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As MARTA Considers Next CEO, Riders Call For Service Improvements

September 17th, 2012

Two finalists remain in MARTA’s search for a new chief executive. A final selection is expected in the coming weeks.

In the lead up to that decision, WABE this weekend asked MARTA riders what issues they want the new leader to tackle.

At Lenox Station in Buckhead, several issues came up time and time again. Chief among them, the frequency of service, particularly on the weekend.

“For a major metropolitan city – an international city – the fact that the trains are 20 and 30 minutes apart and buses –some buses are 40 minutes to an hour long – that don’t make no sense on the weekend. Come on, people want to come to the city and enjoy the city,” said Jay Luster of East Point.

Luster and other regular riders were quick to vent about wait times. They said the situation could be improved if the schedules better reflected the actual arrival times of buses and trains.

“The screens that let us know when the trains are supposed to come – a lot of the time they’re not working,” said Decatur resident Marque Lewis.

Riders grumbled about not having some type of online component that could track buses and trains in real time.

Another frequent complaint involved ticket prices. Riders said the $95 monthly Breezecards are too expensive. A year ago, the price of a monthly pass was $68.

At MARTA’s Art Center Station, Ron Morgan of downtown Atlanta said he wanted to see a crackdown on aggressive panhandling.

“Something needs to be done in terms of penalties or something for people that get on the trains and harass people for money. There are people that ride the trains daily and do that for a living.”

A lot of riders agreed that many of the problems would be addressed quicker if the new CEO were the type that actually rode MARTA on a regular basis.

“Be hands on. Ride the system. See what the heck is going on. You can’t just sit behind and initiate results without actually being there and seeing it,” said Parker Orr of midtown Atlanta.

In addition to rider complaints, the new MARTA chief will face a $30 million budget shortfall in the coming year.