This campaign organized around two guiding principles:

1. Raise awareness of MARTA's very limited funding structure.

MARTA is restricted to using a certain percentage (originally 50%) for operations, while 50% must be set aside for capital. A bill was passed at the state legislature to allow an additional five percent to go to operations when it became clear that the combination of sales tax receipts and customer fares were not providing the agency with enough funds to maintain operations. This provision, set to expire in 2006, is up for consideration again this legislative session.

This is an incredibly complex issue, and more detailed information on the topic will follow soon. It affects things like MARTA's bonding capacity, regional cooperation, and service cuts, and is not going to just go away. Most observers agree we must find a more realistic long-term solution than the 1% sales tax in only three Georgia jurisdictions or risk watching transit service in metro Atlanta wither slowly away.

2. Increase ridership while increasing the riders' voice in planning and operating the system.

Most recently, the Save MARTA campaign organized riders to urge the board not to simultaneously cut service while raising fares. The coalition was partly successful - MARTA did not raise the general fare to $2 as proposed, but it did cut service (see post June 7, 2005).

Action

The coalition first organized volunteers to collect postcards signed to the governor stating signers support for greater transit options and accessibility across the state of Georgia. This activity brought our message to occasional riders to events such as Braves' games and JazzFest, as well as to daily riders at MARTA stations. These postcards represent the value people from around the region, state, and the south place on having effective transit operations in place when they need them. Signers included tourists, workers, students, the elderly, and businesspeople.

The coalition then focused on encouraging MARTA to prioritize customer service in order to improve the riding experience.

For more information on the group's current activities, or to sign your organization up for the coalition, e-mail: info@cfpt.org