Georgia

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Transit

MARTA Moves to Color-Coded Lines

November 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
ATLANTA — MARTA last month introduced color-coded rail lines — similar to systems in other major cities — saying it will help cut down on rider confusion. “The changes we’re making in our rail-line identification system will help both frequent and occasional users of our system,” MARTA General Manager Beverly Scott said in a news release. “Our goal is to ensure that customers continue to move safely through the system without feeling overwhelmed.” With the change, the former North-South Line is now the Red Line, the Northeast-South Line is the Yellow Line, the East-West line is the Blue Line and
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DOT Presents MARTA With $10.8 Million for Solar Canopies

September 22, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
ATLANTA — The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded MARTA with a $10.8 million grant under the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Grant Program. The grant will be used to install energy-efficient solar panels at the Laredo Bus Maintenance Facility in Decatur, Ga., resulting in considerable cost-savings for MARTA and creating much-needed economic opportunities for metro Atlanta, officials said. The TIGGER award represents “a timely and substantial contribution” to MARTA’s sustainability initiatives and continuing commitment to be innovative and cost-effective, MARTA said in a news release. The turnkey project will provide for shade structures with integrated, grid-tied
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MARTA: New Economic Forecast Predicts Further Decline In Sales Tax Revenue

August 28, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire
ATLANTA — MARTA “stands to lose” hundreds of millions in sales tax revenues over the next decade on top of an already projected $1.2 billion shortfall, according to a new economic analysis from the Georgia State University Economic Forecasting Center, the transit authority. This forecast shows “the urgent need for a new dedicated and reliable source of transit funding in the state and region,” MARTA said. About a month into the new fiscal year, MARTA is already re-evaluating its options to address a continuing shortfall in FY 2010 revenues, officials said. “This new report is extremely sobering.  Unfortunately, we’ve continued