that theyre progressing along [and] incorporating their input. But critics argue expansion efforts have fallen short. at 9:30 am. Theres a lot of repair that needs to happen with a 40-year-old system, she said. The More MARTA Atlanta program is aligned with the Atlanta Transportation Plan and the City's efforts to build upon a layered, integrated, regional transportation network. This partnership between MARTA and the City of Atlanta kicks off the largest investment in public transit since MARTAs inception 40 years ago, including almost $1.3 billion for direct connectivity to and around the Atlanta BeltLine. prioritize some of the capital projects approved by voters seven years ago. Our new station zone management program is enhancing your experience at our stations. The audit would be conducted on the More MARTA program- the roughly $2.7 billion that's to be raised from a half-penny sales tax increase Atlanta voters approved in 2016 for system expansions . 2023 Hyperlocal News and Information for Metro Atlanta. UPDATE: Atlanta City Council wants audit of More MARTA expansion program MARTA brings the Autism Transit Project to Atlanta - WABE Recognizing changes in those key areas are possible, the following proposed schedule is currently in effect: https://www.linkedin.com/company/masstransit. MARTA board approves Atlanta Streetcar extension On Monday, Atlanta City Council passed a resolution urging MARTA to comply with a complete financial audit of More MARTA Atlanta program, the $2.7 billion expansion partially funded by a half . townhall@itsmarta.com. Additional questions and comments may be sent to townhall@itsmarta.com. You can watch here: https://bit.ly/MARTAPublicStream, To contact MARTA directly with feedback, email: townhall@ItsMARTA.com, Your email address will not be published. Hes also an award-winning poet and novelist. Capital Delivery Projects - Atlanta 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. See their stories here. MARTA has come under criticism from city leaders and riders after its decision to pursue lower-cost transit projects like bus rapid transit (BRT) on the Campbellton Road and Clifton Corridor projects rather than rail. Sometimes its funding issues. It includes light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), and arterial rapid transit (ART) systems, as well as new transit centers, local bus service, and various . This will be followed by the Cleveland Ave and Peachtree ART in 2024, and 2025, respectively. The citys first official Bus Rapid Transit project the Capitol Hill/Summerhill BRT is slated to open in 2025. Farokhi said hes hopeful the two sides will be able to work towards a more collaborative relationship. MARTA posted on social media that it is holding a public Board of Directors meeting with the Audit Committee on Thursday. Atlanta to ask MARTA to account for spending of More MARTA sales tax JOB FAIR APRIL 22, MARTA TO CONDUCT FULL SCALE POLICE TRAINING EXERCISE ON MAY 7TH, MARTA MARKS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH WITH RAIL STATION ANNOUNCEMENTS FEATURING PEOPLE WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, MARTA statement on passing of Carolyn Long Banks, MARTA, CITY OF ATLANTA HOST PUBLIC UPDATES ON MORE MARTA ATLANTA PROGRAM, MARTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS APRIL MEETING DETAILS, MARTA IS HIRING! Major rail expansions are a decade or more away. } Atlanta has one of the lowest per capita transit ridership rates among big cities in the country, and ridership had been on a steady decline prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe that an audit is one that is not burdensome, but instead will both allow us to have greater understanding and will repair the trust and the transparency that is needed between MARTA and the city, and between MARTA, the city and our residents, who are the ultimate taxpayers and the ones whose money were asking to be used, Shipman said. MARTAsecured a $2.6M grant for the purchase of 6 New Flyer Xcelsior battery-electric buses that will reduce fleet emissions. The council unanimously requested an audit of the More MARTA Atlanta transit expansion program. A Chefs Test Kitchen Is Opening at Uptown Atlanta Near Lindbergh Marta below for recordings of the April 19 and 20 meetings, as well as links to the These sessions will provide a history of the More MARTA program and detail the recent updated sequencing done in partnership with the city. Stay tuned to this page and email us at The program is expected to give MARTA $2.7 billion over a 40-year period. This story has been updated with a comment from MARTA. More MARTA Atlanta allocates $350 million to run light rail from Lindbergh Center Station to the Clifton Corridor area, though the public funding is contingent on local sources raising another $100 million privately. We do a lot to engage the public. Interestingly, maps from the early 1960s detailing proposed MARTA rail lines show a connection between Lindbergh and Emory, but that rail spur was never built. But he emphasizes that the agency also needs to focus on improving local bus service. MARTAs statement also said such an audit will delay all of its More MARTA projects. It wants detailed information on why MARTA has spent about half the proceeds of a voter-approved . MARTA has also spent $20 million on new buses, and has made major investments in upgrading transit center facilities in Clayton and Dekalb Counties, which border the city of Atlanta. @media screen and (min-width:480px) { Here are the various ways to get in touch. Copyright 2023 WANF. The list was narrowed from 70 proposed projects to 17 that were adopted by the MARTA Board in 2018. } Atlanta pushes for financial review of MARTA expansion MARTA Board approves the sequencing of More MARTA transit expansion program . If were going to continue to make these strides with the $2.7 billion that were putting into More MARTA, then we have to make the bus a priority, because the bus is most likely going to be one of the connections that riders are going to make within metro Atlanta. Kotak agrees with this assessment. But the citys transit system, consisting of two rail spines, a mixed-traffic streetcar, and a bus network without many all-day frequent routes, is comparatively small. But Kotak and Height believe that MARTA should take a transformational approach to the redesign, and sever ties with the old network. MARTA officials said the agency is advancing a program estimated to cost $2.7 billion over 40 years. }. An interview series with the advocates, experts, and public officials working to improve American transit. presentation, printed handout, project boards, and more information about the Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet said, placing this audit in the Citys hands guarantees that we can find an independent third party to review the numbers. Their support elevates ARC leadership programs, research and events throughout the year. The citys Finance Department would conduct the audit. Tier II projects will be initiated at a later date as additional funding from the tax is available. A few years ago, MARTA and Atlanta officials adopted a list of projects to roll out under the More MARTA Atlanta program, partially funded by a half-penny sales tax approved by voters. The update sessions come on the heels of the Atlanta City Council calling for an audit of the More MARTA program, which is funded by a half-penny sales tax approved by Atlanta voters in 2016. GA: MARTA says it's open to Atlanta expansion program audit In a first, the Georgia Legislature in 2021 appropriated $6 million toward the $50 million renovation of MARTAs Bankhead rail station, located next to a proposed new Microsoft campus. Since the fall of 2019, MARTA has conducted an in-depth analysis of the corridor and outreach to the . MARTA, City of Atlanta to host public updates on More MARTA expansion An expansion of the streetcar line has always been seen as necessary to vault it from its current function as tourist shuttle to a vital commuter option. What is the More MARTA Atlanta Program? The program is expected to give MARTA $2.7 billion over a 40-year period. The Atlanta City Council is poised to ask MARTA to account for money it has spent, and plans to spend, from the 0.5 percent More MARTA Atlanta sales tax city voters approved in 2016. Granted, no one is actively lobbying against the Clifton Corridor projectit would connect MARTA users with jobs to the eastbut when Atlanta voters okayed the More MARTA sales tax in a 2016 . Atlanta transit riders aren't thrilled with scaled-down More MARTA What the process showed us is that theres a hunger for more public transit across Atlanta and we intend to look for further opportunities to expand and improve the system, he said. | Learn more More by Collin Kelley, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). After the More MARTA vote, MARTA spent two years conducting public engagement, technical analysis, and systemwide planning to determine how to spend the new revenue. Farokhi and the Atlanta City Council, along with Mayor Andre Dickens, approved a resolution in March demanding increased financial transparency for More MARTA, including an audit. Historically, MARTA has also been the only transit system for a major U.S. city to receive no state funding. (Photo by Kelly Jordan.) MARTA Heroes are working every day to keep Atlanta moving safely. In 2019, the MARTA Board adopted a sequencing plan that was codified into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between MARTA and COA in 2020. The final list of projects approved in 2018 includes 36 miles of enhanced bus routes, and 29 miles of light rail. We have answered these questions, and instead of accepting the answers, Council is playing politics by demanding a full performance review of decisions made by previous MARTA and City of Atlanta leaders. A multi-faceted reference that lets you explore transit service, ridership trends, and demographic data in American regions. Despite the massive declines in fare revenue wrought by the pandemic, MARTA CEO Jeffrey Parker told Atlanta Magazine in February that federal transit relief funding has put the agency in good financial shape until at least 2024, and that the More MARTA program can proceed as planned. More MARTA Atlanta is the city of Atlanta's largest transit investment in four decades. } townhall@itsmarta.com. BUS OPERATIONS JOB FAIR APR. It. The City of Atlanta and MARTA propose separating the projects into two tiers. The council and Mayor. An interactive tool that measures the state of transit equity in major U.S. cities. Many of the agencys longer term-projects, like the Clifton Corridor light rail extension to Emory University, are awaiting additional sources of funding before proceeding to the planning phase. Some of the funding is coming from a half-cent sales tax that Atlanta voters approved in 2016. Atlanta, GA 30303 Why MARTA? - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Shipman said he didnt believe any projects would need to be delayed as the City is financing and overseeing the audit. JOB FAIR MARCH 11, MARTA STORYBUS DRIVES HOME IMPORTANCE AND JOY OF READING, STREETCAR RETURNS TO SERVICE, SHUTTLE VANS CONTINUE ON ROUTE, MARTA IS HIRING! Better local bus service will do far more for the Atlanta community than BeltLine Rail could., The City of Atlantas One Transportation Plan has committed to establishing a network of bus-only lanes and installing upgrades like transit signal priority on city streets by 2022. Height says these improvements cant come soon enough. As the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority advances its More MARTA Atlanta Program, the agency's position is bolstered by what an executive called "unprecedented" state funding. The council unanimously requested an audit of the More MARTA Atlanta transit expansion program. MARTA is your direct route for all flights in and out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. } by Ryan Zickgraf April 26, 2023. Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says a bullet hit family home, 24-year-old dies in crash on I-75 in Atlanta, House fire in Johns Creek displaces family, Can police intentionally shoot hostages? } The best thing the politicians on council can do for their constituents in the city of Atlanta is to get out of the way and let MARTA deliver the projects, the statement said. MARTA and the city of Atlanta will host public updates to share information and take questions and comments about the More MARTA Atlanta Program. MARTA and the City of Atlanta jointly color: #000; margin-bottom: 5px; put the agency in good financial shape until at least 2024, and that the More MARTA program can proceed as planned. In 2019, the MARTA Board adopted a sequencing plan that was codified into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between MARTA and COA in 2020. But he emphasizes that the agency also needs to focus on improving local bus service. That action, MARTA says, will start soon and be delivered by 2028. Capitol Avenue (Summerhill) BRT: a bus rapid transit line linking commercial, government and education centers and the Atlanta BeltLines Southside Trail.
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