Comments on: MARTA to lawmakers: ‘Entire’ rail lines could be cut

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:56:02 +0000

So to all of you that state Marta receives the least amount of state and federal tax dollars. First, why on earth can a company not keep its doors open without help from everyone? Stop this thought process stating EVERYONE should just give money to a company. Taxpayers should not be FORCED to pay for a company (state or federal). If a company can not keeps its doors open with the money it raises, then close the doors. I have lived in Atlanta all my life, 40 years. Marta is one of the biggest waste of space around. Granted it has improved over the years, but not so much as to continue to beg for taxpayer dollars. Raise rates on those who ride it. Marta is not a well run business. It is a taxpayer handout! During these tough economic times, we all must make sacrifices. Dont steal my hard-earned tax dollars to pay for a system that has NEVER been in the black and never will! This company is constantly losing money and just wants more taxpayers to bail them out. STOP IT! If you are one of those that rides Marta and feels that although it has never made money taxpayers should foot the bill; why dont you GIVE more of your money to them and stop being a beggar. This is a total waste of taxpayer dollars!

By: Edw3rd

Edw3rd — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:44:47 +0000

Patrick, you fail to read.

The article upon which we’re commenting refers to the Memo’s submitted, not to MARTA public relations collateral, to which you point. However, these materials still don’t answer the questions.

Like all Annual Reports, the MARTA board celebrates their Accomplishments, not the areas they need to improve or that justify spending. The Customer Satisfaction index provided is surveying current riders, apparently with a forced mix of half-fare users – none of whom ride in sufficient numbers. This is why there is a budget shortfall. There is no survey or report including the population who could ride but have rejected taking MARTA (btw, I rode MARTA as recently as this morning). As to Utilization Rates, my point was simple: How many people should MARTA be servicing to not have a budget short-fall? What is the Expected Capacity, and what is the Currentn Utilization? Does filling that gap even address the short-fall. Will more money solve the problem? Or, are we just subsidizing a City of Atlanta project?

If you do read what they publish, Farebox Recovery is less than 1/3 of the Expenses. That is a problem, and one tax payers are being asked to subsidize. The MARTA board need to focus on How Many People do they need to ride, and What Improvements in the current product will persuade people to take MARTA.

By: Old rider

Old rider — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:28:07 +0000

While I have no doubt that expenses are growing and sales tax is declining, the real question is what has MARTA management done to lower expenses. MARTA needs to demonstrate that it is lower costs. It seems MARTA keeps hiring and promoting senior managers. Someone needs to compare the current organizational chart to two years ago. What other expenses are on the increase? Someone needs to examine what is going on. Has the agency done everything to control costs. Also, as the system gets older there will certainly be more capital costs to keep the system in a state of good repair. MARTA must demonstrate that the short term operating needs of the agency will not at the expense of long term capital infratstucture investment. The station are already beginning to look old and tired? What is the long term investment plan and can a 20% decrease in the capital budget (50% to 40%) allow the system to be maintained adaquately. A 20% decrease is substancial.

By: Dueling hearings loom for MARTA next week | Political Insider

Dueling hearings loom for MARTA next week | Political Insider — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:48:44 +0000

[...] that 50 percent of the proceeds go to MARTA operations, and 50 percent go to capital improvements. In a memo passed to state lawmakers this week, MARTA said that unless this restriction were lifted, severe cuts would have to be [...]

By: jms

jms — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:23:59 +0000

Brain,
In 2007, Georgia students averaged 1472 on the SAT, Colorado students averaged 1674, and Walton HS averaged 1697. Looks like Georgians are pretty dumb, right? Wrong. The College Board cautions against ranking states by scores. The reason: Scores vary greatly by how many students take the exam. The more who take it, the lower the state’s score is likely to be. In 2007, The participation rate for Georgia was 69%, for Walton it was 100%, and for Colorado it was 24%.

By: Tough Times for MARTA Could Mean Service Cutbacks | go-off-grid.com

Tough Times for MARTA Could Mean Service Cutbacks | go-off-grid.com — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:04:45 +0000

[...] a little embarrased. Yesterday, I gushed about Atlanta’s great green future, and then today, The Atlanta Jounral Constitution published this: Without new revenue sources from the state or region…MARTA will be forced to dramatically reduce [...]

By: insight101

insight101 — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:10:47 +0000

1)MARTA ISN’T ASKIN FOR ANY MORE MONEY IT’S JUST ASKING FOR THE RESTRICTIONS TO BE LIFTED SO IT CAN BETTER UTILIZE ITS MONEY FROM THE 1%SALES TAX..WHICH ONLY ATLANTA, FULTON, & DEKALB PAY YOU IDIOTS!!! 2) DO ANY OF YOU PEOPLE ON HERE HAVE BUSINESS DEGREES OR RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS-TO OPERATE A BUSINESS MOST OF YOUR EXPENSES COME FROM OPERATIONS(HEALTH BENEFITS,PAYROLL,MAINTENANCE, AND ETC.) THAT IS WHAT IS THE MAIN PROBLEM FOR MARTA..MARTA HAS PLENTY OF MONEY IN IT’S CAPITAL FUND BUT CAN’T USE IT BECAUSE OF THE “ODD” LEGISLATION PASSED IN 1971 50/50 SPENDING RULE..THIS DUMB PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS THE REASON MARTA CAN’T IMPROVE IT’S BUS SERVICE FREQUENCY ON ALOT OF ROUTES….PLENTY OF MONEY TO BUY MORE AND BETTER BUSES..BUT RESTRICTED ON SPENDING…THAT JUST DOESN’T WORK PERIOD…THIS SYSTEM WAS SET TO BE IN COBB, GWINNETT, AND CLAYTON,..BUT YOU THE CITIZENS OF METRO ATL TURNED IT DOWN..SO DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT MARTA..BECAUSE YOUR VOTE HELPED WITH THE RESTRICTIONS…YOU PEOPLE ARE SO BIAS HERE IT IS VERY DISTURBING..ALOT PEOPLE FAIL TO REALIZE..ANY MAJOR CITY THAT LACKS A MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM…MAJOR BUSINESSES WILL NOT BRING THEIR OFFICES OR HQ TO THAT CITY BEACUSE PEOPLE CAN’T GET AROUND EFFECTIVELY..

IF U THINK I’M LYING DO YOUR RESEARCH…ATL HAS LOST MAJOR BIDS BECAUSE THE LACK OF MASS TRANSIT IN THIS AREA…METRO ATL ISN’T GOIN’ TO BE “THE JEWEL OF THE SOUTH” IN THE NEXT 15-20 YRS….ATL IS BEING OVERLOOKED BY LITTLE OL’ CHARLOTTE, NC…BECAUSE THEY ARE BUILDING/AND INVESTING IN MASS TRANSIT AND THERE IS NO LARGE ABUNDANCE OF DIVISION IN CHARLOTTE LIKE THERE IS HERE

MARTA WAS SET UP TO HAVE TRAINS RUN EVERY 5 MINUTES BUS SERVICE EVERY 15 MINUTES BUT BECASUE OF THE IDIOTS IN THIS REGION IT HAS BEEN BOUNDED TO EXPAND AND SERVE METRO ATL

MARTA HAS MANY PROJECTS AND EXPANSIONS IT WANTS TO DO…EXPAND RAIL LINE INTO DORAVILLE…EXPAND WEST LINE TO 285&MLK..BRT SERVICE ON I-20 EAST..EXPAND RAIL INTO CLAYTON…BUT YOU THE PEOPLE OF METRO ARE NOT READY TO GROW….

AS FAR AS MARTA BEING CRIME INFESTED, DANGEROUS, DIRTY, UNREALIABLE, AND ETC. IS JUST STUPID…MARTA UNION EMPLOYEES HAVE AGREED TO TAKE ANY RASIES AS WELL AS ALL LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT…BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO SEE THE PEOPLE WHO USE THE SYSTEM GET LEFT OUT…THIS IS JUST UNJUST TO WHOLE ATL REGION….AND YES I WORK FOR MARTA I AM A BUS OPERATOR..AND IF THIS SYSTEM WAS SO TERRIBLE AND DANGEROUS I WOULDN’T IN HELL THINK ABOUT DRIVING A BUS HERE…AND TO MIKE ABOUT DRIVERS MAKING AN $100,000…IGNORANT..BASE PAY $38,000..NO VAST AMOUNT OVERTIME,,,NO PAID HOLIDAYS..

DR. SCOTT IS TO BE TAKING SERIOUSLY SHE MEANS BUSINESS..AND SHE MEANS WHAT SHE SAYS..SHE HAS MADE MANY IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN MARTA SINCE SHE ARRIVED IN OCT 2007.SHE HAS 30 YRS OF EXPERIENCE AND IS HIGHLY RESPECTED IN THE TRANSIT INDUSTRY DO YOUR RESEARCH ON HER PEOPLE..IF PRESIDENT OBAMA ASKED HER TO COME RUN WASHINGTON’S TRANSIT SYSTEM(WHICH SHE DECLINED)BECAUSE HER HEART IS IN METRO ATL..IMPROVING IT’S FUTURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE…SO METRO ATL LETS GET IT TOGETHER

By: insight101

insight101 — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:34:03 +0000

wow! i can’t believe the comments i’m reading…

By: Tough Times for MARTA Could Mean Service Cutbacks : EcoLocalizer

Tough Times for MARTA Could Mean Service Cutbacks : EcoLocalizer — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:02:32 +0000

By: Atlantaguy

Atlantaguy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 05:32:17 +0000

First, MARTA does need to receive State funds as it’s the only transit agency in the U.S. that does not. Perdue is an idiot for not recognizing how serious the transit issues are, and how an Atlanta system does indeed have an effect on traffic flow throughout the metro and suburban areas as well – not just in the City. However, the entire MARTA board should be replaced, as quite frankly, they are nearly as dumb as Perdue, and have mismanaged the system for decades. Zone fares need to be put in place, and parking fees utilized.