Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
Ga. legislature approves pair of MARTA bills
ATLANTA — The Georgia General Assembly has approved a pair of measures related to MARTA’s operations, and the bills await the signature of Gov. Nathan Deal. House Bill 264 would suspend a section of the MARTA Act of 1965 that prohibits the agency from using more than 50 percent of its annual sales and use tax proceeds for operating costs. Should Deal sign the bill into law, the prohibition would be removed until June 30, 2019. The measure would also increase the contract amount for which Board approval is required from $100,000 to $200,000, allowing bonds to be sold through
MARTA Won’t Operate New Atlanta Streetcar
ATLANTA — MARTA will not operate the new Atlanta streetcar when it begins operations next year, WABE reported. “It’s been over the last year that we pretty much determined that the best way to go about this is using a mechanism other than MARTA,” WABE quoted Tom Weyandt, senior transportation policy adviser for Mayor Kasim Reed, as saying. Added Weyandt: “It has to do with a whole set of cost structures…insurance that we would have to assume for a new service that MARTA could not accommodate under their existing rapid rail operation.” When it opens, the 2.7-mile streetcar line will
Report: Airport Rail Link Increases Hotel Room Revenue
Cities with direct rail access from the airport to and from downtown receive nearly 11 percent more revenue per room than hotels in cities without such a connection, according to a report from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the U.S. Travel Association. The study, A New Partnership: Rail Transit and Convention Growth, shows higher revenue per room translates to a potential $313 million in revenue per year for so-called “rail cities.” In the post-recession period, rail cities commanded 16 percent higher revenue per room than hotels in non-rail cities, the organizations said. “Clearly investment in local rail systems
MARTA looking to expand along Ga. Highway 400 corridor
ATLANTA — The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is looking to expand its system to include “high-capacity transit” along a major thoroughfare into the city’s northern suburbs. Transit options for the 12-mile corridor along Ga. Highway 400, according to a notice published in the Federal Register, could include bus or rail. While MARTA officials have looked to expand the city’s subway system, new tracks haven’t been brought into service since 2000. “MARTA has identified an alignment that would provide approximately 11.9 miles of transit service along the GA 400 corridor within existing right-of-way from the existing North Springs MARTA
MARTA Moving Forward with Transit-Oriented Development
ATLANTA — MARTA recently release a Request For Qualifications (RFQ) to identify a master development partner to help create a new Transit-Oriented Development at the King Memorial rail station in Downtown Atlanta. The RFQ is the initial phase of a two-step process wherein potential development partners will be asked to respond to MARTA’s qualification criteria for its TOD program. A short list of firms who satisfy the criteria will subsequently be invited to submit formal bids on the project as part of a future Request for Proposals (RFP). MARTA selected King Memorial Station as the first of five transit-oriented developments
Atlanta Braves Looking to Build Maglev to Turner Field
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves are looking to add a maglev train connecting Turner Field with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), the city’s mass transit system. According to published reports, the Braves are partnering with a Marietta-based company, American Maglev Technologies, on the proposed connection. Currently, anyone taking public transportation to the Braves’ stadium must transfer from the subway to a bus. While a rail link to Turner Field has been discussed over the years, one has yet to be built, prompting the recent maglev train proposal. “We think this is a huge opportunity to not only solve
Tracks are in the Ground for New Atlanta Streetcar Line
ATLANTA — Crews continue to install tracks for a new streetcar line that is set to start operating next spring. When it opens, the 2.7-mile streetcar line will connect with MARTA, the city’s transit system. Future plans call for the new streetcar to tie into the Atlanta BeltLine, a public-private partnership that is building walking paths along a ring of mostly abandoned railroad right-of-ways that circle the city. Workers are expected to install a block of track every three to four weeks. The new line is funded with nearly $100 million – or roughly $37 million per mile – in
MARTA won’t raise fare in 2014
ATLANTA — MARTA will not raise its fare under a Fiscal Year 2014 budget the MARTA Board of Directors approved on Monday. The budget, which takes effect July 1, includes $426.9 million for operations and $430.5 million for capital programs, including $141.1 million for debt service. The regional transit provider originally planned to increase its base fare from $2.50 to $2.75 during the upcoming fiscal year and would have included increases in 2015, 2016 and 2018 fiscal years. MARTA officials say the approved budget includes a five-year strategy to stabilize the agency’s finances, improve employee morale and the overall customer