Now hear this: State awards MARTA $30 million to launch new AV system
The days of staring at color bars and error messages on screens will soon be over
To repeat the interesting part: that’s a state of Georgia award, from a state that’s kept well away from doling out cash for Atlanta transit.
Republican Gov. Nathan Deal announced the awards Wednesday, one of 11 made to agencies across the state. The $75 million total package will buy things such as electric buses in Athens, new signage and some shelters for MARTA bus stops in Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton Counties, and Cobb buses that will run an express route from Town Center to Midtown MARTA — which sounds eerily similar to (but not the same as) the controversial transit project once championed by Cobb County Chairman Tim Lee that irked some Cobb County residents.
Also on the list is even more state assistance for transportation around SunTrust Park: $854,329 to purchase buses for a circulator system near Cumberland Mall that would serve several areas including the Atlanta Braves’ new ballfield.
The new AV system planned for MARTA’s 38 rail stations will include multilingual signs, quicker communications, and displays of bus schedules and arrival times for MARTA and other connecting transit agencies.
“This marks the first time that Georgia has made this type of significant investment in transit systems statewide,” Deal said in the Gold Dome. The Capitol building happens to be very well served by public transit. It’s just catty-corner from the Georgia State University MARTA Station. Lots of local and commuter buses stop on the block.
The cash came from the 2015 state budget. That year, lawmakers approved selling $75 million in bonds for transit. That was a one-time deal though, and there won’t be any similar funding awards unless the Legislature and the governor decide on another round of spending. There are, however, transit advocates who think the state ought to regularly set aside money for MARTA.
MARTA gets no state money, though the state is spending about $13 million this year on the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, which, among other things, operates Xpress commuter busses.
Maybe Georgia will and maybe it won’t dedicate more serious funding to transit. The governor, asked if he foresees more state spending on transit said, “you have to start somewhere and I think this is a significant first step.”
Meanwhile, it’s been a pretty good week for MARTA. Atlanta City Council just approved a public referendum later this year that could give MARTA the cash for major expansions. We’ll have more on that initiative later.