We asked readers how to fix MARTA. To start: More tracks, better experience.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Following mechanical issues after Shakira’s concert, an escalator mishap following Beyoncé’s fourth and final performance, delays transporting people during the Peachtree Road Race and the early retirement of its CEO — just in the last two months — the AJC opinion team asked readers how they would improve MARTA.
We wanted to know what’s working or not, how to fix those problems, what the board should look for in a new CEO and how to make the system ready for big global events like the eight World Cup matches coming to Atlanta in 2026.
While transit ridership has increased nationally, it’s down in Atlanta, according the Federal Transit Authority. That makes the need for action more urgent.
Readers shared their observations, critiques, ideas and solutions, as well as some unusual experiences. Check them out below.
Add to the conversation by sending a letter of 200 words or fewer to letters@ajc.com. Include your name, city/town and phone number for verification.
— David Plazas, opinion editor, AJC, david.plazas@ajc.com
MARTA should charge more for longer commutes
Re: “MARTA must do better. Bring in new leadership and stop misleading the public,” by AJC Publisher Andrew Morse.
I have been riding the MARTA from North Springs south for 25 years on a regular basis. I disagree with Mr. Morse’s contention that MARTA “is not clean, safe and reliable.”
On only a couple of rare occasions, I saw trash.
Yes, I’ve seen some strange people but have never felt unsafe at any time. In 25 years, interruptions on service have only occurred twice and buses were immediately supplied, which delayed my trip marginally.
While acknowledging that there’s always room for improvement, let’s be honest: MARTA, at least the trains, offers damn good service.
Question: Why does MARTA not charge for the distance of the ride you take? Why should someone from Midtown to Five Points pay what I pay to go to the airport?
JOHN MULHOLLAND, ALPHARETTA
Focusing on rider experience is critical
I have lived in Atlanta for 20 years and am a frequent rider. It has been so sad to see the system decline in recent years as the number of passengers falls and the daily experience of riding the trains declines.
The increased crime (I was recently attacked by a naked woman on a train) and constant presence of people screaming, urinating, smoking, graffiti, etc., make it really rough to ride.
The new CEO has to focus on the rider experience.
WOODY GILES, ATLANTA
To be a real city, Atlanta needs more train tracks
Atlanta needs to aspire to a public transit system on par with Boston, New York or Chongqing, China, if it wants to be a world-class city.
Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood’s early retirement is a perfect opportunity to hire someone willing to be aggressive about expanding MARTA, which starts with building what Atlantans were promised: light-rail on the east-side Beltline.
Not autonomous pods, horses and buggies or e-bikes, but trains — on tracks — like a real city.
While we’ve crashed out over a tiny sliver of light-rail, Chongqing has built an urban transit system hundreds of kilometers long, with over 100 stations. Looking at MARTA’s map, I weep.
The next chief executive could go further than the east-side Blue and Green lines, I reckon. Recent excavations on Juniper Street have found that the streetcar rails from the old pre-1949 regime lie dormant under Atlanta’s roads. I pray that the next CEO has the guts to try and resurrect that system.
MAX SALTMAN, ATLANTA
Credit: David Plazas
Transit must reliably get people to work on time
If Atlanta really wants to be a top-tier city, it has to improve its public transit. The trains are fairly reliable, but they do not cover nearly enough of our city, and the buses are completely hit-or-miss.
Recently, I tried to use MARTA to get to work three times. All three times, MARTA failed.
The first time, I got off the train and walked half a mile to the bus stop. I waited 20 minutes and then the bus drove by with no lights on and never looked my way, even though I was clearly standing at the stop. I ended up calling a Lyft.
The next day, I tried to pick up the bus at work to catch a train home. This time, there were six of us at the stop when the bus drove right by us with lights on and the route number flashing. Luckily, I had a friend see me and offer me a ride to the station. The others were stuck waiting in 90-degree heat for the next bus scheduled for 30 minutes later.
I tried one last time on the way to work and got off at a different station where the bus I needed would be. It was running 20 minutes late, and I was late to work.
This is failed transit.
Atlanta needs reliable bus service, and it needs many more routes. Until then, MARTA does not serve people who rely on transit to get to work — people who don’t have cars or don’t drive — and Atlantans just keep adding more cars to already congested roads. I hope the next MARTA leader has a vision of creating reliable transit that takes people all the places they need to go in Atlanta.
JENNIFER SALERNO, ATLANTA
Go back to basics instead of striving for shiny objects
Instead of extravagant renovations, MARTA needs to do the unglamorous work of running enough trains and buses to meet both normal schedules and demand during special events. The miserable service during weekends especially needs to be improved.
MARTA is essential transportation infrastructure; management needs to apply a laser focus toward this core mission before shoveling money at anything else.
MATTHEW WAMBOLDT, ATLANTA
Station signage and app must work properly
The city of Brookhaven is celebrating the grand opening of its new City Centre — a beautiful City Hall and community facility for public use.
As a city, we chose to locate this most important facility at the site of the Brookhaven MARTA station to provide easy access and commuting for the public and city staff. By doing so, we invested in the future of MARTA, as well as Brookhaven.
I remain hopeful that MARTA will live up to the hopes for Atlanta public transit, but I am concerned about whether it is keeping up with the need and the times.
Transit safety and the perception of safety is crucial. MARTA needs more conspicuous rider safety measures, including visible surveillance systems, signage and police presence. This would help address one of the biggest deterrents to MARTA ridership — concern for safety.
MARTA could also be easier to navigate. A recent effort to schedule a trip resulted in multiple website and app errors and an inability to determine bus and train schedules. Stations could also use more train arrival countdown signs indicating not just the time until arrival, but also the last stop to indicate which line it is on the northbound routes.
MARTA has great potential in our region, and I am optimistic that effective new leadership can shepherd the way to making Atlanta a more transit-oriented city.
LINLEY JONES, BROOKHAVEN
Former Brookhaven mayor pro tem
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Make more counties pay for MARTA
Gov. Brian Kemp should call a special session to deal with MARTA. Move control to the Georgia Department of Transportation or another transportation agency.
At the same time, move control of Cobb and Gwinnett transit systems. Add any additional counties as necessary, i.e., Douglas, Rockdale, Henry, Forsyth, etc.
Impose the 1-cent tax on all. Fix the problem once and got all.
BILL ROBERTSON, Decatur
Create incentives for executives, board to do better
I read the article about the CEO of MARTA and what a lousy job he has done and also what a lousy job the board of directors has done.
What happened to the days when you just got fired for doing a bad job and told to do a better job next time. Is that not what we do with the workers?
How can you justify laying off people in the MARTA system with all the mess-ups that have happened and still fork out this kind of money? What incentive is there to do a great job?
JIM MUNSON, ATLANTA
MARTA must ensure it abides by its mission statement
What is the purpose of MARTA? Does it have mission statement? Are the actions of the leadership of MARTA in line with delivering on that mission?
Failing businesses or organization most always “stink from the head!” If metro Atlanta is interested in turning around MARTA, a complete turnover of its board is needed first.
Is MARTA an affordable transit system for downtown? Is it a transit service to alleviate road traffic by bringing in Outside the Perimeter people into town for work and or entertainment? Is it in place to battle climate change?
Customers evaluate the businesses they are spending their money on — within seconds. We all make snap judgments about an organization based on the little things first.
Is the place clean? Are the light bulbs burning? Are there obvious safety hazards? Do the people working there seem interested in their job of servicing the paying customer?
Customers are not stupid. We see through MARTA wanting to spend millions of dollars on new vehicles and new upgrades to the downtown stations, yet it cannot keep its existing vehicles and stations clean.
SCOTT GOWER, MILLEDGEVILLE
Editor’s note: MARTA’s mission statement reads: “To advocate for and provide safe, multimodal transit services that advance prosperity, connectivity and equity for a more livable region.”
New CEO, board members should be experienced businesspeople
The AJC asks what changes the MARTA board should make. I’d suggest replacing the board and CEO with a group of experienced business owners — people who know how to run a business.
No amateurs, no out-of-country employees and no one who has to satisfy DEI guidelines: Smart, educated and experienced business professionals are needed. And they won’t be found in the younger generation.
And make damn sure each member is provided a current balance sheet if one is available.
JACK FRANKLIN, Conyers
Credit: Alyssa Pointer / AJC
Marine Corps general could fix safety gaps
The 800-pound gorilla at MARTA is safety. All the rest is theater.
Obviously, cleanliness, which speaks to discipline of operation is important, but show me a slovenly infrastructure and it reflects on everything else.
Bring in a Marine Corps general.
BARRY HANNA, SANDY SPRINGS
Hire an engineer as CEO and make board more responsive
Having worked in the car business for 35 years, let me explain how to get things done:
What is wrong with MARTA?
Go to a MARTA board meeting and you will see what’s wrong. The board is totally unresponsive. Presenters have two minutes to explain concerns. That is followed by nothing.
Issues should be followed by recording in a database and assigning the issue to a board member with a date to report back with a resolution.
How would you fix MARTA?
- Rail: Open the MARTA stations to businesses that would service riders and increase ridership — barbers, hair salons, food and drink vendors, laundromats, scooter lockers, bike lockers, personnel lockers and other service providers.
- Road transportation: Think out of the box for bus service, like autonomous buses or sizing buses to routes and ridership. Look at ways to make drivers available on demand.
What qualities should the MARTA board seek in a new CEO?
An engineer by background, because they are trained in efficient and effective designs, with a business degree.
CHRISTOPHER DYRDA, Atlanta
MARTA board must restore trust in the system
To AJC Publisher Andrew Morse:
Thank you for your forceful opinion and perspective on the current mess at MARTA. As requested, here are several suggestions:
- The full board of directors that presided over this sad state of affairs needs to be replaced — right now. In full. Board members have been negligent and derelict in their fiduciary responsibilities.
- The unbelievable golden parachute retirement package needs to be clawed back. Another travesty.
- The new board and search firm should hire a retired senior military man or woman who has had extensive high-level command responsibilities. They will evaluate the situation, take action and get things done. They know how to do this.
This is the way to correct this disaster and restore trust in the system. And maybe a little soul searching into how Mr. Greenwood got hired in the first place is in order. Learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat.
TERRY DEMPSEY, GRAYSON
Trains should go to where riders want to travel
Recently, I flew to Washington, D.C., and used the metro to visit five museums in two days. It was convenient, easy and inexpensive, and the station was a block from our hotel.
I flew back to Atlanta, and after waiting 20 minutes for the MARTA train, I took it from the airport to Midtown Station. Then, the only choice was a $50 Uber ride to Cobb County to come home.
MARTA worked well when the Braves were at Turner Field, but riding to the game has changed since the Braves called Truist Park and Cobb County home. MARTA can handle the Peachtree Road Race. It can handle Truist Park.
Sooner or later, someone is going to figure out how to use the existing double railroad tracks — which go from Atlanta to Marietta and Acworth — to take the pressure off I-75 and the Downtown Connector. Along Ga. 400, there are many MARTA stops with satellite parking. Property values in Roswell continue to rise and residents need better service.
Cobb can do this. Where is the late Cobb County Commission Chair Tim Lee when we need him?
DANIEL F. KIRK, KENNESAW
Align priorities and objectives of full staff
Let’s be realistic. We are not going to fix 10 years of neglect before next July.
And while funding is often the focus of debate, it’s unlikely that a sudden influx of resources is coming, so rehashing that argument won’t move us forward.
What MARTA truly needs is alignment.
Right now, gate agents and MARTA police don’t seem to operate as a team. Trains begin running at 5 a.m., but gate agents aren’t on duty until 7 a.m. What business opens its doors without cashiers for the first two hours?
And yet MARTA does, effectively letting customers “run wild” during that time. In those early hours, I have witnessed fare jumping, drug use and urination on platforms.
Even at stations staffed with agents, their hands appear tied. MARTA police, too often, seem to look the other way instead of supporting enforcement.
The See & Say app is a great idea in theory — and I’ve used it many times — but by the time a report is recognized, the offenders are long gone. Something as basic as a broken gate at Civic Center station can take weeks to be repaired.
There is too much of an “it’s not my job” mindset and not enough of “we’re in this together.” Until that culture shifts, no other changes — funding, repairs, or otherwise — will truly matter.
DAVID ROGIE, MIDTOWN ATLANTA
System must expand beyond its current configuration
MARTA’s heavy rail network is an embarrassment compared to comparable cities like Washington D.C., or Madrid.
In lieu of a decent rail network, get the basics right: Breeze card machines should just work and actually accept my credit card. Trains and stations shouldn’t smell like urine.
The station video displays should display actual train arrival times instead of what was supposedly scheduled. And I should never, ever have to wait 20 minutes for a train at the airport.
It’s a shame that MARTA’s rail design is strictly radial with everything going through Five Points. Why can’t I ride a train across the congested top-end Perimeter to shop at Perimeter Mall or catch a Braves game?
What about a train from North Avenue station to Ponce City Market, Emory University and Decatur? I’ve stopped going to concerts at Chastain Park because it’s so difficult to get there.
So many missed opportunities.
ALLAN METTS, ATLANTA
Credit: John Spink
MARTA could help stem environmental degradation
As an inveterate people watcher, I love MARTA rail and use it whenever possible. In our world of isolation and self-driven taxis, I uniformly enjoy the opportunity for a communal experience with a cross section of Atlantans.
Some of my friends are reluctant to take MARTA; they fear unruly behavior or are uncomfortable among people unlike them. I have witnessed a few slightly unsettling situations on MARTA, but in general I have been treated with kindness and respect — with people helping me find my way, warning me about an unzipped purse or making sure I was OK after stumbling on the escalator.
Unfortunately, I have seen MARTA deteriorate in the last 10 years. I’m angry and sad that this helpful resource in which we have invested much public money has not been cared for as it should have been. With the upcoming change in leadership, Atlantans should seize the opportunity to help make MARTA an asset we can all be proud of.
Traffic and environmental degradation threaten our city. A robust MARTA with more riders will mean less of both. With Washington eroding environmental protection, states, cities and individuals will need to step up.
MARTHA L MILLER, DECATUR
Greenwood was the visionary leader MARTA needed
When Collie Greenwood stepped down, all sorts of people had things to say. In a July column, SaportaReport Executive Editor Maria Saporta quoted Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman’s awful, heartless comment calling for a “hard reset in operations and project delivery.”
A little softer, Mayor Andre Dickens’ statement was: “This is a pivotal opportunity to accelerate the system improvements and expansions our residents have long called for. We will also continue deepening collaboration with fellow municipal leaders across the region to ensure that MARTA keeps pace with our growth.”
Then on July 30, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Tyler Wilkins reported what Atlanta business leaders want in the incoming leader of Marta.
Frankly, former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood possessed all those qualities, and he would have accomplished far more had there been less interference from people who are not familiar with running a transit authority.
The first time I heard Collie Greenwood speak was at an Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) meeting where he said something like: Let’s change the paradigm. MARTA has been buses and trains moving people and now we will think of MARTA as people moving people, since it’s the people of MARTA who are the primary asset.
Atlanta has suffered a sad loss of talent.
JENNIFER BROOKS, ATLANTA
MARTA must claim rights of way, seek to be innovative
Concerning MARTA, here are three thoughts:
First, I agree with Scott Taylor, president and CEO of Atlanta developer Carter, who identified the most important ability of a new MARTA leader: “the ability ... to deliver capital projects on budget and on schedule.”
This is the fundamental skill needed of a manager. MARTA needs to deploy its Bus Rapid Transit systems on budget and on time, and it needs to leverage transit-oriented development to fund infill stations.
Second, MARTA would also do well to work with Atlanta DOT to claim rights of way throughout the city. Any future transit system will have to take lanes from streets, and every year, it is more difficult to claim that real estate. Today, there may not be funds for a city-wide transit system, but the necessary rights of way for future city-wide transit can be claimed now.
Finally, a new MARTA leader must be able handle innovation-induced uncertainty. There is currently an explosion of mobility innovation, including autonomous vehicles, mobility-as-a-service, and micro-mobility of many kinds. The difference between Uber’s autonomous taxis and Beep’s autonomous transit is very small, and someday the two may be indistinguishable. MARTA, perhaps in collaboration with local universities, needs to closely monitor technical and institutional innovations in mobility.
HANS KLEIN, PRESIDENT, BETTER ATLANTA TRANSIT
Get public to say ‘yes’ to people-oriented transit development
MARTA’s present state results from repeated, systematic attacks on Georgia’s public transit network.
Rather than investing around $230 million in light rail (in areas) projected to have the highest ridership growth MARTA has seen, Atlantans are gambling over $13 billion on tolled lanes along Ga. 400 and I-285 to marginally relieve our notorious traffic. Friends and family question how I get out of MARTA unscathed after every trip, despite 45% of workplace fatalities being due to driving.
MARTA’s future CEO must lead a noble fight against perceptions, public apathy, and constant lack of government support to provide a service that’s usable for all. It’s awesome to take to events or the airport, but unappealing when the benefit for commuting from unincorporated DeKalb becomes “driving less with extra steps,” not “saving time, skipping traffic, keeping my sanity.”
The CEO must value a culture of people-oriented transit development. Capitalize on today’s opportunities that provide more frequent, reliable, connected, and holistic service. Get people to say “yes” to transit. Facilitate agreements, then stick with the decision despite adversaries. If the new CEO cannot set this culture, every Atlantan, riders and drivers, will face an irreparable trainwreck: constant delays, lower quality of life and preventable life-changing risks.
If you have any questions or doubts, please let me know.
JORDAN LIN, DECATUR
Editor’s note: The letters below focus on other transportation concerns.
Atlanta Streetcar expansion idea is shortsighted
Re: “Atlanta must extend Streetcar and build Beltline transit to thrive as a city,” by guest opinion writer Thomas Weyandt Jr.
Weyandt’s recent opinion advocating for light-rail on the Beltline reflects an outdated approach to urban transit that no longer meets the moment.
For over a decade, I’ve raised concerns about putting fixed rail on the Beltline. While well-intentioned, it is a shortsighted and expensive proposal that would permanently alter popular pedestrian and bike trails while offering little return on investment.
The Atlanta Streetcar has struggled with low ridership and limited utility. Expanding it without addressing those shortcomings makes little sense.
Atlanta should not lock itself into a costly, inflexible system when emerging technologies like electric buses, microtransit and autonomous shuttles offer scalable, less disruptive alternatives. These options are more adaptable to growth, more responsive to riders and far less expensive to implement and maintain.
We can and should pursue equitable and sustainable transit, but it must be forward-looking and cost-effective. Pouring hundreds of millions into fixed rail on the Beltline would be less a modern solution and more a monument to the past.
ERIC TANENBLATT, ATLANTA
Longtime civic and business leader; former senior adviser to U.S. Sen. Paul Coverdell, former chief of staff to Gov. Sonny Perdue and now head of Dentons global public policy practice.
Credit: File photo
The problem with streetcar is poor ridership
Thomas Weyandt Jr. (“We must extend streetcar line and build Beltline transit,” AJC, July 27) acknowledges Atlanta’s Streetcar “certainly has its challenges,” — which include having low ridership and being a financial bust and traffic snarler — but he believes the streetcar “still offers huge promise.”
His opinion reminds me of the beginning of Woody Allen’s movie “Annie Hall,” where Allen tells the story of two elderly women complaining about their stay at a Catskill Mountains resort. One woman says, “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.” And the other woman adds, “Yeah, I know, and such small portions.”
The story’s application to Mr. Weyandt’s belief in the streetcar: The problem with a bad thing is there’s just not enough of it?
GREGORY MARSHALL, MARIETTA
Go back to the drawing board on ATL Streetcar
Thomas Weyandt’s opinion article promotes Beltline rail transit while not addressing the basic question: How many people will ride this?
The Atlanta Streetcar was and is a ridership failure ignored by the protransit people. Who needs to travel from one side of Atlanta to the opposite side? East-west? North-south? Nobody.
There are many neighborhoods on the trail that people have never heard of, much less have a need to go there.
First determine ridership, because it matters more than anything. What matters is how many people will use this.
LUKE LAURENT, ATLANTA
