Apr. 7, 2004

The Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has approved a series of public hearings slated for April 14-16 to gather input as it prepares to address a budget shortfall of up to $54 million.

As part of MARTA's FY'05 budget, MARTA is proposing bus service modifications to reduce overall service cost by about 15 percent. In this proposal, underused and duplicated routes have been merged with other routes. While 17 route numbers have been eliminated, service coverage for 13 of those routes has been combined with other routes. Four routes are being proposed for elimination due to low ridership. Rail service is unaffected because the fixed costs of rail produces comparably smaller cost savings. Overall, the modifications are intended to maximize cost savings while reducing the impact on riders.

- MARTA press release, 4/5/04

Public Hearings

The MARTA Board of Directors will hold Public Hearings for the purpose of considering:

Proposed Fiscal Year 2005 Operating/Capital Funds Budget and Proposed Bus Service Modifications

The Public Hearings will be held April 14-16, 2004 at the following locations and times:

Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Fulton County Government Center
141 Pryor Street
Atlanta, Georgia
2:00 – 6:30 p.m. Community Exchange Session*
7:00 p.m. Public Hearing
Routes 3, 10/97, 31, 49
From Five Points MARTA Station Special Shuttle Service will be provided from Five Points Station (Forsyth St) to the Public Hearing

Thursday, April 15, 2004
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Avenue
Atlanta, Georgia
2:00 – 6:30 p.m. Community Exchange Session*
7:00 p.m. Public Hearing
Routes 4, 9, 10/97, 17, 21, 31, 49, 55
From Five Points MARTA Station
Special Shuttle Service will be provided from
Five Points Station (Forsyth St) to the Public Hearing

Thursday, April 15, 2004
Roswell City Hall
38 Hill Street
Roswell, Georgia
2:00 – 6:30 p.m. Community Exchange Session*
7:00 p.m. Public Hearing
Route 85 From North Springs MARTA Station

Friday, April 16, 2004
Manuel Maloof Auditorium
1300 Commerce Drive
Decatur, Georgia
3:00 – 6:30 p.m. Community Exchange Session*
7:00 p.m. Public Hearing
One Block West of the Decatur MARTA Station

Friday, April 16, 2004
South Fulton Government Center
5600 Stonewall Tell Road
College Park, Georgia
2:00 – 6:30 p.m. Community Exchange Session*
7:00 p.m. Public Hearing
Route 180 From College Park Station

* There will be Community Exchange Sessions on the proposed bus service modifications prior to each Public Hearing. MARTA staff will be available to answer any questions and to take official comments from the public.

Further Information

Copies of the proposed budget and service modifications will be available for public inspection at MARTA’s Office of Government and Community Relations, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia during business hours (8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and at the Public Hearings.

Patrons may request information in accessible formats by calling MARTA’s Department of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at (404) 848-5240. For patrons requiring further accommodation, information can be obtained by calling the Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD). In addition, a signer will be available at all hearings.

If you cannot attend the hearing and want to provide comments:

1. you may leave a voice message at (404) 848-3100;
2. speak to a Customer Information Operator to document your comments Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 404-848-4200;
3. write to MARTA, Office of Corporate Business Strategy & Analysis, 2424 Piedmont, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324-3330;
4. complete an online comment card at www.itsmarta.com;
5. or fax to (404) 848-5321 no later than Thursday, April 22, 2004.