The end of a temporary state exemption means Atlanta’s rail and bus agency has to once again operate under spending requirements.
A top MARTA official says the requirements will force the agency to make undesirable decisions. Meanwhile, some passengers want the agency to increase services.
This year’s state legislature ended without lawmakers passing a bill that would have extended MARTA’s financial flexibility. A state law says MARTA has to take half of the revenue it gets from sales taxes and spend it on operations and the other half on maintenance and capital projects. That law has been on hold for 3 years. MARTA says that has allowed it to make better decisions. The law would have been on hold for another 3 years, but the bill failed.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
