The Georgia House Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Overview Committee (MARTOC) recently convened to discuss the findings of a recent assessment of the More MARTA Program.
The More MARTA Program, approved by voters in 2016, aims to expand MARTA transit within Atlanta. KPMG conducted the assessment, and firm representatives presented their review, focusing on allocating costs between the More MARTA Program and other non-MARTA routes.
Officials discussed two methodologies: the threshold method, which attributes all service changes after 2016 to the More MARTA Program and the proportional method, which allocates costs based on fixed percentages derived from service levels between 2017 and 2019. The proportional method, which distributes service increases and decreases across the entire system, was determined to provide a more accurate cost allocation.
Under the threshold method, roughly $82 million was calculated as the amount MARTA owes the city of Atlanta. The proportional method suggested that the amount was instead roughly $865,000.
“As we review the findings of KPMG, it’s evident that the threshold methodology, while initially suitable, did not adequately account for service changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and led to misleading conclusions,” state Rep. Deborah Silcox, R-Sandy Springs, said in a release.
“The proportional methodology offers a more realistic and equitable approach by considering the shared nature of our transit system and spreading costs across all routes,” Silcox added. “This review is an important step toward addressing concerns, ensuring that the program operates with the highest level of accountability and making sure taxpayers’ investments in transit expansion are used efficiently as we continue to improve transit options for our community.”
MARTA called KPMG’s findings “a clear win” for the agency.
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