Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

MARTA may adopt new policy for naming stations

MARTA came under fire two years ago after the board changed the name of the West End station to The Juanita Jones and Ralph David Abernathy at West End station. Photo by Bill Torpy

Credit: Photo by Bill Torpy

Credit: Photo by Bill Torpy

MARTA came under fire two years ago after the board changed the name of the West End station to The Juanita Jones and Ralph David Abernathy at West End station. Photo by Bill Torpy
By
March 12, 2020

MARTA may change its procedures for naming transit stations in the wake of a controversy over the renaming of its West End station.

The MARTA Board today will consider a policy that requires the agency to seek input from the surrounding community and the affected local government. It also requires public hearings on new station names, which must be presented for approval to the board’s operations and safety committee and the full board.

MARTA came under fire two years ago after the board changed the name of the West End station to The Juanita Jones and Ralph David Abernathy at West End station. The name honored the civil rights leader and his wife, who was a MARTA Board member.

But neighborhood residents objected. They wanted the West End name preserved in honor of the historic neighborhood.

About the Author

David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.

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