MARTA Expansion Could Help Reverse Atlanta’s Legacy of Racial Segregation
Atlanta's MARTA rail system was launched at about the same time as D.C.'s Metro in the 1970s. But the two systems, and the regions they serve, have followed wildly different paths since then.
Metro continually expanded into surrounding counties, and transit commuting has risen rapidly in the Washington region, standing at more then 15 percent as of 2011. Meanwhile, MARTA serves only the two counties that contain Atlanta, having barely expanded since its opening. Only about 5 percent of regional commuters take the bus or train.
Today on the Streetsblog Network, Darin at ATL Urbanist points us to a column by Sarah Collier at Virginia Policy Review that explains why transit development in Atlanta stumbled and how that might finally be changing:
Having worked for two summers in Atlanta, my most prominent memory was the long commute between the white suburbs north of Atlanta, where jobs are plentiful, to its impoverished black neighborhoods downtown. I would have used public transportation, however the MARTA suspiciously ends right before white suburbia begins.
The influence of racial discrimination on MARTA was highlighted in a Brookings Institute Center study in 2000, which noted that race issues have prevented MARTA’s transit lines from expanding to richer counties. The lack of transportation infrastructure in these counties has prevented minorities in the city from accessing areas with high job growth including Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton County. MARTA has not had any transit route development since 2000.
But Collier is encouraged by a new proposal from MARTA:
MARTA’s new plan to expand their transit lines to reach North Fulton County is the first step towards ending racial discrimination in Atlanta’s railway transit system. The transit route will also provide greater access to Cobb, Gwinnett, and Forsyth County, one of Forbes’ 2013 top 10 Fastest Growing Counties in America.
Elsewhere on the Network today: Comeback City reports that Baltimore wants to remove its popular Inner Harbor beach volleyball facilities to build a parking garage. The Dallas Morning News' Transportation Blog raises questions about the propriety of a land acquisition by the debt-ridden Texas Department of Transportation. And the Wash Cycle tries to make sense of "serious people" who continue to complain about the nefarious "bicycle lobby."
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog Chicago
Bicycle-friendly politicians showed up in force for Bike Lane Uprising’s packed 6th anniversary fundraiser
Lawmakers Kelly Cassidy, Andre Vasquez, and Kam Buckner, plus BLU founder Christina Whitehouse, thanked the advocates present for their efforts to make cycling safer.
Today’s Headlines for Friday, September 29
CTA blues: Musician and ex-bus driver Toronzo Cannon, shares his views on the agency’s labor challenges
Like many CTA workers, difficulties in the early days of COVID influenced Cannon's decision to retire. He says the transit unions need to do more to support their members.
Earth Rider Cycling closing in October after five years on Milwaukee Avenue
The closure of yet another local Chicago bike shop reflects a shifting and challenging market for small business owners.
