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MARTA Launches Initial Clayton County Service; Historic Event Opens County to Regional Public Transit Connections
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) marked the first jurisdictional expansion in its history with a ribbon-cutting event March 14 in Clayton County, where residents voted by three to one last year to join the agency and increased the county sales tax by 1 percent to finance the service. The tax went into effect March 1.
MARTA is scheduled to launch three Clayton County bus routes on March 21, providing connections to rail service in Fulton and DeKalb counties. The agency estimates that the three new routes will add eight vehicles to the system and a total of almost 1.1 million additional one-way trips annually. Service will increase to eight fixed routes and two flex bus circulators before the end of 2015.
“Once the buses start rolling, we will keep listening to our customers and make the necessary tweaks and changes to ensure our customers get the very best ridership experience possible,” MARTA General Manager/Chief Executive Officer Keith T. Parker said at the event.
“I’m from Atlanta and grew up riding MARTA,” said MARTA Board Chairman Robert L. Ashe III. “Four months after the November referendum, I am still overwhelmed by the vote that left no doubt in anyone’s mind that MARTA is needed in Clayton County and is here to stay. This is a watershed event for MARTA, for Clayton County and for metro Atlanta.”
Rep. David Scott (D-GA) joined local and county officials at the event, which began with a 14-vehicle motorcade along one of the new routes.
Members of the MARTA Police Department also were on hand to introduce themselves to Clayton County residents. The agency will open a mini-police precinct in the county and has assigned 13 officers to monitor the new bus routes.
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Dignitaries including MARTA General Manager/CEO Keith T. Parker cut the ribbon to celebrate the coming launch of MARTA service into Clayton County.
Photo by Adam Shumaker |
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