The City of Atlanta has until 5 p.m. today to submit plans to fix a slew of problems with its troubled streetcar or state regulators say they’ll shut it down.
Last month Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry gave Atlanta and MARTA until June 14 to submit plans to address 60 problems outlined in recent audits. City officials say they'll meet the deadline.
Channel 2 Action News has reported that no decision on the streetcar’s fate is expected today, and GDOT may take up to 10 days to review the city’s response to ensure it is adequate.
The city and MARTA share responsibility for the $98 million downtown streetcar. But state and federal law requires GDOT to oversee its safety and security. Over the last year audits have uncovered problems ranging from poor maintenance procedures and inadequate staffing to a failure to properly investigate accidents.
In the May 23 letter, McMurry said streetcar officials have failed to "provide timely, substantive and compliant responses to deficiencies" identified by GDOT and the Federal Transportation Authority.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Kasim Reed said the city will respond by today’s deadline. A GDOT spokeswoman said the agency will issue a statement on the streetcar late today.
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