MARTA CEO: Days of transit agency going on ‘bended knee’ to other counties are over
‘We think we are a formidable and good business partner, and a good investment’
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“One thing we won’t do … at least under my leadership, it will not be us going out to places like Cobb saying, ‘Please join us, please become a part of our system, we need you,’ that type of thing. I don’t say that with arrogance but I say it with — we think we are a formidable and good business partner, and a good investment and if you don’t think the same then we’ll wait until you change your mind or we’ll go elsewhere. But the days of MARTA feeling as though it needs to go on bended knee to other places, we … think those days are behind us.”
— MARTA CEO and General Manager Keith Parker at an Atlanta Press Club transportation forum on May 10. Parker, who has helped turn MARTA’s deficit into a surplus, was asked if he hopes that North and South Fulton will join Atlanta in asking voters to levy an additional sales tax for transit. (Fulton’s upcoming sales tax vote will mostly address road and bridge projects.) Parker said revenues raised by the sales tax could fundamentally improve MARTA in the areas it already serves and make it an even more attractive partner to other counties.
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