Nearly Half of MARTA Board Members Rarely Use Transit, Data Shows

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Six MARTA board members rode MARTA fewer than 10 times in the past year, according to a records request by Atlanta News First.

Board Chair Katie Powers has taken one MARTA trip since January 2023. The Board Vice Chair and Secretary have each taken the transit system six times since June 2023.

“I understand that it can be a concern. I have an almost 2-year-old, so I think a lot of families in metro Atlanta would understand if I said we don’t go out,” Powers said. “But when we do, when there’s an event where we can use and access MARTA, we certainly take advantage of it.”

Powers, who lives in Clayton County, said she took MARTA less than a dozen times a year before becoming a mother.

Powers said they are constantly working to improve access in counties bordering Fulton County.

The MARTA Board of Directors is comprised of 13 active members and two ex-officio members.

Powers said the number of personal passengers a board member carries does not impact the board’s decision-making.

“I don’t think the number of passengers on the board has any bearing other than the anecdotal evidence of individual perspectives. We’re here for every passenger. From the everyday passenger to the occasional passenger,” Powers said.

Atlanta News First reached out to the six board members who took fewer than 10 trips total in the past year.

Powers was the only one to respond to the ANF’s request for comment.

RELATED: Atlanta Mayor to MARTA: Stop $230M Five Points Expansion Until Audit Is Complete

The data distribution does not distinguish between bus and train travel.

“If you’re in charge of making decisions for a transportation agency this big, you have to have transportation experience,” said Greyson Forster, an 18-year-old from Atlanta.

Forster initially requested the ridership data from MARTA and recently posted the report on social media.

“What really stands out is the participants under the age of 10,” said Forster, who recently graduated from Midtown High School.

Forster said the lack of ridership suggested the council was out of touch with the day-to-day concerns of those who rely on public transport in the metropolitan area.

“I ask MARTA leadership to look at the system through the lens of riders,” Forster said.

“Experience one of the hundreds of buses that are cancelled every day. Experience the infrequent transit service in the late evening and on weekends, listen to the conversations at the bus stop,” Forster said.

Forster said he was a member of the Atlanta Students Advocating for Pedestrians club while he was at Midtown High School.

Data showed CEO Collie Greenwood has taken 160 MARTA trips since January 2023.

Among MARTA’s most pressing projects, the transit system recently announced it was pausing a planned renovation of the Five Points MARTA station in downtown Atlanta.

RELATED: $230 million MARTA Five Points construction project on hold

The move comes after opposition from Mayor Andre Dickens, the Atlanta City Council and some transit advocacy groups.

Critics were concerned about the planned 18-month closure of pedestrian access to the rail and road network.

On Tuesday, MARTA announced it has received $25 million in federal funding for a new transit hub in southern DeKalb County.

The next MARTA board meeting will be held on July 18.

Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.