Comments on: MARTA: Will you pay more?

By: Marta Student

Marta Student — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:32:50 +0000

I’m a Georgia State student and a faithful MARTA rider. However, I do have to say that the entire MARTA system here is in DESPERATE needs for improvements. During peak times the trains may run better, but not everyone rides the train between 7 and 9. When I’m leaving from class at 2, I often have to wait up to 25 minutes for the train. I’ve had numerous experiences where I’ve called the Customer Service office and they’ve said, “Oh, the train just left,” or something like that, but I will have been standing at the platform for the past 15 minutes. And don’t even get me started on the weekends, especially if you’re going the North Springs route (where my former job is located). It literally took me almost 2.5 hours to get to work each day. Just reason # 247 why I need a car, lol! But I find it interesting that those who have regular 9-5 M-F jobs are the only ones who think MARTA is so awesome, and for them it is. I would just hope that they might consider or think about those who are not as fortunate as that. Lastly, for Atlanta to be the “Capitol” of the South, you would think they would have a more intricate, extensive, expansive, cleaner, safer, and just all around better train/bus system like San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. I’m just saying…

By: Reality

Reality — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:07:34 +0000

I guess the people complaining the most are the ones who ride MARTA on weekends. I use it as my only means of transportation. I must admit it seems like a totally different system on weekends and during off peaks hours. During weekday peak hours the trains and buses do run on time. I gave up my car a few years ago when gas climbed over two bucks a gallon. I have never been late for work. Travel time from Buckhead to Decatur is 40 min. I leave work at 4:30 in Decatur, travel to downtown, transfer northbound, transfer to a bus at Arts Center and occasionally the bus pulls up in front of my apartment at 5. Not bad for 13.00 bucks a week and unlimited rides.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:08:11 +0000

I think there are a lot of folks that need to wake up and support Marta. The fare increase was long over due. Numbers show that it should actually be more than $2 bucks just because of inflation. That is still cheap. I’m glad to see people like Marta Evangelist that still support transit. Puhleeze!, I don’t know why you down the system so much and don’t even have your facts right when you do. Thanks Atl Girl for clarifying that the gentleman was not killed at a Marta station. Unfortunately he was killed walking home but he could have been walking from anywhere, a bar, a lounge, someones house. But because it was a Marta station it was a way to keep fear out there about the system. There are definitely improvements that need to be made and I feel that even the most stearn advocates for transit in ATL will tell you that. But what can you expect for a system that serves 5.6 million people but only about 2 million actually pay into the system and there is no support from the state? The same state that won’t even let Marta control it’s own money. Could Marta train cover more area… they sure could but how when counties like Cobb and Gwinett are so scared that trains are going to bring crime. Like the people here doing crimes don’t have cars or something and can just drive and post up somewhere and wait for their victims. No they’d rather take a train so that the police can be waiting at the next station for them. If you haven’t noticed most Marta station promote dense transit oriented development which is not low income and also business considering moving to the area want to have transit as an option for their employees, especially rail transit. Even in the city itself there are still folks who complain about not having transit but don’t want the train to come through their neighborhoods, scared it is going to bring the criminal element. You can’t expect all of Marta to run every 5 minutes and have 24 hour service if you don’t pay into the system. I would love to see the rail service doubled in size and more buses out there running every 10 minutes and a 24 hour system but 1)no one wants to pay for it and 2) the folks are so scared that they don’t want Marta in their area. They’d rather have their own system that will never run on the same level as Marta and that connects with the rail system. I guess that one extra transfer will deter them from coming out there and robbing. Marta isn’t perfect and even though it is sorely underfunded Marta has made mistakes too but that is just part of the business. Overall Marta is pretty efficient with the resources it has. Just remember no Marta, there is no Atlanta, and no Atlanta, Georgia would just be grass and country folk lost behind the times.

By: Melody

Melody — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:09:00 +0000

I completely agree with Nichole. I get a discounted card through my employer, and it’s much cheaper than driving twelve miles to work and then paying for parking. I also live in the real world, and I don’t expect MARTA to be like the Ritz either.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:52:30 +0000

If most MARTA riders can afford $200 IPods and $300 sneakers, they can afford an extra 25 cents for a ride to work. If not, they can sell their Hawks or Falcons tickets.

By: A.J. in Decatur

A.J. in Decatur — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:19:01 +0000

Gordon Bynum may not have been killed at a MARTA station, but he was leaving one — and that still doesn’t diminish the other, verifiable crime stats of incidents that HAVE taken place at MARTA stations.

By: Homeless poor people suck!

Homeless poor people suck! — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:07:16 +0000

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

THE POOR PEOPLE CAN’T AFFORD IT! WELL I SAY, BOO FREAKING HOO!!!!! IN THE WORDS OF FDR, “YOU ARE POOR BECAUSE YOU CHOOSE TO BE!”

By: BMac

BMac — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:57:03 +0000

MARTA…the subway to nowhere…..

By: EmMeThree

EmMeThree — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:53:49 +0000

To Puhleeze!, The greater majority of MARTA police officers on the trains are plain-clothes officers. If you’d like to see one simply enter a station without paying.

To Roxy, nice comment. I hope you quoted John Rocker’s Sports Illustrated acticle as the source of your remarks. Otherwise it’s plagarism!

By: Najeh Davenpoop

Najeh Davenpoop — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:20:17 +0000

I ride MARTA whenever the alternative means paying for parking, and I don’t mind having to pay a quarter extra. But until they find a way to change their funding scheme so they can undertake new expansion projects to serve currently underserved areas, their money problems are going to continue. Of course they need to find a way to expand to Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton, but there are a lot of people even within Fulton and DeKalb who are not within walking or short driving distance of a MARTA station, and taking MARTA means a longer travel time for most of them.