MARTA is looking for a new leader at a pivotal moment for transit in metro Atlanta

The red, yellow, and blue sign of the MARTA

When MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood’s resignation was announced on July 17, he had already been off the job for a month. (Emil Moffatt/WABE)

(Emil Moffatt/WABE)

The Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority is without a permanent leader after CEO Collie Greenwood announced he was stepping down from the job amid delays in renewing his immigration paperwork.

But before that, some civic leaders and transit advocates had already soured on his leadership.

When Greenwood announced his retirement last week, he had already been off the job for a month. The Canadian citizen applied to renew his work permit in January. By the time the work authorization expired on July 18, federal immigration officials had yet to act.