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

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!

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?