ATLANTA — The MARTA Board of Directors this month approved a Fiscal Year 2015 budget that includes $415.6 million for operations.
The budget, which takes effect July 1, also includes $470.1 million for capital programs, including $149.2 million for debt service.
The budget, which includes a 19 percent increase in rail service hours, does not call for a fare increase. The agency also said it plans to increase the promotional program fare discounts for purchases of $2,000 or more.
“MARTA has accomplished a tremendous amount in 2014, and we are confident we can continue in this vein,” MARTA Board Chairman Robert L. Ashe said in a statement. “The agency has weathered and overcome several economic challenges in recent years, and we are pleased with our fiscal outlook.”
Also, starting June 2, MARTA returned four-car trains to the Red line. The agency said it would maintain six-car trains on the Gold, Blue and Green.
MARTA has increased the frequency of trains during weekday peak hours for riders on the Red and Gold lines. Between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., trains are scheduled to run every five minutes on the “trunk,” the section between the Airport Station and Lindbergh Center where the two lines share tracks.
