What do you think of MARTA’s fare increase?
Financially-strapped MARTA is raising fares 25 cents to $2.00 starting Thursday. The monthly pass will increase to $60, from $52.50.
Also, parking fees will rise $1 in lots that charge fees. And MARTA is replacing its age requirement for kids to ride free with a maximum height. Starting Thursday, children under 46 inches tall can ride free.
AJC reporter Ariel Hart writes about more of the details.
Will these changes make a difference in your travel plans?
If you ride MARTA, what has been your experience? Has service improved or gotten worse over the past year?
Finally, only Atlanta and Fulton and DeKalb counties help finance MARTA through a 1-cent sales tax. Should other counties contribute?
What about the state? MARTA is the only major transit system in the country that does not receive consistent state funding for its operations. Should legislators change that?
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
82 comments Add your comment
Road Scholar
September 30th, 2009
5:27 pm
When did they pass this one? I do not remember any public debate on this; was there any?
MARTA as well as all urban transit should be funded by the Counties which make up that urban area. It should operate as a system, so all should pay for this whether it is a main source of transportation or an alternate. Transit takes cars off the road, reducing congestion.
The politicians should adjust the gas tax to inflation since it was last adjusted/set, and maybe add some tax (yes tax…are the repubs shaking yet?) to account for fuel efficiency. Then users of gasoline would be paying their fair share , and money would be supplied for transportation improvements, including transit, rail, sidewalks, and roads. We are not going to get out of this transportation mess by idlely sitting on our hands and crying “no tax increase”. The tax adjustment would be an end to NOT paying your fair share.
Private/Public /Partnerships will result in TOLLS (now is that a tax?) not only on our interstates (are you ready for the mass exodus to the arterials?) but possibly our arterials. People are positioning a program where you would pay by mileage and time of day/degree of congestion.
I know times are hard, but when will transportation be adequately funded?
Georgia hates Atlanta
September 30th, 2009
5:37 pm
Despite the economic contributions of MARTA to the state, the fudpuckers from non-metro Atlanta will never willing contribute to MARTA. In the words of Spike Lee: it’s a black thing.
Coolyfett
September 30th, 2009
7:38 pm
Backwards!! The only word I can use for this issue. Clayton, Douglass, Cobb & Gwinett should all be helping to pay for Marta upkeep and expansion. I mean the trains and buses are always packed, yet Marta does not have the money? Why do people think so small instead of thinking BIG? The Metro area of Atlanta needs this. Cars are not everyone.
Lucas
September 30th, 2009
7:41 pm
Road – Marta held extensive user polls about the fare increases over the last few months. They debated eliminating a lot of service, but a lot of low-mobility community members would’ve been extremely affected. Me, I think a quarter is pretty fair.
I’d enjoy a higher gas tax, myself. However, the gas tax in Ga is for roads only – it’s in the state constitution that way. Tough to change. HOT lanes are nice because the state can (theoretically of course, thanks legislature) put the money into anything it wants. Of course, lately federal money for roads has started coming with a lot of transit alternative caveats. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s blog is pretty sweet – you should check it out.
janet
September 30th, 2009
8:57 pm
I think the fare increase is fare and still makes MARTA the best travel deal in town.
I do think that all the Metro Counties should contribute to the operating revenue of MARTA.
I remember when we voted for MARTA many years ago. They promised that the fare would never rise above 25 cents. Of course, there was no rail then and gas was 49cents a gallon.
I use public transportation all over the US and MARTA trains are clean and efficient. Just look at the cars sitting on the expressway as you zoom over them.
Perhaps instead of increasing the parking rate MARTA should have some sort of incentive for those of use who live in Fulton and DeKalb and pay the bills. Charge non residents of these counties more to park and more to ride by use of an ID of some kind. Just a thought.
I doubt if the other counties will ever cooperate like the counties of the Bay Area of San Francisco. It is a seamless system and it even crosses under the bay by rail. It is however more expensive since everything on the West Coast is more expensive.
I also think that Georgia’s requirement that all gas taxes must go to fix roads must be changed. This law has to be the result of some lobbyist or favor to a road construction or road materials company from a long time ago when politics was all about secret deals behind closed doors. Any body know when that law was enacted?
RJ
September 30th, 2009
9:11 pm
Godless
Noah
September 30th, 2009
9:22 pm
Seems like a fair price increase, just wish they would change the pricing so it was based on distance traveled like D.C. I’d be more likely to take Marta for short (one or two stop) trips then.
Fly like a Eagle
September 30th, 2009
9:42 pm
I say the people who use the service should pay for the service, what ever the cost may be. If they don’t pay it, scrap it.
Counties that dont pay the ( 1-cent sales tax. Should pay raising fares.
September 30th, 2009
9:48 pm
Counties that dont pay the ( 1-cent sales tax. Should pay raising fares 25 cents to $2.00 , The monthly pass and increase to $60, from $52.50.The monthly pass Should state the Counties You are from Clayton, Douglass, Cobb & Gwinett, however Atlanta and Fulton and DeKalb counties Should NOT THEY PAY 1-cent sales tax.
ND
September 30th, 2009
10:47 pm
Many other cities charge more to go shorter distances. $2 per ride is pretty fair. What MARTA needs to focus on is improving their coverage of the area in which they currently operate first (Fulton and Dekalb) before looking to expand into places like Gwinnett and Cobb which have proven to be less than receptive. If suburbanites in those counties want to sit in traffic for an hour every day back and forth, that’s their loss. But there are plenty of people who live in or near places like Tucker, Lithonia, Emory University, Atlantic Station, Turner Field, etc. who would probably love to have MARTA stations within walking distance but don’t have that option.
d
September 30th, 2009
11:16 pm
I’d love to see the rail extended out to Stonecrest at least. MARTA is a wonderful alternative to the stress of sitting in traffic, but since the closest station to me is only 2 miles closer than it is for me to get to work, I might as well just drive. By the way, the $1.75 rate which was set in 2001 adjusted for inflation is now worth $2.13, so it’s actually going to be cheaper to ride MARTA than it was in 2001.
Mc W
September 30th, 2009
11:30 pm
I am easily just as annoyed as anyone else about this fare increase; in any case, however, a higher price for (mostly) maintained service is preferable to a steadily maintained price for less service than before. It is still more than $80 for a monthly pass on New York’s subway/bus network, and while that is doubtlessly more expansive, we Atlantans still have the better end of things financially.
I pray and hope that the state Legislature reconsiders its insane opposition to our regionally unique (in that it is the only subway in the South, unless DC is included) transit system.
KJ
September 30th, 2009
11:49 pm
Here’s a wild idea: how about we drop-kick the incompetent MARTA employees into the street where they belong, hire new ones out of the vast pool of currently unemployed workers, and then we can talk about earmarking tax dollars for MARTA subsidies. In its current state, MARTA deserves to rot.
Marta is a joke
October 1st, 2009
12:16 am
added fares to my breeze card on aug 29, next weekend tried to use my breeze card, got message “card not valid, card expried” I was told the card the card expires after 4 years. I only had the card just over 1 year, marta been using the breeze cards about 1 1/2 years..go figure.the clowns at the lindburg station said marta was closed on the weekend. no one told me that the 5 points station or airport station was open 7 days a week. now i understand why no one uses marta.
brokenknuckle
October 1st, 2009
12:20 am
marta wastes plenty of money. they don’t need raise the faires when they wastes money on trips to disney world, parties ecta..
ornery
October 1st, 2009
7:08 am
The 1.75 rate increase was not worth it in 2001, the increase to 2.00 is not worth it today. Marta is a dysfunctional, out of date, unkempt and out of touch transit authority that has no business being in business. The fact is only way that it should be run is by state control, and by that it must take the unions out of the picture. Service has slid, maintenance is a joke and don’t plan on being on time with Marta. I’ve been very patient with them, but in 2005 made the business decision that Marta will not be part of my transit planning process. Maybe they should learn some tips from the Georgia XPress crowd. Also, is all you do is post questions? Do you do any actual reporting?
TnGelding
October 1st, 2009
7:23 am
Yes, the state should certainly step in to avoid the fare increase. Oops, too late. They should be lowering fares, back to the original 25 cents, and increasing security. Better yet, let everyone ride free. Federal money is probably available as well. Oops, $2 triilion deficit. But hey, we’re starting a new fiscal year today, so go for it!
I’ve ridden Marta whenever I could over its existence and have never had a bad experience, but that would probably be about 20 times.
Come om Sonny, do the right thing!
ImDone
October 1st, 2009
7:49 am
For the price of a one-way trip, I can buy a gallon of gas and DRIVE 30+ miles. No more need for MARTA now.
bananas
October 1st, 2009
7:56 am
They announce the fare hike – yet in August they cut service – some 5-10 minutes but still cut service – the trains don’t “connect” well – the connections from train to bus are horrible – you call and complain and no improvements.
Corey
October 1st, 2009
8:09 am
MARTA is A Joke, that is why MARTA has a website. They hope that you would take the time to educate yourself about the system. Check it out sometime.
East Point Resident
October 1st, 2009
8:12 am
The state needs to contribute to all transportation. I can’t recall ever driving down a state highway in Effingham County, but my taxes helped pay for that road. If the state doesn’t want to pay for transportation, let’s stop paying for State Highways.
urccjss
October 1st, 2009
8:23 am
A mere quarter increase after not having raised fares since 2001, what is there to complain about? How much more are we paying for gas since 2001? Fifteen bucks for a week’s worth of unlimited rides, that’s not bad. We Atlantans just like to complain about every and anything our local cheerleaders(the local media) throws st us.
Kim
October 1st, 2009
8:23 am
2.00 for a child???? This is out right CRAZY. I can understand charging full price for a child during peak hours when Marta is jam packed and the child holds a seat but any other time a child aged 5-12 should at most only have to pay half price. I only have one child and he is 8 so above the height requirement but Im truly sorry for those with 2 plus older kids that are now looking at paying 6.00+ per trip for their family to ride MARTA. Times are hard now but MARTA should have really thought more about how this increase will affect families. Also I hope that with the fair increase Marta would consider 24 hour train service. Even if they offer one train an hour that would help those that work the grave yard odd hours if not MARTA shouldat least start offering overnight parking at stations that are located at end line stations like H. E. Holmes.
Another point I would like to make is that I live in Gwinnett but I grew up in Atlanta. I ride Marta quite often and I feel that Marta should require Gwinnett and other counties that feed into Marta to pay. In Gwinnett our fare has been 2.00 for several months and our buses don’t even run on Sundays or holidays
Works for me!
October 1st, 2009
8:35 am
On the flip side I live in S. Gwinnett near Doraville with low taxes and crime in a new home. The other great thing is that I am only three miles from the Doraville station even though im in Gwinnett Co, so I work downtown and is only 20-25 min ride. So I have the best of both worlds. I would like to see another station built along Buford Hwy in Gwinnett along the Amtrak lines maybe between Doraville and Norcross would be nice.
Michael Stacio
October 1st, 2009
8:40 am
I would not ride on MARTA even if it was free, let the fares go up to $20.00 each way. MARTA is a big welfare program in Atlanta.
Mike
October 1st, 2009
8:51 am
ImDone:
gas is not the only cost for operating a car. AAA estimates that when you factor in gas, tires, maintenance, insurance, taxes, and the cost of your vehicle (even though your mommy bought your car for you, SOMEBODY paid for it) it costs between 50 and 70 cents per mile to operate your car. So, that 30 mile trip you were talking about actually costs you around $15-20.
JC
October 1st, 2009
9:03 am
Marta is the worst transit system in the country. They can’t justify fare hikes with reduced service. There are so many other things that they could do to mirror what is done in other cities, like shorter trains, coming more often.
Make it worth my time if you’re going to charge me for it. For now, I’ll stick to my car because it ends up being cheaper.
John
October 1st, 2009
9:07 am
Let’s do the math, people.
If a MARTA train of 10 cars and 50 people per car leaves Gwinnett every 10 minutes, how many people does it move per hour? 3,000.
How many cars leave Gwinnett heading south on 85 every morning? Over 200,000. Even if MARTA had a Gwinnett station and ran fully-loaded trains, it would reduce traffic by only 1.5%. Drivers would probably not even notice.
MARTA is insignificant in terms of traffic. There is nothing “mass” about MARTA transit. Rather, MARTA is taxpayer-subsidized transportation. The people in Atlanta literally vote themselves into a free ride paid for by others. Why? Why should Gwinnett, Cobb, Cherokee or Forsyth voters subsidize the travel of MARTA riders? There is no real traffic benefit. No real environmental impact. It’s just a welfare project on wheels.
Tammy
October 1st, 2009
9:07 am
Charge for parking. It’s not right that someone can ride in from North Georgia suburbs and ride all the way in for $2 while I ride from Midtown to Peachtree Center (no parking – free or otherwise – for city folks) for the same price. MARTA is a good deal for suburbans, but not for the people who live in the city and bear more of the costs for MARTA. Plus the outliers get all the seating and I have to stand. I don’t know why I bother. It takes longer than driving. It’s exhausting, I get wet, cold, hot – depending on the weather. And the price of parking is about the same as MARTA’s fare. MARTA is getting to the point where there’s no reason to ride it anymore.
Feed-Up
October 1st, 2009
9:12 am
If the Suburba-whites excuse me Suburbanites would actually urge there county leaders to shared the cost of Marta with Fulton and De Kalb versus just the added benefit they would see increased services and a decrease or stabilization in fares. This is not rocket science people. Other metropolitan areas do this across the country and with that said it’s makes them MORE viable for federal dollars earmarked for rapid transit when they see a community initiative versus a one or two member city campaign.
jm
October 1st, 2009
9:17 am
About time a fare hike occurred. They would be smart to cut more of their worst loss inducing services (buses no one uses) and expand the profitable ones – if there are any.
Tyree
October 1st, 2009
9:31 am
Marta stinks. Literally, the smell from the trains alone is enough to prevent you from riding on a continual basis. Additionally, I see very little police presence. Couple that with the unruly behavior of a minority but vocal group of riders, it keeps me off the train.
Shacklet
October 1st, 2009
9:39 am
The increase in the fare is expected based on MARTA’s budget issues. The users of the MARTA system should be the ones to pay. Those who do not use MARTA or should not have to bear the financial cost through sales tax. When gas prices jump up I don;t see the MARTA riders pitching in to assist me in those cost. I would love to commute using mass transit but as a IT technical support person who has to travel to multiple locations daily with trunk load of spare parts it is not practical.
blujul
October 1st, 2009
9:45 am
I use the Northsprings station and leave for 3 days at a time. Marta always charged higher parking fees at Northsprings: $3.00 more than Sandy Springs and they raised the parking fee again. I think they should have brought parking fees at all stations up to the $7.00/overnight charge and left the Northsprings parking fee unchanged. I guess they feel that North Fulton County can take it and I’m furious.
ImDone
October 1st, 2009
9:47 am
Ahem…my POINT was that if I am going to have to pay higher rates to ride that stinky train and those smelly buses, I’d MUCH rather drive my own car. The money I’ll be saving (I only travel a few miles a few times a week) will more than make up for “wear and tear” on my car. Yes, I have to add $1.99 in oil occasionally, or buy tires every couple of years, or pay the MINIMUM in insurance…but it is MORE than worth it.
John
October 1st, 2009
9:50 am
Feed-Up,
It’s “their” not “there.” Out here in suburbia our schools teach the difference, which is one of the reasons people flee the inner city. If you were forced to attend an inner-city government school, then I can see why you wouldn’t know the difference between “there” and “their.”
Another reason is – hold on to your hat – diversity. Yes, diversity. Gwinnett is THE MOST diverse county in Georgia. Not Fulton. Not DeKalb. Gwinnett. (http://projects.nytimes.com/immigration/enrollment/georgia/fulton) Fulton is 17th. Not even close. Nearly all-black DeKalb is 110th on the list. No diversity there, obviously. Perhaps we suburbanites prefer to live in places where everyone doesn’t look the same, unlike Fulton and DeKalb.
So it isn’t a bunch of racist whites in Gwinnett that oppose MARTA, as your comment implies. It is sensible people of all races and backgrounds who oppose thowing money down a hole and getting no tangible benefit in return. MARTA is a waste. It always has been. Kill it now, before it grows any larger.
Darin
October 1st, 2009
9:50 am
John — the numbers for your math are faulty. 258,250 is the average number of vehicles traveling during an entire day on both north and south lanes on I85 in Gwinnett. The data is available on the GDOT site: http://www.dot.ga.gov/statistics/TrafficData/Pages/stars.aspx
Sandy
October 1st, 2009
9:52 am
I use MARTA everyday, an increase is needed. For the most part MARTA is efficient and clean. I have met a lot of people and most days the entertainment value is huge. I get reimbursed for using alternative transportation to work and I get my daily exercise by walking. Many of you need to do research on MARTA, there are counties that did not want their services. Now those counties want access because of their growth and overbuilding. This is an old problem – Suburbanites don’t want contact with the inner city, but want the perks. TOUGH!!!!! There are times that service is not good, that happens with any transit system (NYC,DC), but my car sits and a tank of gas last a long time. Some days I get home before my neighbor who work near me and we leave at the same time. To all MARTA haters, keep sitting in traffic, contributing to the destruction of our roads and environment. DON’T RIDE IT – If you don’t want to pay the increase – BUT it is here to stay.
kennyg
October 1st, 2009
9:55 am
If anyone thinks paying $2 to ride from (let’s say the furthest north/south line) the park/ride station at North Springs to the airport is excessive…..try riding in a cab that sits out front. Hop in and enjoy the ride. Of course your risk of not getting robbed are far greater taking the cabbie!
VT Hokiefan
October 1st, 2009
10:16 am
Raising rates on MARTA makes no sense, whatsoever!!!!!! MARTA, listen up…If you run “X”-train let’s say 20 times a day, regardless of whether or not anyone’s on said train, then why would you not lower the price, thus making riding MARTA more attractive. See, the trains are going to run 20 times a day regardless if they have 10 passengers, or 500 passengers, or 50,000 passengers. If the fare becomes cost-prohibitive relative to other substitutes (ie: driving your car, paying to park, unicycle, car from Mad Max), then your net total ridership decreases exponentially. What I’m saying MARTA is that there has to be a benefit to taking your bass-ackwards “Rail line to nowhere”, or else you’ll continue to be nothing more than a rolling urinal for the homeless.
For instance: A single, one way fare card is now $2.00, thus you have to pay $4.00 for a round trip. $4.00 is cost prohibitive to the casual rider (like myself), and here’s how: As my handle “VT Hokiefan” states, I’m a Virginia Tech fan. I recently rode MARTA from my house to the VT v. Bama Chick-fil-a Kickoff Classic, and tailgated with some friends right next to the stadium. Yes, I have friends…I’m blessed, I occasionally get a phone call too. Who wants to touch me?! Anywho, parking for my friends was $10. They had 7 people in their SUV, which also had a grill, a tailgate tent, food procured cheaply from Publix, and booze that wasn’t purchased at a premium. Therefore, each person in the car paid $1.42 to park (7*1.43=$10), to be in their OWN car, to leave when THEY decided, and to have a nice spot to set up a tailgate tent and have a party that didn’t cost more than another $10 per person. Thus, we’ll say that everyone that drove/rode down paid a total of $11.43 total to eat, drink, drive, and be merry.
Now, imagine some family from Alpharetta who chose to take MARTA…they had to drive down and park at North Springs station (gas wasted just to get to “useless rail line to nowhere”), pay $20 for a family of five round-trip ($4 per person*5 family members), had nowhere to go once they got to the dome (unless they have friends. We’ll assume they have no friends since they are from Alpharetta), probably had to take those mid-american monsters that they call “children” Suzy, Connor, and Ryan to the CNN Center to buy them food because they couldn’t tailgate behind their own car with their own food and booze (3 monsters*$7 each=$21 [generously low-balling here]). And now dad is pissed because he wants a beer, but can’t buy a 12 pack and bring it with him because that’s illegal on MARTA. Therefore he drinks 6 beers at the CNN Center (which is a good value at $4 for a 24oz beer, but still doesn’t equal that of buying a 12 pack for $10 ($12 @ CNN+tips=$15>$10). So now dad’s wasted and broke, the monsters are hungry again because they’re insatiable, and the wife is nowhere to be found because she’s shacked up with a group of Bama frat boys all equipped with Jon Parker Wilson hair. Now dad–trying to be the good Alpharetta trooper he is–tries to rally the remnants of his family and go into the game. But while on the way, a MARTA cop sees him and says he’s too drunk to be in CNN Center, the MARTA corridor that leads to the dome, and is therefore too drunk to be in the GA Dome. Dad tries to fight the cop and goes to jail ($1,000 bond for drunk and disorderly), the now parentless monsters go to DFACS ($10,000 litigation to get monsters out of DFACS and back to Alpharetta compound), and the wife’s somewhere in Alabama, shackin’ up with a 20 year old kid with name like Bryson Grason Jackson III who’s dad “like totally owns this dealership.” So now the dad is in divorce court since his wife was an ironing board when he met her in college, but thanks to modern surgical methods, looks better than most former Miss America’s her age ($100K+), the mom is reliving her youth as in Tuscaloosa at the expense of her husband ($100K+ year in alimony), and the monsters are in therapy for going Goth and cutting themselves because they feel their parents marital problems can be squarely blamed on them [which they most certainly can be] ($100K+ and all true). All of this turmoil happened for one reason, and one reason alone…it happened because MARTA sucks, and shouldn’t raise rates.
Thank you,
Good night Australia! I mean Atlanta!
PJ
Brown Sugar
October 1st, 2009
10:19 am
Feed-Up? FEED?????
“Feed-Up:”
Perpetuate negative stereotypes about about certain minority groups much?
Welfare-Sucking Simpleton.
Tyree
October 1st, 2009
10:28 am
@ VTHokiefan. What?
John
October 1st, 2009
10:30 am
Kudos to Darin for finding hard data.
I couldn’t pull up Darin’s link (some browser problem), but let’s say he is correct. 250,000 north/south all day is going to be about 125,000 southbound all day. Of that southbound traffic, how much is during the morning rush? One half? One third?
Let’s be conservative and say 30,000 in the morning rush. (I think that’s probably low for a county of 700,000, but it makes the math easy.) If a MARTA train relieves 3,000 of those, that’s still only 10% (and we’re assuming full MARTA trains here). Would drivers even notice? How many millions of dollars will it take to build the train initially and then maintain it in order to reduce traffic by 10%? Even with these MARTA-favorable numbers, it doesn’t seem like a cost-effective way to go.
If it’s about reducing traffic (rather than subsidizing the travel of city dwellers), we can raise the gas tax (encouraging people to carpool or telecommute), extend the HOV lanes beyond 285, or improve alternate routes to take the load off the interstate, just to name a few.
But MARTA isn’t about reducing traffic. It’s about subsidized travel for city dwellers. If the city dwellers want a subsidized transit system, they can have it. But let’s not send the bill to neighboring counties that do not benefit from MARTA and do not want it.
John
October 1st, 2009
10:37 am
VT Hokiefan rocks. That was funny.
John
October 1st, 2009
11:03 am
Basically, Atlanta has the absolute worst public transit system.
alan
October 1st, 2009
11:31 am
Why not, They need the money to operate.
sheila
October 1st, 2009
11:48 am
GO MARTA you should have rasied it to $3.00 which is still low.
Turd Ferguson
October 1st, 2009
11:57 am
Enter your comments here
sheila
October 1st, 2009
11:58 am
Yes Atlanta does have the worst public transit system… look at the people who operate it and put money into their own pockets. Just like everything else in Atlanta .
Turd Ferguson
October 1st, 2009
12:03 pm
Marta, its ideas, vehicles, mgmt, workers, passengers, BOD, etc all belong in the same Shythole together. Marta is fraught with incompetence, fraud, stupidity, liars and employees who personally have no pride in themselves or their jobs. Marta is abundant with free-loaders, ex-cons, convicted felons, bigots and arrogance.
The Marta trains, busses, parking lots are littered with bums who have soiled themselves with a rising stinch that permeates everywhere.
The sooner Marta is allowed to go bankrupt then the better off everyone will be. A bigger debacle I have yet to see.
Most of the riders are “strait outa compton” and dont deserve to have any public funds offered or public transporation. They demolish the busses/trains, they dont wipe their dirty behinds, they dont wash etc.
Basically, the Marta mgmt, workers, passengers, BOD, are not good the themselves or anybody else and should all be put out of their misery.
TTPB
October 1st, 2009
12:04 pm
I think MARTA is “shooting itself in the foot” by raising fares, and not being held accountable for their mistakes so they will make them AGAIN and the public will have to bale them out AGAIN … like most companies who are haphazardly raising their prices or interest rates. Now would be a good time for some honest, smart, legitimate competition…
Eric
October 1st, 2009
12:08 pm
I buy the monthly card for $60 now. At unlimited rides it is still a good deal. The trains do hold to schedule, however I really wish they didn’t have to reduce train service. Especially at night they now go to off peak service earlier and offpeak is 15 minute intervals for end stations. Plus peak went from 10 minutes to 15.
One of the problems is the state being the only state in the U.S. with a major transit system to not provide funding.
But what really ticks me off is our backwards state legislators who due not serve the citizens. For solely political reasons they blocked passage of legislation that would have allowed MARTA to shift its funds from capital investments to operating costs. In downtimes when sales tax revenues and ridership falls it makes sense to do this. What’s worse is these legislators who blocked this legislation are not from DeKalb and Fulton so its not even their money!!! They are telling us how to spend our own money?
Geez, first the state raised my property taxes by eliminating the state homestead exemption payment, now they are cutting my MARTA service. Way to go Gov and legislators!!! Its not the Feds raising taxes its the State of GA!
Will Never Use Marta Again
October 1st, 2009
12:08 pm
If you like seeing homeless people urinate in front of you and your children, with a Marta police officer standing right next to you. Or if you love having men stand there and rub themselves while watching you. Or the transvestites that think you need to hear about their latest umm adventure. Then the price hike is well worth the entertainment.
And for some it’s cheaper then going to the strip club
WTH?
October 1st, 2009
12:17 pm
It’s the drivers! They sit at the end of their lines running their mouths on the phone or with each other and when you complain about them being late EVERY DAMN DAY! they always give the excuse of traffic!!! And they are some of the rudest drivers who for get we riders are the CUSTOMERS!!! They should be docked for excessive lateness on their routes and they should be formally repremanded (placed in their files not verbally spoken with???? WTH is that going to do) for repeated complaints against them. My complaint is not with just the fare hike it’s service I receive or lack there of from the inconsiderate drivers!!!!
TS
October 1st, 2009
12:21 pm
So now I have to pay $2.00 instead of $1.75 to be accosted on the MARTA. Still sounds like a good deal to me.
Turd Ferguson
October 1st, 2009
12:29 pm
All Marta Employees and riders will spend eternity in HELL and Im happy for them.
urccjss
October 1st, 2009
12:33 pm
Ted Furgeson, MARTA did not invent the lazy, poor, soiled, stupid, homeless and convicts. Without MARTA we still have a general public. Get over yourself already. Public culture is what it is. Some people are so short sighted that they blame MARTA for less than desirable elements being members of the general public. Please explain to me why MARTA is responsible for all the ills in Metro Atlanta. I’m really having a difficult time wrapping my head around that proposition.
urccjss
October 1st, 2009
12:38 pm
Ted, are you that hateful that you would wish that Woodward Academy students, GA Tech students, restaurant workers, hospital workers, conventioneers, Braves fans, Falcon fans, government employees and others go to hell because they take public transportation. I bet you are proud to be a republican. Did you think before you post, or did you think that your post would sound really cute?
JBOO
October 1st, 2009
12:39 pm
I rode MARTA years ago as a teen and was not effected because it was only like $1.25 then..No sorry ass Breeze cards just weekly MARTA cards and tokens.
I miss the old way MARTA did things..
Far as with the trains they SUCK!! REALLY!!
THE TRAINS BREAK DOWN ALL THE TIME…
I ONLY SEE MARTA POLICE AT FIVE POINTS
THE TEENAGERS HAVE TAKEN OVER…JUST THE OTHER DAY TWO LADIES WERE ABOUT TO BRAWL OVER A MAN AND MARTA POLICE WAS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND..THAT HELD THE TRAIN UP LONGER WAITING FOR THEM..ONLY FOR THEM TO CALL ATLANTA POLICE..
I DON’T LIKE THE RAISE IN FARE..I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE…
Turd Ferguson
October 1st, 2009
12:49 pm
urccjss
October 1st, 2009
12:33 pm
You are the perfect example of a Marta employee/rider/freeloader. How many more gubmint programs are you a member of, ya LOSER!! SHUT IT!
Turd Ferguson
October 1st, 2009
12:55 pm
Marta is a huge yet typical corrupt Atlanta CRAPFEST.
Eric
October 1st, 2009
1:02 pm
A lane of traffic generally can only handle around 1,500 cars a day. See link below. So if the train were carrying 3,000 people an hour that would eliminate the need for 2 lanes, eliminate the need for capacity on streets leading to 285 and eliminate the need for your employer to provide a parking space for you (and for MARTA to provide one if you live near the train).
But a Marta Rail car has a capacity well over 50, rush hour trains especially with the peak 12 minute intervals usually are standing room only. Though they are usually only 8 cars now. Great thing about trains is capacity can be increased by adding cars or reducing intervals, much easier than adding lanes.
VT yes if you car pool and don’t include wear an tear on your car it might be cheaper than MARTA. MARTA is cheaper for those of us who take it to work and don’t carpool. Its much cheaper actually.
For some of the others – you don’t take the train obviously, MARTA trains are full of people going to work and the MARTA trains run on schedule. Go spew your hate somewhere else.
As to Gwinnett the recent vote they took showed a vast majority of those in South Gwinnett or the areas closer to 285 vastly in favor of it, especially where the rail would go. Those in the more rural areas of Gwinnett were did not support it.
http://books.google.com/books?id=FDU7F-vUK58C&pg=PA144&lpg=PA144&dq=capacity+of+a+traffic+lane&source=bl&ots=sv-NKH6wps&sig=AAWIRHLZW6nDJ_vbktboi4NeVgw&hl=en&ei=Jd7ESo2iN43l8QaPncw1&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#v=onepage&q=capacity%20of%20a%20traffic%20lane&f=false
No more MARTA for me...
October 1st, 2009
1:09 pm
Hey “Works for me!”…the reason there is no station between Doraville & Norcross is because MARTA decided to “punish” Gwinnett when the vote was first held back in the late 1980s. Orginally, the Doraville station was going to be outside I-285, but because Gwinnett voters opposed letting the MARTA welfare system into the county, it was pulled back inside the Perimeter…..
East Point Resident
October 1st, 2009
1:41 pm
To all that don’t want MARTA to be state subsidized…State Highways and Roads are state subsidized. How many people are paying for SR 20 without using it? I’ve never been to Rome and don’t really want to go, but I’m paying for the road that goes there. Fair is fair. Subsidize all transportation or none.
East Point Resident
October 1st, 2009
1:48 pm
BTW – I’m one of the thousands of White Middle Class office workers that use MARTA everyday. I’ve been riding for five years and have had less than 5 incidents where my commute was delayed. If you rode MARTA during rush hour you would see that everybody rides MARTA. It is always ontime and fast. I do run into punks everynow and then, but overall it is a much better system than driving alone to Midtown.
Kat
October 1st, 2009
2:11 pm
VTHokiefan: You rock! That was incredible.
TS
October 1st, 2009
2:16 pm
VTHokie for Mayor!
WhiteWoman
October 1st, 2009
2:17 pm
You don’t want to know what I think of MARTA in the first place. I have used it on several occasions (emergency) and out of those occasions, I can’t remember ONE where I wasn’t approached by some salesperson, mental deviant, drunk or addict. Just because I am an elderly white woman, that does NOT mean you can take advantage of me.
ATL Resident
October 1st, 2009
2:25 pm
Some of the comments on here about MARTA and its riders are absolutely absurd generalizations, and they have nothing to do with the organization’s fare hike in the least. I have been using the MARTA system (both bus and train) as my promary mode of transportation for almost a year now and have never run into anything that resembles incidents that some of these posters “claim” they have had while using MARTA.
In addtion, I take offense that I am classified as part of the “welfare class” and “straight outta compton” just because my choice of transport back and forth from work doesn’t involve sitting in miles and miles of traffic for hours surrounded by motorists that drive like it’s their first time behind the wheel of a car. In fact, I’m a hard-working, tax paying citizen, just like 75% of the fellow riders I encounter every day while on the bus or the train.
And lastly, if my hard-earned money goes toward paying for your suburban and back-country roads that loop around the middle of nowhere and serve no purpose to me but get you home to your cookie-cutter subdivision each day, isn’t it fair that your hard-earned money should also benefit me, and the thousands of others who choose to live and work in the city, by making our ride home from work every day a little bit easier? All of you conservative folks with your small minds and constant need to express your idea of how the world should work by making uneducated generalizations don’t look cool, you look like a bunch of backwoods morons.
inz dong
October 1st, 2009
2:37 pm
i ride mawrtah. who dont.
Will Never Use Marta Again
October 1st, 2009
2:39 pm
Does this mean MARTA can finally pay me the $300 they owe me for missing my flight??? MARTA failed to properly maintain the system causing one of the rails to fall off the track. Causing me to be late for my flight by 10 minutes!!!
Jermaine
October 1st, 2009
2:46 pm
Dis be racist. They just targeting us black folk.
John
October 1st, 2009
2:47 pm
Who cares??????? Well all know what MARTA stands for right? If you don’t, Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta
Non-believer in MARTA
October 1st, 2009
2:48 pm
I unfortunately ride MARTA everyday to get to the downtown area and really would like to see improvements for the extra charge as opposed to cutbacks. Since the summer, I’ve seen less security and they have cut service times. I would much prefer better security than the TV monitors that never work
Tyree
October 1st, 2009
2:54 pm
Race always enters every AJC blog. Gotta love Hotlanta.
professional skeptic
October 1st, 2009
3:33 pm
VT Hokiefan: Thanks for the most entertaining thing I’ve read all day: “John Parker Wilson hair”… “Bryson Grayson Jackson III”… awesome!
Also, ATL Resident hits the nail on the head. I’ve lived in Atlanta for 10 years, and my tax dollars have been subsidizing roads all over this great state of Georgia that I have never driven on and probably never will. Why should my tax dollars pay for roads in Bacon County (nothing against Bacon County or the people who live there)? For that matter why are any of our state roads subsidized by tax dollars? Why doesn’t our state legislature allow Atlantans to TAX THEMSELVES to increase funding for transit solutions that make sense for our city?
Plus, to all you haters who claim MARTA doesn’t benefit you: How much longer do you think it would take to drive to/from work in the mornings if MARTA’s 250,000 daily riders all of a sudden clogged the roads with even more traffic?
Eleanor
October 1st, 2009
3:46 pm
First of all Gwinnett should be REQUIRED to help support the MARTA system. Go in any parking lot near Gwinnett County line and you will find five out of six cars with Gwinnett license plates. Second, tie ALL the systems into MARTA – Clayton, Cobb and Gwinnett and tax those counties the same as DeKalb and Fulton. Most importantly, bombard Jill Chambers with your complaints. It is her arrogant, high brow attitude – she drives a huge new Cadillac and probably wouldn’t know what the inside of a MARTA bus or train looks like – toward MARTA and its requests that has caused this. If you happen to live in her district, vote her out because she don’t care one thin dime about any of us.
Bryan
October 1st, 2009
3:49 pm
I’m 100% with ATL resident. The people who say all these bad things happen on MARTA are just making ridiculous statements and generalizations and probably have never rode the system at all. I’ve rode different systems from MTA in New York and CTA in Chicago and Patco in metro Philly and by far MARTA is the cleanest rail system I have ever seen. The bus system is pretty clean too. I have never heard so much bull crap and racism about a transit system that provides service in all areas of ATL from low income to some of the more upper class areas. I think MARTA has done a great job rehabing all of it’s rail cars and replacing the tracks. Yeah sometimes it holds up travel but it is something that needs to be done. God forbid another DC accident ever happen because of faulty equipment.
The fare increase was long overdue. Most major cities are charging $2 and $2.25 already. There definitely needs to be more help the surrounding counties that make up the metro area and definitely from the state of Georgia. Look how terrible the bus service is in Gwinett. Only 4 local bus routes and the one that actually runs decent (#10 route) is the one that connects to MARTA along with the express routes that connect to MARTA and downtown ATL. Look at Clayton Transit… overcrowded and slow. CCT has decent coverage but they still have their fastest running buses (#10 and the express routes) connecting to MARTA. The rail should have been in areas like that. Look at the downtown Marietta and Cumberland/Galleria area… perfect for a rail stop. Places like Clayton and Gwinett may not have the density but the have the people to drive to the stations. They would just need a better bus system to bring folks to the stations like MARTA currently has. Xpress is a great service but without MARTA and the city of Atlanta there wouldn’t even be a need for Xpress. MARTA rail definitely should be expanded into those areas and even more within Fulton and Dekalb and ALL OF US should pay.
For those that say they shouldn’t just think about you state taxes that pay for roads you will never use. Heck for people living in ATL how many side streets are there that you will never drive down that get repaved with your taxes? That is how a major city works. You may never use it but it helps someone else and in turn their moneys will help your area when needed even if they never come and see what has been done. MARTA can have a great rail system and bus network if the metro area worked together instead of trying to get their own system that doesn’t work and winds up connecting to MARTA anyway.
Finally to all the fools that keep talking about the Blacks that ride MARTA and the low income people (particularly John and Terd Ferguson) get the heck out of the A-Town!! Always remember without the city of Atlanta you wouldn’t have the ammenities that you enjoy for living in the presense of a major city. The entire state of Georgia should be happy to have such a city in their state. MARTA is the transit back bone that helps this city move and not just Black folks… all people. Some of the nicest developments in the city are around MARTA stations and there are plenty of White folks and all races riding MARTA at all times. Some of the people making these comments probably never rode MARTA a day in their lives or are use to being cooped up in their cars with just the people that they know that being around differnt people scares them. If you don’t like it just stay the F off because there are plenty of people who ride and even folks that don’t ride but understand the importance of MARTA!
professional skeptic
October 1st, 2009
6:22 pm
Well, well, well. Look what I found! A recent letter to the editor from a North Carolina family who enjoyed their experience on MARTA so much, that they decided to share their experiences with us.
If MARTA and its employees are as bad as the haters and the racists say, then how do you explain the contents of this glowing letter?
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/readers-write-9-16-139338.html
Amir
October 1st, 2009
6:29 pm
Wow, some of these comments are just amazing to me. “Well all know what MARTA stands for right? If you don’t, Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta”, “Dis be racist. They just targeting us black folk.” Now how many white people in Georgia, or America still thinks we’re in a post racial era?
Rod
October 2nd, 2009
8:12 am
I believe everyone will enjoy the fare increase. Who doesn’t want to pay more for services in this economy? Excellent idea. lol How about giving the upper management a pay cut and freeze their salaries for 5 yrs. Also how about no increase in salaries for the 200 highest paid workers starting with the CEO until Marta is at least breaking even. America the land of increases fares and increasing pay for those at the top the rest of us get screwed-lol not
Misty
October 2nd, 2009
9:27 am
I think the timing of this fare increase couldn’t be worse! The economy is horrible, unemployment is like 10%, probably much higher, and many people are struggling just to survive and maintain what they have. Marta also can’t begin to compare with other transit systems in the world; I’m sure those people who have lived in various states and other countries would agree. In addition Marta is still operating like its 1970, gimme a break. If your’e going to increase fares, give us something to work with,not the same old system, and how can you stop running the buses, and trains at certain times, and even cut many bus routes, yet increase your rates. Another thing that really gripes me is when there are any events in town, we are all told to “take Marta”. I’ve been on the train on those special event days and it’s like being packed in a sardine, there are thousands of riders on Marta those days so there is no way Marta can say anything about not making enough money so they need to increase fares, that’s a lie! It’s greed, and complete selfishness like all the other businesses that are falling before our eyes!