History of Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority facts for kids
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, often called MARTA, is Atlanta's main public transportation system. It was started in 1965 by city planners and business leaders. MARTA began building its train lines in 1975.
Contents
How MARTA Started
The idea for a fast public transport system in Atlanta first appeared in reports from the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) in 1950 and 1954. These reports, called Up Ahead and Now for Tomorrow, mostly talked about building highways. However, they also mentioned that Atlanta would need rapid transit in the future.
The MPC studied rapid transit more closely. They found that building more highways alone would not be enough for Atlanta's growing transportation needs. The Georgia Highway Department, however, thought highways were a good enough solution.
In the early 1960s, three important reports helped push for rapid transit. Two reports from the Atlanta Region Metropolitan Planning Commission (ARMPC) suggested building about 60 miles (97 km) of high-speed train lines across five counties. This would cost around $200–215 million. These reports saw public transit as a way to help Atlanta grow and stay an important city in the Southeast.
Another report, Rapid Atlanta, came from the Atlanta Transit System in 1960. It suggested a first phase of 16-mile (26 km) rapid transit for $59 million. This idea was popular with Atlanta's business community. In 1961, Ivan Allen, who led the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, formed a special committee to support rapid transit. This committee worked with the ARMPC to talk to different groups about the benefits of rapid transit.
Also in 1961, Atlanta's mayor, William Hartsfield, created a rapid transit committee. This group worked with the ARMPC to convince lawmakers in Georgia to support rapid transit. Their efforts worked! In 1962, the Georgia legislature created the Metropolitan Atlanta Transit Study Commission (MATSC).
MARTA Is Formed
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To create a regional transportation agency, a change to the state's constitution was needed. In November 1962, voters in DeKalb and Fulton counties approved this change. However, it did not pass across the whole state. Many rural voters thought they would have to pay for a transit system only in Atlanta. The trucking industry also opposed it, wanting to protect highway funding.
In December 1962, the MATSC released a plan for a 66-mile (106 km) train system with 42 stations. It would also include feeder buses and park-and-ride lots across five counties, all centered around downtown Atlanta. In March 1963, the MATSC created a group called the Rapid Transit Committee of 100 to help fund and promote this plan.
Later that year, the MATSC was replaced by the Georgia State Study Commission. This new group reviewed and approved the previous transit plan. Thanks to continued efforts by local groups, a second state constitutional change was approved in 1964. This time, it was only voted on in five Atlanta counties: Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, and Clayton. It barely passed in Cobb County, by only 403 votes.
The 1965 Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Act was written by State Senator Ben F. Johnson. In March 1965, the Georgia legislature passed this law, setting up a rapid transit agency. However, it still needed to be approved by the five counties. In June 1965, voters in four of the five counties approved MARTA's creation. Only 43 percent of voters in Cobb County approved it. MARTA officially began in January 1966.
1968 Vote
MARTA started working on a new plan for four counties. In 1967, they published a plan for a 54-mile (87 km) train system. It would cost $190 million more than the earlier 66-mile (106 km) MATSC plan. Some people worried about the cost. Robert Somerville of the Atlanta Transit System suggested a cheaper plan called Rapid Busways. This plan proposed a 32-mile (51 km) network of busways for $52 million as a temporary solution.
MARTA's experts updated the original MATSC plan to a smaller 40-mile (64 km) train system. This report came out in September 1968. In November 1968, a vote in Fulton County, DeKalb County, and the city of Atlanta to allow MARTA to start building failed. Only 44.5 percent of voters supported it. Many reasons were given for this failure:
- People kept arguing about whether trains or buses were better.
- Local transit unions campaigned against the plan because it didn't include rules for workers' rights.
- Some people thought the plan was too expensive and that the government wouldn't help pay for it.
- Homeowners with lower incomes and those in the suburbs didn't like that property taxes would fund MARTA.
- Voters on the edge of the system felt that people in Atlanta would get more benefits.
- Atlanta's black community felt they weren't involved in planning and wouldn't get good service.
- Local officials were not part of the planning.
- MARTA's advertising for the plan was not very good.
1971 Vote
After the 1968 vote failed, MARTA tried to fix the problems. MARTA got support from labor unions by adding rules for workers' rights to the MARTA law. MARTA also started involving public officials and black community leaders in the planning. They changed service plans to include better service for black neighborhoods, choosing trains instead of buses for some lines.
The way MARTA would be funded also changed. Instead of an unpopular property tax increase, it would be paid for by a one-percent sales tax. Finally, MARTA promised to lower bus fares to 15 cents for the first seven years.
The plan for the 1971 vote included 56.2 miles (90.4 km) of train lines in four counties and 14.4 miles (23.2 km) of busways. Voters in DeKalb (52% support) and Fulton (51% support) counties approved the plan. However, voters in Clayton (23% support) and Gwinnett (21% support) counties rejected it. Voters in Clayton and Gwinnett might have said no because the plan only included about 9 miles (14 km) of train lines for both counties.
The way votes were counted also changed for the 1971 vote. In 1968, votes were grouped into three areas. In 1971, city votes were counted within their counties (DeKalb and Fulton). This allowed the "yes" votes from the city to be counted with the "no" votes from the suburban areas.
Building the System
In 1971, MARTA bought the Atlanta Transit System for $12.8 million. In 1973, the state government created the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Overview Committee. In 1975, construction on the train system officially began. Also in 1975, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration offered MARTA $600 million for train construction over six years.
East-West Line Construction
Building the East Line started in 1975. The first train service began on June 30, 1979, between the Georgia State and Avondale stations. In June 1993, the Kensington and Indian Creek stations opened. This was the first time MARTA train service went outside I-285.
The West Line opened on December 22, 1979, between Hightower (now Hamilton E. Holmes) and Five Points stations. On December 12, 1992, the Proctor Creek Branch and Bankhead Station opened.
North-South Line Construction
On December 4, 1981, the North-South Line opened from Garnett to North Avenue. This included Civic Center and the lower level of Five Points. On September 11, 1982, the line was extended to Arts Center, and the Peachtree Center Station also opened. The section between Lindbergh Center and Brookhaven opened on December 15, 1984.
The line reached Chamblee in 1987, and the Doraville end was finished in 1992. The section between Lenox and Doraville was renamed the Northeast Line on June 8, 1996. This happened when the North Line opened between Buckhead and Dunwoody stations, including a part in the Georgia 400 highway median. The last two North Line stations to open were Sandy Springs and North Springs, on December 16, 2000.
The Garnett station opened on December 4, 1981, as the first South Line station. The section between West End and Lakewood-Fort McPherson opened on December 15, 1984. The East Point Station opened on August 16, 1986. The College Park and Airport Stations opened on June 18, 1988. The Airport Station was actually built in 1980 as part of the airport construction but wasn't used until the line connected in 1988.
Past Expansion Ideas
MARTA was built with at least three places where new train lines could have been added, but they were never built. The Northwest Line towards Cobb County has a tunnel stub east of Atlantic Station. However, Cobb County might get a light rail or commuter rail system instead. The idea for the Northwest line was eventually dropped.
The South Line's branch to Hapeville was considered for extension into Clayton County. This idea was stopped when voters in that county first refused to approve tax money for the line. Another idea was for a train spur line from near the International Airport to the town of Hapeville, but no work was ever done. The idea to restart expansion plans in Clayton County was approved by county leaders in July 2014. Voters approved a 1% sales tax in November 2014, and Clayton County joined MARTA. This was the system's first expansion outside of Fulton, DeKalb, and Atlanta.
Another proposed spur line would have branched off the Blue Line in DeKalb County. It would run northeast to the area of North Druid Hills, Emory University, and the town of Tucker. Now, a light rail line from Avondale Station to Lindbergh Center, passing through Emory/CDC, is being considered.
The Northeast Line, which ends in Doraville, was considered for extension into Gwinnett County as far as Norcross. But this idea was stopped when voters in that county did not approve sales-tax funding for it.
The Proctor Creek branch was also planned to go one more station northwest to the West Highlands neighborhood, but this has not been built either.
Current Expansion Plans
Mall at Stonecrest Expansion
Plans for expansion to the east include bus rapid transit (BRT) from downtown Atlanta along I-20. There are also plans to extend the train line from Indian Creek station, south along I-285 to I-20, then east along the I-20 corridor to the Mall at Stonecrest. The current Green Line might also be extended east from Edgewood/Candler Park station to Mall at Stonecrest.
Memorial Drive BRT
The only recent expansion in the MARTA system was the development of bus rapid transit along Memorial Drive. This service ran from Kensington Station to the Goldsmith Road MARTA park and ride lot in Stone Mountain and Ponce De Leon Avenue. Bus service started on September 27, 2010. Due to low ridership, this BRT service was later stopped.
Atlanta BeltLine
MARTA is also studying several areas for possible system expansion. The BeltLine is a plan to use light rail and possibly bus or streetcar service on old railroad tracks around Atlanta's main business areas. This plan also suggests creating three new MARTA train stations where existing lines cross the BeltLine.
Clifton Corridor
As of October 2011, different rapid transit options were being considered for the Clifton Corridor. This would run from Lindbergh Center, following the CSX rail line to Emory University and the Center for Disease Control. It might continue along the northern edge of Decatur to Avondale MARTA station. Bus, light rail, and heavy rail options were looked at, and light rail was chosen as the preferred choice.
Connect 400
The Georgia 400 Transit Initiative, also called "Connect 400," is a MARTA project. It studies ways to expand high-capacity transit along the Georgia State Route 400 corridor into northern Fulton County. This project, started in December 2011, plans for an 11.9-mile extension of rapid transit service. It would start at North Springs Transit Station, the current end of the MARTA Red Line. From there, it would go north through Sandy Springs, Roswell, and Alpharetta, ending near Windward Parkway.
As of September 2013, the study had narrowed down the transit options to three, all using the existing SR 400 right-of-way: heavy-rail transit (extending the Red Line), light-rail transit, or bus rapid transit. Early designs for all three options included stations near Northridge Road, Holcomb Bridge Road, Mansell Road, North Point Mall, and Windward Parkway.
As of June 2015, the project was moving into the Environmental Impact study stage. MARTA representatives said the expansion could open by 2025 at the earliest. Federal funding still needs to be approved. The light rail option has been removed. The heavy rail option has been approved as the preferred choice, though two bus rapid transit options still exist.
Proposed New Stations
Adding another station to the existing line near Armour Yard (MARTA's main railyard, opened 2005) has also been discussed. The Red and Gold MARTA lines, the northeast BeltLine light rail, and proposed commuter rail lines would all pass through Armour Yard. Other stations that have been suggested are Mechanicsville, Boone, Murphy Crossing, and Krog.
The proposed Atlanta Multimodal Passenger Terminal (MMPT) would be built next to Five Points station. This would connect MARTA to other train services, including commuter rail, future intercity rail, Amtrak, and possible high-speed rail.
More expansion plans for MARTA and other Atlanta transportation agencies are in Mobility 2030. This is a plan by the Atlanta Regional Commission for improving transit through the year 2030.
Recent Years
Clayton County
On July 5, 2014, the Clayton County Board of Commissioners approved a contract with MARTA to extend service to the county. This would be paid for by a 1 percent sales tax. Fulton and DeKalb county leaders also approved the expansion. On November 4, 2014, Clayton County residents approved the sales tax to join MARTA. Bus service started on March 21, 2015. The contract also includes plans for future train transit to the county by 2025.
One proposal for high-capacity transit or rail suggested stations at Hapeville, Mountain View/ATL Hartsfield International Terminal, Forest Park, Fort Gillem, Clayton State/Morrow, Morrow/Southlake, and Jonesboro by 2022. A station at Lovejoy was also proposed for a later phase. In 2018, commuter rail was chosen as the preferred type of transit for this area.
However, increased costs and a lack of involvement from the railroad led to the project being stopped in 2021. MARTA decided to look into other transportation options for the county.
ATL Transit Law
In November 2016, Gwinnett and Fulton voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase for expanding service. When the Interstate 85 Bridge collapsed in 2017, MARTA announced extended service to help people get around. The CEO, Keith Parker, reported that ridership increased by 25% the day after the collapse. In January 2018, the state legislature introduced House Bill 930. This bill created the Atlanta Transit Link Authority, similar to the MTA in New York. The bill allows 13 metro Atlanta counties to raise sales tax by 1 cent for transit expansion if voters approve. On May 3, 2018, Governor Nathan Deal signed the bill into law.
Gwinnett County
In September 2018, MARTA's board and the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners conditionally approved an agreement. This agreement would have MARTA take over and greatly expand Gwinnett's bus system (which started in 2001). It would also clear the way for the long-desired extension of MARTA's train system into the county from its current end at Doraville.
The contract with MARTA would only start if a public vote, scheduled for March 19, 2019, succeeded. The agreement called for a new one-cent sales tax to be collected in Gwinnett County until 2057.
On March 19, 2019, the third transit vote failed, with 54.32% of the votes saying "No" to expansion.
Another vote was held as part of the November 3, 2020, Presidential election. This vote only funded the extension of the train system, not having MARTA take over Gwinnett's bus system. This vote also failed, with 50.13% of the votes against it.
COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, MARTA temporarily stopped several bus routes to help people keep a safe distance from each other on busier routes. As of April 24, 2021, all suspended bus routes have been brought back.
In April 2021, the Georgia state government announced funding for MARTA. As part of the state spending plan, MARTA is set to receive $6 million to improve Bankhead station. This station will serve the site of the planned Microsoft campus.
Current Status
Like other transit agencies, MARTA saw a big drop in ridership after the COVID lockdowns. It has been working to get riders back. This has led to less funding, causing many planned expansion projects to be put on hold or delayed. For example, the Clifton Corridor and Campbellton Road Projects were changed from Light Rail (LRT) to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in 2022.
MARTA's first bus rapid transit line is currently being built. Construction is expected to finish later in 2025, with service starting in late 2025. This 5-mile line will run from downtown Atlanta, through Summerhill, and end at the Atlanta Beltline. The line, called "MARTA Rapid Summerhill," will use new 60-foot electric buses.
Fare History
Here is how the price of a single one-way ride on MARTA has changed:
- 1972: MARTA buys the Atlanta Transit Company and lowers bus fare from US$0.40 to US$0.15.
- 1979: MARTA raises the fare to US$0.25.
- 1980: MARTA raises the fare to US$0.50.
- 1981: MARTA raises the fare to US$0.60.
- 1987: MARTA raises the fare to US$0.75.
- 1989: MARTA raises the fare to US$0.85.
- 1990: MARTA raises the fare to US$1.00.
- 1992: MARTA raises the fare to US$1.25.
- 1996: MARTA raises the fare to US$1.50.
- 2000: MARTA raises the fare to US$1.75.
- 2006: MARTA switches from tokens and cash to the Breeze Card smart-card system; fare stays US$1.75.
- 2009: Fare is raised to $2.00.
- 2011: Fare is raised to $2.50.
Special Events
MARTA has been very important for Atlanta when it hosts big events, such as:
- 1994 Super Bowl XXVIII
- 1996 Summer Olympics
- 2000 Super Bowl XXXIV
- 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship
- 2019 Super Bowl LIII
Special tokens were sometimes made for these important events.
See also
- Timeline of mass transit in Atlanta
