Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

MARTA is investigating a May 23 accident involving a bus on Route 123 that was struck by a freight train at a railroad crossing in the City of Decatur. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the accident which occurred about 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of South McDonough and East Howard Avenue. MARTA Operator Donna McMullen was travelling northbound with four passengers aboard when she reported the bus became “stuck” as it proceeded across the tracks. As a westbound train approached, McMullen followed MARTA emergency protocol and safely evacuated the bus. The ensuing impact caused serious damage to the bus

ATLANTA — During one of Atlanta’s biggest and most exciting weekends in recent memory, MARTA’s rail ridership spiked dramatically as large numbers of hometown customers and out-of-town visitors skipped the traffic jams and instead chose transit to attend the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and a host of other events. Beginning Friday April 5th when the Final Four events began until after the championship game on Monday, April 8th, MARTA saw an estimated 78 percent increase in rail ridership. During that period, there were about 1,140,000 total rail passenger boardings; about 500,000 more than on average days when no such events

ATLANTA — MARTA’s website has made its debut in the advertising world. The Authority has launched a 12-month advertising pilot program on www.itsmarta.com to explore a new source of revenue for the transit system. The pilot is estimated to generate around $1,000 to $5,000 per month for MARTA at no cost to the Authority. “The website advertising pilot project provides a great opportunity for us to tap into a new revenue stream,” said MARTA General Manager/CEO Keith T. Parker. “This program is just one of the many ways we are working to develop a more sustainable business model for MARTA