March 22, 2023 In brief, the main upgrades so far are related to system upkeep and reliability. More MARTA is a transit improvement partnership between MARTA and the City of Atlanta that is designing and building transit projects to address the current and future transportation needs of Atlantans by increasing accessibility, mobility, and connectivity. To advocate and provide safe, multi-modal transit services that advance prosperity, connectivity and equity for a more livable region. The sales tax is expected to generate $2.7 billion over 40 years; more money for the More MARTA program is coming from public and private dollars. The Emory area became eligible for More MARTA Atlanta funding when it was annexed by the city of Atlanta at the beginning of this year. Councilmembers will hold a press conference Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. to discuss the audit. Public engagement and planning would begin in 2028, and the program timeline goes all the way to 2057. They are physically and financially a lot more stable than they used to be.. This position by the Atlanta City Council is disappointing and disingenuous. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Last chance to weigh in on Atlantas zoning code update, Controversial plan to house homeless in Reynoldstown could get downsized. The More MARTA Atlanta program is funded by a 2016 half-penny local sales tax. 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. In 2019, the MARTA Board adopted a sequencing plan that was codified into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between MARTA and COA in 2020. And decisions had to be made. MARTA has a second tier of projects on its long term listvery long term. 2023 Atlanta Regional Commission. More MARTA Atlanta -Background Program approved by voters in 2016 by an overwhelming majority of 71%. MARTA and the City of Atlanta will host three public updates to share information and take questions and comments about the More MARTA Atlanta Program. Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says a bullet hit family home, 24-year-old dies in crash on I-75 in Atlanta, House fire in Johns Creek displaces family, Can police intentionally shoot hostages? So it definitely is a huge inequality with the transit experience, no matter what part of the metro youre in., Kotak agrees that bus stop and sidewalk improvements need to be immediate priorities in the region. Most of the work over the past four years has been happening behind the scenes, said Heather Alhadeff, assistant general manager of planning at MARTA. Kotak thinks that transit advocacy in Atlanta hasnt always been well coordinated, and getting different factions on the same page will be key to advancing major improvements in the coming years. Shipman said he didnt believe any projects would need to be delayed as the City is financing and overseeing the audit. Some stops have a shelter, a schedule, lighting, youre on an expansive sidewalk. Privacy Policy and The route is expected to break ground in May and be operational by 2025. Questions and comments? It is funded by a -cent sales tax in the City of Atlanta, which voters approved in 2016. RIDER ALERT: Bus Service Changes Effective April 22: Select routes will have increased weekday service. Major rail expansions are a decade or more away. Our Advocacy & Organizing team works with partners across the country to support and co-develop transit campaign strategies. 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. All the update sessions will begin at 6 p.m. Though there have been annual changes to the network, the fundamental shape of the system hasnt changed since the 1970s, says Alhadeff. font-size: 95px; Height says these improvements cant come soon enough. ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The Atlanta City Council has called for the first-ever audit of the "More MARTA" program. To advocate and provide safe, multi-modal transit services that advance prosperity, connectivity and equity for a more livable region. As the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority advances its More MARTA Atlanta Program, the agency's position is bolstered by what an executive called "unprecedented" state funding. If were going to continue to make these strides with the $2.7 billion that were putting into More MARTA, then we have to make the bus a priority, because the bus is most likely going to be one of the connections that riders are going to make within metro Atlanta. Kotak agrees with this assessment. The More MARTA program is funded by a half-penny sales tax approved by Atlanta voters in 2016 specifically to build new rail, streetcar extensions, new bus lines and new stations. Seven years later, some local elected officials and members of the public seem less than enthused with the transit agencys pared down, bus-heavy agenda, which one observer nicknamed Just a Bit More MARTA, at a public update meeting April 20. Tier II projects will be initiated at a later date as additional funding from the tax is available. Much of this work isnt visible to the public, but were making significant progress.. Since 2020, MARTA has been advancing the projects in accordance with the prioritization in the sequencing plan. More MARTA is a large transit expansion program within Atlanta supported by a 0.5 percent sales tax approved by voters in 2016. Lookmost people understand that inflation means we cant do everything at once. MARTA and the City of Atlanta jointly This is yet another stall tactic from a collective group that has been wringing their hands and conflating the More MARTA program with the Citys Renew Atlanta TSPLOST program, the agency said. MARTA and the City of Atlanta will host three public updates to share information and take questions and comments about the More MARTA Atlanta Program. Atlanta, GA 30303 But he emphasizes that the agency also needs to focus on improving local bus service. It includes light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), and arterial rapid transit (ART) systems, as well as new transit centers, local bus service, and various station upgrades. We need sidewalks so that people can safely get onto a bus and then get off a bus and go to destinations as opposed to walking through the mud. 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. The Atlanta City Council is poised to ask MARTA to account for money it has spent, and plans to spend, from the 0.5 percent More MARTA Atlanta sales tax city voters approved in 2016. MARTA intends the redesign to be budget neutral, meaning it doesnt plan to add additional bus service as part of the initiative. Weve got external factors, such as increased costs, she said. The sales tax is expected to generate $2.7 billion over 40 years; more money for the More MARTA program is coming from public and private dollars. Many residents expressed frustration at the scaled-down version of MARTAs expansion plan, which, among other economies, substitutes bus rapid transit (BRT) for light rail on the congested Clifton Corridor and Campbellton Roadand the lack of progress made on existing ones. What about our legacy residents? Posted on October 19, 2018 In Commuting in Metro Atlanta MARTA has disputed that assertion. More MARTA Atlanta is the city of Atlanta's largest transit investment in four decades. If we are going to take the time and resources necessary to do this, then lets do it right, Overstreet said. ABI is the City of Atlanta's implementation agent for the Streetcar System Plan. . More by Collin Kelley, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). The program is expected to give MARTA $2.7 billion over a 40-year period. Concert Review: Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' is a jumpy, bouncy, dancy delight, Aging in place options scarce in metro Atlanta, This is the Atlanta Public Schools calendar for 2023-2024 school year, UPDATE: Antisemitic, anti-transgender flyers found in East Atlanta neighborhoods, Green Light Art expands installations across Dunwoody, MARTA, DeKalb County make progress in development plans for Kensington Station area, Lynwood Park celebrates history at community day, Festival Fever: Art, music, parades and more, Preventing and Treating Dog Obesity: Tips for keeping your pup healthy and happy, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Since 2020, MARTA has been advancing the projects in accordance with the prioritization in the sequencing plan. And then some stops are laden with kudzu on the road with no shoulder or no sidewalk. This will be followed by the Cleveland Ave and Peachtree ART in 2024, and 2025, respectively. The project is only 2.5 miles in length, but will provide a proof of concept for the rest of the BRT projects planned around the city. None of these buses have their own lane. The council says the audit is simply good governance and that it wasn't . } It includes light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), and arterial rapid transit (ART) systems, as well as new transit centers, local bus service, and various station upgrades. Whats the reason for the gap? asked one of about two dozen Atlanta residents who spoke at the meeting. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Board of Directors unanimously approved the sequencing of the transit projects in the More MARTA Atlanta program on June 13. , Better local bus service will do far more for the Atlanta community than BeltLine Rail could., has committed to establishing a network of bus-only lanes and installing upgrades like transit signal priority on city streets by 2022. Last week, the More MARTA project list was submitted to Mayor Bottoms for her review in advance of the full MARTA Board's vote on October 4th. Overstreet said the relationship between the Council and MARTA is contentious.. Height says theres wide variation in bus stop quality. 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 . hosted three public updates April 18-20 to share information with the public Complexity shuts you out, ACC opens the door for you. Over the next 40 years, the spending plan will inject $2.7 billion with a B into the transit agency for a range of new light rail and bus projects, as well as improvements to existing stations, that is designed to reduce travel times, reach underserved areas, and bring the Atlanta BeltLine, Emory University and the Atlanta University Center into the transit network. MARTA has also committed to upgrading 1,000 bus shelters within its entire service area over the next five years. To Councilmember Amir Farokhi, who chairs the councils transportation committee, thats a lot of words that dont actually say much. Almost half of MARTA riders are between the age of 16 and 34. The digital home of Reporter Newspapers and Atlanta Intown. MARTA posted on social media that it is holding a public Board of Directors meeting with the Audit Committee on Thursday. In 2019, the MARTA Board of Directors approved More MARTA Atlanta, a slate of 17 projects at a projected cost of $2.7 billion that would add new light rail lines, bus rapid transit and arterial rapid transit and make station improvements. Research salary, company info, career paths, and top skills for Automotive Technician - MARTA Mobility The board had to make several difficult choices about which projects to add to the final program roster. The program of projects is funded by an. (Photo by Kelly Jordan.) 13, MARTA HOSTS PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR BANKHEAD STATION MASTER PLAN, CONGRESSWOMAN NIKEMA WILLIAMS TO HONOR MARTA BUS OPERATOR COY DUMAS, JR. FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE, MARTA IS HIRING! A hefty $553 million has been earmarked to extend downtowns Atlanta Streetcar footprint by five miles on either side to connect with the BeltLines Westside and Eastside trails. The 2-mile extension runs along Edgewood Avenue, Randolph Street, Auburn Avenue . New York City Transits service levels have remained remarkably strong throughout the pandemic. Of the 17 projects approved, MARTA is set to break ground this summer on the first project, the Summerhill bus rapid transitline along Hank Aaron Drive and Capitol Avenue in Downtown. The audit is a way to get real answers to their questions, said Council President Doug Shipman. The $3 billion More MARTA Atlanta program, funded by an additional half-cent City of Atlanta sales tax, will help us reach those goals with a list of 17 game-changing projects based on robust. | Learn more Sat, 4/22: Gold/ Red lines operate on special 24-minute schedules. 36 North Decatur Road / Virginia Highland. MARTA officials said the agency is advancing a program estimated to cost $2.7 billion over 40 years. The partnership with the Atlanta BeltLine is central to the expansion program and is reflected in the early sequencing of projects that provide BeltLine connectivity in the southeast (Summerhill BRT), to the southwest (Campbellton Road LRT) and the Eastside Trail (Streetcar East Extension and North Avenue Phase 1 BRT). The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) celebrated improvements at College Park rail station with a ribbon-cutting on the station's East Plaza on April 26. MARTAs statement also said such an audit will delay all of its More MARTA projects. We'd love to hear from you! MARTA, CITY OF ATLANTA HOST PUBLIC UPDATES ON MORE MARTA ATLANTA PROGRAM. 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. Capitol Avenue (Summerhill) BRT: a bus rapid transit line linking commercial, government and education centers and the Atlanta BeltLines Southside Trail. More MARTA Atlanta Program Paves the Way for Increased Connectivity and Economic Development The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Board of Directors has unanimously. In determining the sequence of the projects, MARTA considered market conditions, constructability and current funding commitments. The plan is expected to facilitate the region's largest transit investment in more than 40 years. This way we get the most objective assessment of the way More MARTA is going.. Council member Marci Collier Overstreet said this provision ensures integrity. With these new modes and a significant expansion of light rail, MARTA is building a balanced, smart transit system to serve current customers and attract new riders in Atlanta and across the region. The council says the audit is simply good governance and that it wasnt spurred on by one specific action. Here are the various ways to get in touch. All Rights Reserved. Does this response mean MARTA is refusing to allow the city audit its books? Both of these investment areas touch tens of thousands of people every day. The program of projects is funded by an additional half . Wednesday MARTA 2040, More MARTA Atlanta and Connect Clayton. Another $200 million will be used to leverage additional investment throughout the rest of the Beltline circuit. Four years after the More MARTA referendum, what improvements are now tangible for Atlanta transit riders, and what can riders expect to see in the next four? Our new station zone management program is enhancing your experience at our stations. Farokhi, chair of the Citys transportation committee, said the public dollars are earmarked for enhancements and expansion. Recognizing changes in those key areas are possible, the following proposed schedule is currently in effect: https://www.linkedin.com/company/masstransit. font-size: 24px; Instead, Atlantans wanted to know: What new transit is coming and when? program. Tier I are projects that will be delivered in a first phase. 2023 Hyperlocal News and Information for Metro Atlanta. MARTA has until the next meeting of the councils transportation committee on March 29 to respond. The program was first approved in 2016, when 71% of Atlanta voters cast their ballots in support of an additional half-penny sales tax to support expansion and improvements in the City. Farokhi was joined by councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet and council president Doug Shipman at a press conference outside council chambers. To advocate and provide safe, multi-modal transit services that advance prosperity, connectivity and equity for a more livable region. ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The Atlanta City Council has called for the first-ever audit of the More MARTA program. Additional questions and comments may be sent to townhall@itsmarta.com. The audits scope will include all revenues and expenditures associated with the More MARTA Atlanta program. Faroki also questions MARTAs wisdom in project selection. MARTA is your direct route for all flights in and out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This . The program was first approved in 2016, when 71% of Atlanta voters cast their ballots in support of an additional half-penny sales tax to support expansion and improvements in the City. We dont need to look at transit as, Oh, this vehicle needs to be a train. We need to look at it as, Okay, this is a service that runs every 15 minutes or less, and this is wonderful for our community. He says the bus network redesign is a chance to start thinking holistically about transit service, rather than the type of vehicle. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our mission is to serve civic-minded Atlantans the best in journalism and other resources to help foster a better connected and informed community. 2023 Hyperlocal News and Information for Metro Atlanta. @media screen and (min-width:480px) { } The latest news and developments from the transit world. Six years later, we do not have those projects, and I still dont believe we have a clear understanding of what money has been spent, what money plans to be spent and what money we will have for projects in the future, Shipman said. How Long Until Atlanta Transit Riders Get More MARTA? The City of Atlanta and MARTA propose separating the projects into two tiers. There may be some truth to that, but its a lot of word soup. MARTA has tapped Archer Western Construction to serve as a contractor for the project. Copyright 2023 WANF. and receive questions and comments about the proposed resequencing. 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. Despite the massive declines in fare revenue wrought by the pandemic, MARTA CEO Jeffrey Parker told Atlanta Magazine in February that federal transit relief funding. A little of everything, according to Carrie Rocha, who became MARTAs interim chief capital officer in February. Theres lots of different factors that impact the list, right? said Rocha. 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. 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. Sumlin, the MARTA Army member, believes Atlanta residents are sympathetic to many of the external factors affecting MARTA and other transit agencies nationwideincluding ridership declines from the COVID-19 pandemic, construction delays, and higher costs for materials and labor from inflation. More MARTA Project List Finalized October 2, 2018. Despite the massive declines in fare revenue wrought by the pandemic, MARTA CEO Jeffrey Parker told Atlanta Magazine in February that federal transit relief funding has put the agency in good financial shape until at least 2024, and that the More MARTA program can proceed as planned. 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. 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." The program aims to improve transit services in historically underserved communities and increase access to employment centers throughout the city. An interactive tool that measures the state of transit equity in major U.S. cities. This story has been updated with a comment from MARTA. by Collin Kelley April 13, 2023. More by Dyana Bagby, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). The More MARTA program is funded by a half-penny sales tax approved by Atlanta voters in 2016 specifically to build new rail, streetcar extensions, new bus lines and new stations. Learn More Take MARTA to the Atlanta Jazz Festival at Piedmont Park May 27 - 29, 2023 Exit at Midtown Station Learn more MARTA MARTA, DEKALB COUNTY ADVANCE KENSINGTON TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT WITH REZONING APPROVAL MARTA CELEBRATES IMPROVEMENTS AT COLLEGE PARK STATION These sessions will provide a history of the More MARTA program and detail the recent updated sequencing done in partnership with the city. Board Meetings Thursday, April 27, 2023, beginning at 9:30 a.m. $570 million for the Atlanta BeltLine corridor; including all high capacity transit modes, the More MARTA Atlanta program builds out 61% of the . MARTA blames money troubles as it narrows down a once list of 17 to seven. But he emphasizes that the agency also needs to focus on improving local bus service. 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). All rights reserved. Theres a lot of repair that needs to happen with a 40-year-old system, she said. The program is expected to give MARTA $2.7 billion over a 40-year period. Atlanta has one of the lowest per capita transit ridership rates among big cities in the country, and ridership had been on a steady decline prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of that sum, $174 million will go to the northeastern section linking Ponce City Market to MARTAs Lindbergh Station and $196 million to a southwestern stretch between I-20 and Oakland City Station. 2023 Complexity shuts you out, ACC opens the door for you. We are adding approximately 200 new shelters and amenities at our bus stops each year. We will have more and better transit options to get to job centers, colleges and universities, hospitals, parks and neighborhoods across Atlanta. Neither MARTA Army nor Georgia Sierra Club have taken a position on the budget for the network redesign. More MARTA is funded by a half-penny tax passed in 2016. MARTA and the City then executed a robust program of community engagement to establish guiding principles and the project list. But Kotak and Height believe that MARTA should take a transformational approach to the redesign, and sever ties with the old network. If all goes according to schedule, the first major capital investment will be unveiled in 2023 the Metropolitan Parkway Arterial Rapid Transit, a BRT-lite project which will feature buses that run frequently, with transit signal priority, queue jumps, and enhanced bus stops. City Council members have raised questions for months about transparency from MARTA on the spending of More MARTA money and how it prioritizes projects. .featured { font-size: font-size: 2rem; townhall@itsmarta.com. Some of the funding is coming from a half-cent sales tax that Atlanta voters approved in 2016. The most immediate improvements for Atlanta transit Atlantans can potentially look forward to a new bus network as soon as 2022. Are you a transit agency practitioner? Sometimes its the political will of a project to move forward.. MARTA is dedicated to being here for those needing essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has been working throughout the pandemic on several system-wide planning initiatives that have the potential to transform transit service in and around the city of Philadelphia. An expansion of the streetcar line has always been seen as necessary to vault it from its current function as tourist shuttle to a vital commuter option. The Atlanta City Council on Monday approved a financial audit of a MARTA program that was funded by a 2016 half-penny sales tax. MARTAsecured a $2.6M grant for the purchase of 6 New Flyer Xcelsior battery-electric buses that will reduce fleet emissions. Were in this together. A virtual update is set for Wednesday, April 19, via www.itsmarta.com/moremarta. We are in conversation right now and were still in the nascent stages of forming a more cohesive message, but were on the right pathway to that.. program. As far as the More MARTA plan goes, there hasnt really been much that we can actually see. Although MARTA boosted bus service frequency after the referendum in 2017, many of the routes have since been cut as a result of the pandemic. MARTA Heroes are working every day to keep Atlanta moving safely. On Tuesday, Atlanta leaders called for an audit into the More MARTA program. 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. "More MARTA" is funded by a half-penny tax passed in 2016. Given the resources at hand thanks to More MARTA, the slow pace of capital expansion projects, and the imperative to rebuild confidence in the transit system after the pandemic, increasing the budget for bus service in tandem with the network redesign looks like the surest path to give riders significant improvements while the 2016 referendum is still fresh in voters minds.