That '70s commute: Atlantans flock to MARTA
1 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
When MARTA was started in 1971, it was only a series of bus routes. Although part of MARTA's overall master plan, rail service wouldn't begin until 1979. Until then, Atlantans who wished to avoid long commutes flocked to the revamped metropolitan area bus service. (And yes, the commutes in the '70s were long, too. Some things never change.) The photos in this gallery were all taken in 1974.
2 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
A MARTA bus still painted in the old Atlanta Transit Company style makes its way down an Atlanta expressway during rush hour traffic. Atlanta Transit ran the city's bus service from 1950 until 1971, when MARTA purchased the Atlanta Transit system for $12.8 million.
3 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Rush hour commuters await the No. 23 West Peachtree bus in one of MARTA's then-new 100-passenger waiting shelters downtown. For a time, MARTA buses bore the old Atlanta Transit colors of orange and white. In the background, a MARTA bus painted in the now-familiar style with the system logo can be seen.
4 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
A passenger heads for a seat on a MARTA bus. Ridership in 1974 totaled 73,727,000.
5 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Atlanta area voters authorized a one-percent sales tax to improve MARTA and in 1974, the tax brought in $53 million.
6 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
A MARTA bus is flanked by a double-decker bus on the streets of Atlanta in 1974. The double-decker, which wasn't one of MARTA's buses, nevertheless offered riders another option (and a pretty unique one).
7 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Many of MARTA's new passengers in 1974 were first-time riders.
8 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
This booth offering MARTA riders system information was located right downtown at a major intersection. It's the kind of improvement that drew new riders to MARTA in the early '70s.
9 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
MARTA enjoyed a 27-percent ridership increase from 1970-74. The system's new buses and new routes were among the reasons cited for the boost.
10 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
If you grew up in Atlanta, you remember them. The cement MARTA bus stop posts found around metro Atlanta were hard to miss -- and, frankly, just rock hard since they were made of cement. Not many remain, but you may still run across one if you know what to look for. Here, a rider rests on a classic MARTA bus stop post while waiting for his bus to come.
11 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Another amenity that MARTA riders of the early '70s appreciated was the availability of fringe parking for use by those taking buses. Here, commuters head to their cars at an Atlanta-area shopping center after being dropped off by the bus.
12 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
The view from the MARTA driver's seat proves that no matter the decade, heavy Atlanta traffic remains a constant.
13 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
A passenger deposits her fare as she boards a bus. Decreasing fares from 40 to 15 cents brought MARTA a number of new passengers who previously hadn't considered using mass transit.
14 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
In 1974, MARTA boasted 715 buses -- 490 of them new.
15 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
MARTA buses traveled 1,592 route miles each workday in 1974.
16 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Commuters wait on their MARTA bus at one of the downtown Atlanta stops. MARTA offered night routes, too, which was another welcome change to riders.
17 / 17
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Another MARTA fringe parking area, located at the old Atlanta Stadium site, was popular with riders.
Sign up for e-newsletters
Want more news?
Sign up for free e-newsletters to get more of AJC delivered to your inbox.
View Comments 0