Why Marta Needs to Change

By Adam Shaheen

MARTA is the primary mode of transportation for many Atlanta residents. It’s quicker and less mentally draining than being stuck in the calamity of Atlanta traffic. Despite this, most people don’t have many positive things to say about it. MARTA ranks 47^th in public transit in America. As a frequent MARTA rider, I get this sticky, repugnant feeling when I’m there. The station is dirty, smells atrocious, and is not a pleasant place to be. Not to mention, the buses are unreliable, and sometimes the gates don’t work. These conditions would be understandable if MARTA were free, but it’s not. Twenty passes on MARTA cost over forty dollars, which adds up if you ride daily. This is unacceptable. MARTA needs to step up its game. There are simple changes that would significantly improve this transit system.

For starters, the standard of cleanliness needs to be improved. Oftentimes when stepping into a MARTA station, one is bombarded with an unpleasant odor and a sticky floor. It is never clear what makes the floor sticky, but walking on it is not fun. Having cleaner stations would make trips more enjoyable and less of a health hazard for the passengers.

The second issue is with the gates. On multiple occasions, the gates have not functioned properly, and I have had to figure out alternate ways of getting through to avoid being late for class. This is unacceptable, given how expensive the service is. If the service costs money and still doesn’t work, then it’s no longer a service, but a scam. I can’t imagine it would be difficult to fix the machines, especially when they are doing construction on the escalators at the Peachtree Station every other week.

MARTA also has a huge problem with their bus system. Taking their buses is almost superfluous because they never come on a regular schedule. The only chance you have of tracking one down is by using the MARTA app, and even then, you’re still not guaranteed to find one. There is also a good chance of the train you’re on breaking down; one time there was a group of people trapped in a car for over thirty minutes.

At the end of the day though, I don’t think that the MARTA company is completely to blame for this. Although it has numerous problems, many of these issues stem from severe limitations imposed by the government. MARTA hasn’t been able to properly expand or receive proper funding due to laws passed against it. I think we, as a people, need to vote for increased funding and expansion for MARTA. Atlanta traffic is abysmal, and having a more efficient transit system would make everyone’s life easier. Atlanta is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US. We deserve a transit system that represents our city and not the decrepit train wreck of a system we have now.