MARTA Chair: No Plans To Expand System To Cherokee

NOTE: the following letter to the editor was submitted by Robbie Ashe, chairman of MARTA's Board of Directors.

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As chairman of MARTA’s Board of Directors, I’m as big a fan of MARTA as you’ll find. But nobody at MARTA, including me, our executive team, or anyone else, is planning on or even looking at expanding to Cherokee County.

I certainly mean no disrespect to Cherokee County, but Georgia’s Constitution is quite clear: MARTA may only collect a sales tax and operate in five specified counties – Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb and Gwinnett – and no others. In each of those specified counties, MARTA cannot operate without the approval of the county commission and the county’s voters in a countywide referendum.

Fulton, DeKalb, and recently Clayton have given that approval while Cobb and Gwinnett have not. That’s why Cobb and Gwinnett have their own transit systems, not MARTA. In MARTA’s member counties, our operations are mostly paid for by fare revenues and a local option sales tax levied only in those counties. The state of Georgia does not pay for any of MARTA’s operations.

Our focus and energy is on being the best possible transit system for our current members – a task that keeps us plenty busy. Last year alone, we provided about 136 million passenger trips for our bus, rail and Mobility (paratransit) customers.

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During the 2016 session of the General Assembly, we were able to win approval for the city of Atlanta’s voters to decide for themselves this November whether to invest an additional ½ cent sales tax levied only within Atlanta to expand transit within the city.

This bill was carried by Speaker Pro-Tem Jan Jones (R-Milton) and supported by every member of the Cherokee delegation (Scot Turner was absent). If voters approve the referendum, MARTA will use the funds generated by the new Atlanta-only sales tax to build substantial additional rail and bus service to better serve folks who live, work and play in the city.

I guess in some ways we should be flattered about rumors we’re plotting secret expansions to other counties. But anyone suggesting that there’s a MARTA conspiracy to expand to Cherokee County is (a) not telling the truth, and (b) hasn’t read what Georgia’s laws and Constitution say about that topic. We understand that opinions vary widely in our region – and even in MARTA’s service area – about the need for transit, including what types of transit works best and where. We encourage that important dialogue but, to be blunt, we have no desire to go where we’re not wanted and we’re darn sure not interested in violating the law or Constitution to get there.

Meanwhile, when you come work in or visit Atlanta, we encourage you to try MARTA – if you haven’t ridden in a while, I hope and trust that our service and safety improvements will exceed your expectations.

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Image via MARTA