Annotation #1: MARTA CEO KEITH PARKER

GIVENS, DARIN. “MARTA CEO KEITH PARKER.” Atlanta 55.5 (2015): 121–121. Print.

This article gives a brief introduction into the task at hand that Keith Parker, Marta’s CEO, had when he took this role in 2012. The company was in shambles, to say the least, and he was tasked with altering the public’s perception and to put MARTA “back on the map” for the city of Atlanta residents and tourists. This source seemed valid to our topic of the built environment because it presented MARTA as a “lost cause” and then brings to light Keith Parker’s determination to change it around from its exterior looks to its ability to create jobs with major companies looking to move headquarters closer to its location. Small changes he added were urine detectors in elevators to help the sanitation and overall look/smell of the atmosphere within MARTA’s properties. In reviewing this source, I cannot find any flaws/weaknesses from this article. It is a newly published, October 2015 article, and a short and concise article that laid out his problems when taking the job, how he has changed the “culture” and lastly the business communities view point on MARTA.

Annotation #2: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)

Toon, John D. “Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).” New Georgia Encyclopedia. 19 August 2013. Web. 03 February 2016.

The article by John Toon perfectly shapes the transformation that MARTA has gone through since its establishment in 1971 to its success in its expansion of its environment and providing transportation route throughout the majority of the inside perimeter of Atlanta. This source is clearly only intended for educational purposes to showcase the history of Marta the path it has been though to become what it is today. It has broaden my knowledge of the built environment by conveying the reasoning on why it seeked expansion into certain areas of Georgia. It was too include lesser-income households and provide them with the ability to commute for work without an automobile; especially the African-American population. I chose this source because it provided a clear history of MARTA but it did have a few weaknesses. It only mentioned one negative in the article and that was MARTA’s loss at obtaining a bigger influence in the suburban areas of Georgia. This source is not relatable to my first annotation because it doesn’t present modern-day issues with MARTA’s ability to shape the public’s opinion or its inability to connect a vast majority of the public to the only mode of public transit Atlanta has to offer.

Annotation #3: What MARTA’s $8 Billion Proposal Could Mean for Public Transit in Atlanta

Xu, Edmund. “What MARTA’s $8 Billion Proposal Could Mean for Public Transit in Atlanta.” Dailykos. 21 July 2015. Web. 3 February 2016. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/7/21/1404130/-What-MARTA-s-8-Billion-Proposal-Could-Mean-for-Public-Transit-in-Atlanta

This article by Edmund Xu explains the value of MARTA and what it really means to us in Atlanta. Atlanta is recognized, per Smart Growth America, as the largest sprawled out city in America. This research also proves that some residents travel the distance of the state of Vermont just to commute to work. This article sheds light on the horrible pollution and congestion that these factors are causing in the city of Atlanta. I believe this web article was written as a warning to Atlanta resident’s to come together and support the development of a much more functional transit system before it’s too late; even if it means a higher tax rate. This helped me understand the exterior portion of the built environment because it showcases Marta’s forward thinking of upgrading the appearance and facilities of MARTA in the last year. Such things as physical appearance and cleanliness are crucial if you are looking to gain support from taxpayers. I chose this source because it gives a good exterior view of what MARTA is changing with its visual appearance to entice users/investors in their 8 billion dollar expansion plan. This article is closely related to my second annotation because it further expands from where MARTA is at present time and where MARTA is looking to be in the future.