Thursday, April 9, 2009
News ARC, stimulus funds might help MARTA avoid cuts
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 6:13 PM
The state just doesn't seem to understand MARTA's importance to metro Atlanta. The Atlanta Regional Commission, however, just might.
Ariel Hart of the AJC reports:
A committee of the Atlanta Regional Commission on Thursday recommended that ARC divert up to $25 million in stimulus funds to MARTA to meet operating shortfalls. The money had been intended for long-needed metro Atlanta transportation projects.MARTA will still have to follow through with less draconian cuts, General Manager Beverly Scott said Thursday. They will likely include furloughs, raising employee payments for health care and stopping bus and train service at midnight.
An ARC spokesman tells CL that the full board will vote on the recommendation in May. In the meantime, it's working with MARTA staff to examine its financial situation and to see if the transit agency can use the stimulus funds for operational purposes.
It'll also be interesting to see what transportation projects might get dropped if the plan goes through.
Comments (3)
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The GA legislature's failure to address MARTA's financial problems is unconscionable. MARTA riders need a functioning system and Atlanta needs effective transit. But are stimulus funds designed for this type of purpose? They are supposed to be for "shovel-ready" projects. Is that some sort of message about MARTA?
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