Atlanta residents took a leap of faith when they agreed to impose a tax on themselves in exchange for more transit inside the city, said Amir Farokhi, chair of the councils transportation committee. ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The Atlanta City Council has called for the first-ever audit of the "More MARTA" program. MARTA and the City then executed a robust program of community engagement to establish guiding principles and the project list. 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. And then some stops are laden with kudzu on the road with no shoulder or no sidewalk. by Ryan Zickgraf April 26, 2023. Through its recent Bus Stop Census, MARTA Army inventoried at least a third of the stops within the MARTA service area. An interview series with the advocates, experts, and public officials working to improve American transit. Please see BUS OPERATIONS JOB FAIR MARCH 2. below for recordings of the April 19 and 20 meetings, as well as links to the This way we get the most objective assessment of the way More MARTA is going.. 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. I havent been around long and I dont have all that history I would just say that projects take time, said Rocha. More MARTA is a large transit expansion program within Atlanta supported by a 0.5 percent sales tax approved by voters in 2016. Atlanta, GA 30303 Tier II projects will be initiated at a later date as additional funding from the tax is available. 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. Tier II projects will be initiated at a later date as additional funding from the tax is available. This project is in accordance with legislation 17-R-4269, which authorized the City of Atlanta to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with MARTA to set forth roles and responsibilities for the planning, design, construction, and operations of the expansion and enhancements of the rapid transit system, and to designate a Program . 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. Atlanta transit riders arent thrilled with scaled-down More MARTA projects | Fulton Watch, City stepping up code enforcement actions against problem landlords through new Safe and Secure Housing plan, No Labels Georgia chapter says its not interested in fielding a third party presidential candidate, Atlanta transit riders arent thrilled with scaled-down More MARTA projects, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. The agency has recently made $200 million in rail improvements, including rehabbing escalators and elevators, upgrading stations and train control systems, and procuring new rolling stock. Some of the funding is coming from a half-cent sales tax that Atlanta voters approved in 2016. Seven years later, some local elected . Enhanced communication with riders will be key for the agency as it moves into the planning and construction phase of projects, the majority of which will take decades to complete. Crew operator availability remains the agencys biggest challenge, as well as adjusting weekend maintenance schedules in order to run service that matches strong weekend demand. 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. None of these buses have their own lane. We do a lot to engage the public. 2023 Atlanta Regional Commission. The audit is a way to get real answers to their questions, said Council President Doug Shipman. townhall@itsmarta.com. MARTA attained the Silver level of recognition for its sustainability efforts. At this juncture, as the fiduciaries of taxpayer funds to implement the program, such a review will obligate MARTA to pause work on all More MARTA Atlanta projects, with the exception of the federally funded Summerhill BRT and Five Points Transformation, until this matter is resolved, said MARTA in a statement. Currently, expanding the Bankhead station to accommodate 8-car trains is a top priority for More MARTA (scheduled to be operational by 2025), given the growth anticipated in the area with. Councilmembers will hold a press conference Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. to discuss the audit. Tier I are projects that will be delivered in a first phase. The More MARTA program will inject $2.7 billion into the transit agency, helping reduce travel times, reach underserved areas, and bring the Atlanta BeltLine, Emory University and the Atlanta University Center into the transit network. Sometimes its the political will of a project to move forward.. 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Complexity shuts you out, ACC opens the door for you. 36 North Decatur Road / Virginia Highland, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) Program, MARTA's Transportation Assistance Program for the Homeless, Cleveland Ave & Metropolitan Parkway Arterial Rapid Transit (ART), Campbellton Community Investment Corridor BRT. The council on March 20 approved a resolution requesting MARTA submit to its request for a financial audit of the More MARTA program and provide an answer by March 29. Copyright 2023 WANF. All rights reserved. But More MARTA doesnt necessarily mean Enough MARTA, explained MARTA Board Chairman Robert Ashe, who said the agency received a wish list that far exceeded the anticipated funding. MARTA keeps over 185,000 cars off the road everyday. This year, he expanded the program to four more cities including Atlanta. 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 . He fears the transit system is overspending on consultants and planning efforts. MARTA, CITY OF ATLANTA HOST PUBLIC UPDATES ON MORE MARTA ATLANTA PROGRAM MARTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS APRIL MEETING DETAILS MARTA IS HIRING! Related. South Atlanta received a sizable chunk of the More MARTA funds, including $311 million for a light rail line along Campbellton Road, linking Oakland City Station to Greenbriar Mall. A little of everything, according to Carrie Rocha, who became MARTAs interim chief capital officer in February. Learn more, 229 Peachtree STNE, STE 100 Blue/Green lines operate on special 20-minute schedules. Another $200 million will be used to leverage additional investment throughout the rest of the Beltline circuit. But he emphasizes that the agency also needs to focus on improving local bus service. BUS OPERATIONS JOB FAIR APR. 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 Atlanta BeltLine was always envisioned as a transportation corridor, a plan validated by Atlanta voters in 2016, said Clyde Higgs, President and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. The adoption of the More MARTA phasing today is a start towards fulfilling the promise of transportation options to some of the largest hubs for economic and workforce development along the BeltLine." MARTA has tapped Archer Western Construction to serve as a contractor for the project. But Kotak and Height believe that MARTA should take a transformational approach to the redesign, and sever ties with the old network. .featured-events__slide-heading2 { We will have more and better transit options to get to job centers, colleges and universities, hospitals, parks and neighborhoods across Atlanta. In November 2016, the city of Atlanta overwhelmingly approved the local sales tax that was designed for the largest investment in transit enhancements and expansion in four decades. Other improvements include: MARTA's Station . Additional questions and comments may be sent to townhall@itsmarta.com. But critics argue expansion efforts have fallen short. 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. After successful passage of the referendum, MARTA and the City of Atlanta executed a robust program of community engagement to establish guiding principles and the project list. Ridership is still down about a million monthly riders compared to pre-pandemic numbers. BUS OPERATIONS JOB FAIR APR. HOLMES STATION MASTER PLAN, MARTA IS HIRING: BUS OPERATORS AND JOURNEYMAN BUS TECHNICIANS NEEDED, MARTA TO HOLD VETERANS CAREER FAIR MARCH 9, MARTA POLICE IS HIRING! Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York budget agreement will provide more than $1.1 billion to MTA, Denver RTD celebrates 10-year anniversary of opening of W Line, MT: Tester lobbies White House for greater rural representation on Amtrak board, FrontRunner celebrates 15 years of service with Rider Appreciation Event, CalSTA awards 28 California transit projects $690 million in grants, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). After what transit agency management has called a resequencing process, More MARTA is down to nine new projects from the original 17, and it is more bus-centric than the prior project list, which called for 26 miles of light rail, along with new rapid bus lines, new streetcar extensions, and new stations.