The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is responsible for about $2.6 billion in economic activity annually and supports approximately 24,000 jobs—not only in the metro Atlanta region it serves, but statewide.

That’s the major finding of The Economic Impact of Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority on the Economy and Labor Mobility of the Region. The study, released by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute, analyzed MARTA’s direct and indirect effects on the economy from 2007 to 2011 based on its operating and capital budgets. It updated similar research conducted by the institute in 2007.

Researchers determined that MARTA’s presence boosts economic efficiency because “…employers are more likely to find workers who meet their needs and workers are able to commute to jobs that pay a market rate for their skills.”

A PDF version of the full report is available here.