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1 Early History
2 Formation of MARTA
3 1968 Referenedum
4 1971 Referendum
5 Initial Construction
6 System expansion
7 Fare History
8 1996 Olympics
9 References

[edit] Early History

The first mention of rapid transit for Atlanta occured in a series of regional planning reports prepared by the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) in 1950 and 1954. The 1950 report, named Up Ahead, and the 1954 report, named Now for Tomorrow, both primarily dealt with freeway planning, but both specifically mentioned the long-range need for rapid transit in Atlanta.

The MPC began to study rapid transit further, and in two subsequent reports (Access to central Atlanta and Crosstown and bypass expressways) the MPC concluded that increased highway construction would not be adequate to meet future transportation needs. These recommendations were not welcomed by the Georgia Highway Department, who believed that highways were an adequate soltuion.

Three reports were published in the early 1960s helped to give momentum to the push for rapid transit. Two reports were from the Atlanta Region Metropolitan Planning Commission (ARMPC): a 1960 report titled What you should know about rapid transit and a 1961 report titled Atlanta region comprehensive plan: rapid transit which called for 60 miles of high speed rapid rail transport serving 5 counties at a cost of $200-215 million. These reports viewed transit as a means to shaping and planning the future of the Atlanta region, as well as maintaining Atlanta's role as a regional center in the southeast. The third report, titled Rapid Atlanta was published in 1960 by the Atlanta Transit System which proposed a $59 million first phase of a 16 mile rapid transit system. This report received support in Atlanta's business community; in 1961 the president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Ivan Allen, anmed a rapid transit steering committe, which included Robert Somerville, president of the Atlanta Transit System, and was headed by Richard Rich, a former Chamber president. This committee worked with the ARMPC to send speakers to civic organizations and business groups to discuss rapid transit. Also in 1961 Atlanta mayor William Hartsfield appointed a rapid transit committe which worked with the ARMPC to lobby members of the Georgia General Assembly to look favorably on rapid transit. In 1962 the lobbying efforts proved successful; the Georgia legislature created the Metropolitan Atlanta Transit Study Commision (MATSC).

[edit] Formation of MARTA

A state constitutional amendment was required to establish a regional transportation agency. In November of 1962 this admendment was approved by a majority of voters in DeKalb and Fulton counties but failed to pass statewide. The amendment did not specificy the composition of the agency but stated in more general terms the nature of powers for the agency (taxing, eminent domain, expendature of public funds) that would be designated by the state to a lower agency for the purposes of transit planning. As a result many rural voters believed they were committing themselves to pay for a transit system in Atlanta. Opposition was also raised by the trucking industry in defense of highway funds.

In December of 1962 the MATSC published a report titled A Plan and Program of Rapid Transit for the Atlanta Metropolitan Region which called for a 66 mile rapid rail transit system with feeder buses and park-and-ride facilities. In 1963 the MATSC formed a committee which came to be known as the Rapid Transit Committe of 100 for the purpose of financing and publicizing the rapid transit campaign. In the same year the MATSC was dissolved by the state and replaced by a new organization called the Georgia State Study Commission. The Study Commission reviewed and approved the previous MATSC transit plan. The continued campaigning by regional and local groups led to the passing of a second transit-enabling state constitutional amendment in 1964. This second amendment however was not proposed statewide but was placed only on the ballots of five metropolitan Atlanta counties (Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, and Clayton). Approval was slim in Cobb county where the margin was only 403 votes.

In March of 1965 the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Act was passed by the Georgia legislature setting up a rapid transit agency but required ratification by the five counties. In June of 1965 voters in four of the five counties approved the creation of MARTA; only 43 percent of voters approved MARTA in Cobb County. MARTA was officially formed in January 1966.

[edit] 1968 Referenedum

MARTA began work on developing a new 4 county rapid transit plan. In 1967 the agency published a new plan, titled Special Report - Rapid Transit for Metropolitan Atlanta, a 54 mile rapid transit rail system, at a cost of $190 million more than the previous 66 mile MATSC plan. Fears about the cost of the plan were published in a counter-proposal by Robert Somerville of the Atlanta Transit System, titled Rapid Busways, challenging the MARTA plan. Rapid Busways called for the creation of a 32 mile network of busways at a cost of $52 million as an interim plan to Atlanta's transit needs.

MARTA consultants worked to update the original MATSC plan into a smaller 40 mile rapid rail system, however this report was not published until September 1968. In Novemeber of 1968 a Fulton, Dekalb County, and city of Atlanta referendum allowing MARTA to move into capital programs failed to pass, receiving only 44.5 percent voter support. The failure of the funding referendum to pass has been attributed to many reasons:

The continuing controversy over the use of rail transport over busway transit
The decision of local transit unions to campaign against the referendum because it did not contain collective bargaining provisions
Conservities claimed that the plan was financially irresponsible since Federal government financial support was not guarunteed
Low income and suburban homeowners objected to the use of property tax to fund MARTA
Voters on the edge of the system objected because they felt that residents of the city of Atlant would receive more benefits
Atlanta's black community complained it had not been involved in the planning and would not receive adequate service
Local officials in the region were not involved in planning
Publicity of the plan by MARTA was poor

[edit] 1971 Referendum

As a result of the 1968 referendum failure, MARTA began to address some of the controversial issues. MARTA enlisted the support of organized labor by amending the MARTA legislation to include collective bargaining provisions. Also MARTA began a campaign to draw in public officials and blacks into the planning of MARTA. MARTA also modified proposed service plans to include improved service to black neighborhoods, including its decision to use rail instead of bus service in the east-west and proctor creek corridors. Also the financial support of the system was changed from an unpopular property tax increase to a one-percent sales tax. Finally MARTA pledged to reduce bus fares to 15 cents for the first seven years.

The plan on the 1971 referendum showed 56.2 miles of rapid rail lines in 4 counties and 14.4 miles of busways. Voters in DeKalb (52% support) and Fulton (51% support) counties approved the proposal, and voters in Clayton(23% support) and Gwinnett (21% support) defeated the proposal. The voters in Clayton and Gwinnett may have reacted negatively to the proposed plan which included only 9 miles of the rail system would have served both counties. Additionally the method of counting votes was changed for the 1971 referendum. In 1968 voters were grouped into three groups (all of which required a majority for passing): voters in the city limits of Atlanta, voters in Fulton county outside the city limits, and voters in DeKalb outside of the city limits. In 1971 the city votes were counted in the appropriate counties (DeKalb and Fulton), allowing the mostly yes votes from the city to be tabulated against the mostly no votes from the suburban areas in the county.

[edit] Initial Construction

In 1971 MARTA purchased the Atlanta Transit System for $12.8 million. In 1973 the state legislature established the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Overview Committee. In 1975 groundbreaking of the rail system took place. The Urban Mass Transportation Administration offered $600 million to MARTA for a 6 year period for rail transit construction.