Not all transit created equally

To the surprise of some, the state-run Xpress bus system carrying commuters from outlying counties to Atlanta has proved a major and laudable success.

Every workday, thousands of passengers board the 34 bus routes from Cherokee, Forsyth, Henry and other counties to downtown and Midtown, then climb back on the bus at day’s end for the trip home. In March, Xpress served almost 200,000 commuters.

The system is operated by the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. As GRTA’s Web site brags, “Xpress is the Atlanta region’s premier commuter transportation service, with luxury coaches carrying riders throughout the region. … With plenty of legroom, reclining seats, luggage racks, electrical outlets (some seats) and reading lamps —- it’s a first class way to ride.”

At just $80 for a monthly pass, it’s also a great deal. While MARTA is a bit cheaper —- $52.50 for a monthly pass —- it doesn’t travel far outside the Perimeter to places such as Woodstock or Jonesboro, as Xpress does. (As a MARTA rider, I can attest it doesn’t offer reclining seats, outlets or reading lamps.)

It does, however, move people efficiently. Each weekday, MARTA carries more than twice as many passengers as Xpress does in a month. And it manages that feat despite being the country’s only major rail-transit system that operates without state aid.

The Xpress system, on the other hand, does get state support. For example, GRTA is scheduled to buy 134 new luxury coaches to help meet booming demand. The feds will cover a lot of the cost, but according to the regional transportation improvement plan, Georgia will match that with $29 million in bond proceeds, plus another $7.8 million.

In addition, the state will pay $2.9 million to help subsidize operations, and will raise $9.5 million through bonds to build park-and-ride lots in outlying counties. All in all, that’s almost $40 million in state support for a bus system that provides service to outlying counties. But nothing for MARTA.

Compounding the inequity, while the state spends millions on park-and-ride facilities in outlying counties, it didn’t budget a cent for infrastructure to handle incoming bus traffic in Atlanta. Atlanta officials and Central Atlanta Progress, the downtown business association, say they weren’t even notified that 134 additional Xpress buses would soon be making trips into downtown. (A barely adequate deal to ease that burden has since been reached.)

As you might expect, the demographics served by the two systems differ as well. According to surveys, at least 61 percent of state-subsidized Xpress bus riders have household incomes of at least $50,000. (Household income of 19 percent could not be determined.) By comparison, just 6 percent of MARTA riders make that much.

The inequity of state assistance for suburban commuters while similar aid is denied urban commuters is pretty glaring. Earlier this month, activists cited that inequity in a challenge filed with federal officials.

However, the situation also testifies to the lack of state leadership and coordination on transportation. As GRTA and other agencies scramble to fill that vacuum, it’s no surprise that consistency, efficiency and fairness suffer.

Jay Bookman is deputy editorial page editor.