atlanta

MARTA MAYHEM

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MARTA Mayhem

Can you believe that since the beginning of MARTA, in 1979, MARTA has transported more than 5 billion commuters? If you’re like me, and an Atlanta Native, then you probably find this statistic highly shocking. Especially since MARTA is represented and historically known as a poor transit system that pushes more inhabitants towards carpooling or using their own form of transportation. It is a public rail system that only serves certain areas of the city and if they chose not to expand its coverage areas and invest in programs and technologies to increase the public’s perception then we, in Atlanta, will have one of the most underutilized public transit system for the amount of population in the United States. It is a complete necessity for cities the size of ours to have a well-rounded, efficient and user friendly mode of transportation or we will no longer be the thriving city we are at this point in time. In general, MARTA must morph into a well-oiled machine by appealing to the new workforce, creating an efficient system, making people feel comfortable and connecting more areas of the city otherwise it is doomed to fail in what is most definitely the most populated but sprawled out city in the Nation. The below image shows exactly why Atlanta needs an improved and efficient system. IT IS HUGE.

 

Atlanta's Sprawl

Atlanta, a town known for diversity, but still highly populated with prejudices, brings me to my point that MARTA must completely revamp if they want to appeal to both sides of the “riders spectrum” this ranges from the working class citizens that find public transport crucial, to the general users that might commute for a ball game or possibly for a night out. In an article written by, Doug Martin, entitled, “Why MARTA Ain’t SMARTA”. The exact close-minded behavior is represented completely. Here, Doug Martin, stigmatizes the majority of MARTA commuters into a general terms, you can only hope he coined, called, “Out of Sales Area Tax Cheapstakes”. This view point of the majority users is the reasoning behind MARTA’s CEO, Keith Parker attempt at rebranding the system. With this type of initial views on a system that thrives on repeat users, will do nothing but lead to an economic downfall of the system. In comparison, there was another article entitled, “Where it All At Went Wrong”, where a Georgetown Professor by the name of, Christopher B. Leinberger, clearly states that Atlanta’s biggest economic downfall was the lack of connectivity to all areas and types of people. This is in direct correlation to Doug Monroe’s immediate assumption of MARTA riders as “Out of Sales Area Tax Cheapstakes”. According to this link MARTA is only Atlanta, Fulton and Dekalb county, yet anyone can use the same amenities. Even after, areas such as Cobb County approved upon the expansion but yet decided not to push forward when the other areas did. Issues such as these, is what will forever continue to keep communities divided.

The second, and in my opinion, the most important necessary advancement in the growth of MARTA is the need to create a safe, efficient and welcoming riding experience to all users that partake. I think this has been, by far, the most looked after advances by MARTA Board of Directors and Keith Parker.  This is most shown by the recent teaming with BRS Labs and OUTFRONT Media, two perennial powerhouses in their own field that will greatly advance the public awareness, in a positive light, and also be directly associated with the safety and overall positive recognition of the rail system.

OUTFRONT Media, is the US leader in out-of-home advertising and has worked with areas as prevalent as New York Times Square and through-out California as well.  They are joining MARTA for a 5-year contract and hope to bring in an estimated $25 Million dollars’ worth of revenue. If this works out as well as anticipated, MARTA is able to extend the contract for another two years (1). This is a very exciting step in the right direction, since MARTA has operated on a deficit before MARTA’s CEO Keith Parker took over in 2012. It will be the first time MARTA has shown measurable signs of growth (2).

In Comparison to the teaming of OUTFRONT Media, MARTA has also joined forces with BRS Labs; which will make this gang of allies almost unbeatable. BRS Labs, actually stands for Behavioral Recognition System, that is the first of its kind and is based out of Houston. What they will do is study real time behavioral systems of all humans near or in MARTA and will allow developing a real-time approach to actual threats. This, to some, might seem intrusive, but the fact that they can pin-point a sudden threat based on the actions one shows that is invisible to the naked eye is astonishing. They will be able to prevent possible terrorist attacks and make MARTA the safest possible form of public transit available to the public (3 and 4). This due of OUTFRONT Media and BRS Labs in conjunction with MARTA, a system that has had the groundwork of being the best public transit system, is going to be unmatched. It will provide the public with the confidence and peace of mind that one wants when getting into a closed form of transportation with thousands of strangers.

BRS Labs MARTA

MARTA, although seldom used by some, is a necessary form of public transportation throughout any large city or urban area. It is an area that connects all areas of a particular state and allows people the ability to economically transport from one location to another in hopes of prospering or partaking in jobs or nearby events. With that being said, it is safe to say, that MARTA was still take strides in advancing its overall user experience. Most importantly, the safety, efficiency and overall riding experience. Since Keith Parker’s take over, he has had an uphill battle from changing view points of the citizens on MARTA, to finding adequate funding and support to help target the entire city population as its target audience and not just the ones who are forced to use it. It is reminds me of the article written by Rachel Maddux and Kendrick Brihson entitled, “Communal Commuting: What I’ve learned from riding MARTA.” In this article, they talk about their several years while riding MARTA and how they initially viewed the riding experience. In short, they hated it, but they did see the purpose behind it and the fact that it was there to serve sometimes the lesser fortunate for the opportunity to travel long distances to find work even if they lived in a further outside area. At the end of this article, Kendrick Brihson, makes a bold statement and it says, “somedays, as smug as it sounds, I think MARTA has made me a better person”. This is by far, the most intriguing and genuine comment I read from articles with personal statements. She doesn’t block everyone into a category of “tax cheapstakes” or homeless people using the areas to mooch for money, but instead, she recognizes the riders as people just like her, and that riding MARTA has helped her become more down to earth and appreciative of the advantages she has in life. In my opinion, this is exactly what people handle on a daily basis, it is a constant grind to help them or their families grow and prosper. If you believe this, then why shouldn’t Atlanta Commuter’s, with no other means of transportation, be granted the ability to ride a clean, efficient, cost-effective and most of all universally equal public transit system? These are reasons why Atlanta must expand, grow and increase the overall experience of MARTA before, for the second time, we “miss the boat” again!

 

WORKS CITED

  1. PR, Newswire. “OUTFRONT Media Signs New Contract with Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.” PR Newswire US05 Dec. 2014: Regional Business News. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
  2. GIVENS, DARIN. “MARTA CEO KEITH PARKER.”Atlanta 5 (2015): 121–121. Print.
  3. PR, Newswire. “OUTFRONT Media Signs New Contract with Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.” PR Newswire US05 Dec. 2014: Regional Business News. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
  4. BRS, Labs. “City of Atlanta’s MARTA Selects BRS Labs as Provider of Artificial Intelligence Video Analytics to Enhance Public Safety.” Business Wire (English)8: Regional Business News. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
  5. Maddux, Rachael, and KENDRICK BRIHSON. “Communal Commuting: What I’ve Learned From Riding MARTA.”Atlanta2 (2013): 82-97. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
  6. Sigo, Shelly. “Atlanta Transit Funding Bill Passes.” Bond Buyer34484 (2016): 24. Business Source Complete. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
  7. Monroe, Doug. “Why Marta Ain’t Smarta. “Atlanta 42.2 (2002): 216. MasterFILE Elite, Web. 19 Apr, 2016.
  8. Monroe, Doug. “Where It All Went Wrong.” Atlanta 52.4 (2012): 86-98. Master FILE. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
  9. Toon, John D. “Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).” New Georgia Encyclopedia. 19 August 2013. Web. 03 February 2016.
  10. 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

Built Environment Description: Digital Environment

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Atlanta Silverbacks:

The Atlanta Silverbacks are members of the National Premier Soccer League in the United States and hold home field matches near Spaghetti Junction and Pleasantdale Rd. They have been in existence since 1998 and are named in honor after Willie B. from the Atlanta Zoo. They reach out into the community to help foster the youth into an active and academia focused lifestyle.

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Upon entering the website, I was immediately greeted with the above screenshot of smiling youth. On this scrolling image there were strategically placed links that would take you through the cycled images direct links. In general, the immediate homepage was busy in detail but it was still very easy to navigate. In a quick, swirl of the head, I was able to find information on the Silverbacks Park, Indoor League, Summer League and location of their stadium.

At the top was a row of additional drop down menus that were made up of the Atlanta Silverbacks team colors of: red, black and white. It was not frozen, so as you scrolled through the homepage, it would disappear if you traveled too low. This row had drop down information on the main pictures shown on the above screenshot; which seemed redundant. In all honesty, it was astonishing to me that the men and woman premier leagues were not the focal point of this digital environment.

After searching through the tabs above, I was able to finally navigate into the Atlanta Silverbacks Men homepage. This area was completely covered in Red and Black and consisted of a black and white frozen background image of their arena. It was very busy in nature and the running clock gearing up to the season opener was some of the smallest writing shown on the screen. Although, it’s random green color did bring it to the surface and more relevant than the multiple same color font ads and information.

Atlanta-Silverbacks

All in all, I believe the digital environment lacked a sort of professionalism to its design. It seems that it could have used some direction is finding its target audience and appealing directly to them. I still am unsure of where they are intending to go from the website or who they are intending to attract. Let’s put it this way, the below Hype Video was the most fun I had and I could only find this link on YouTube.

Silverbacks Hype Video

Digital Environment – Digital Records

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Digital Environment: Digital Record #1

 

Homepage

Above is a screenshot from the home page for the Atlanta Silverbacks. Upon entering the website, you are immediately greeted with friendly faces from these kids and the ability to learn more about their after school program. They encourage kids from the Suwanee area to join their program and their want to help them exceed in academia as well as staying healthy and active. This homepage is easy to maneuver and intuitive. It gives you the idea that the Atlanta Silverbacks are community focused and an organization that appeals to the entire family.

 

Digital Environment: Digital Record #2

Digital record #2

Above is the screenshot from the Atlanta Silverbacks about me page. The Atlanta Silverbacks are located near Spaghetti Junction in a multi-million dollar facility. They have a streaming photo gallery that appeals to your avid soccer fan and includes imagery from summer leagues, indoor leagues, and even kids camps. Also, it gives the ability for you to rent the field. I was shocked that going into this site it didn’t have more information in regards to the Atlanta Silverbacks football club. To reach information on their actual club teams, you must navigate through the tabs located near the top. Although, it is easy to navigate, I was expecting more of the focus to be directed to the men and woman’s teams rather than social clubs and camps for the youth.

 

Digital Environment: Digital Record #3

Digital Record #3

For my third digital record, I actually navigated into the Mens Football Club tab that I referenced in digital record #2. This is what I expected the Atlanta Silverbacks main page to consist of. This starts by showing the Silverbacks logo, slogan, “welcome to the jungle”, and most importantly a running clock on how much time is left until they are back in action. The website, to me, is a bit busy and I find it hard to stay focused on a certain section. It doesn’t seem that it is was created professionally and I feel that it could definitely use some sort of “pizzazz” to appeal to the everyday user in hopes of turning an Atlanta native into an actual Silverbacks fan.