Home > Legislative Tracker > MARTA Funding Bills

Transportation:
MARTA Funding Bills

Our Position: support
Bill Number: SB114andSB115
Sponsor: Sen. Gloria Butler
Legislative Session: 2006

SB 114, by Sen. Gloria Butler will extend the time that MARTA can use 55% of the sales tax it collects for operating expenses (instead of the previous 50%) for a period of five more years, until the end of 2011.  SB 115, also by Sen. Butler, extends the time that MARTA is allowed to use interest in its bank accounts for its operating expenses from mid-2006 until mid-2016.

These funds must otherwise be held solely for capital projects, for which MARTA is already currently fully funded. These bills are modest, but necessary legislation to help keep the region’s major transit system financially viable. MARTA is the only major transit system in the USA that gets no support from its state government. Its ability to operate outside its two county (Fulton and DeKalb) service area is restricted by law: expansion to new markets is forbidden. MARTA is being strangled by the State of Georgia, and whether that is because of malign intent or careless neglect is of little interest to the victim. These bills will give the Authority a little bit more rope, thus a little longer life until someone decides that responsible behavior is superior to the racist pandering that has characterized MARTA politics up until now.

Status

SB 114 and 115 were combined into SB 114 and passed out of House Committee.  They are now in House Rules and should be on the House Floor soon. The House MARTA Overview Committee had tabled the two MARTA revenue bills because of a desire to look at audits of the system, and an underlying belief that funds are being wasted by it.  That idea is difficult to credit in light of the recent impartial audits that have found nothing greatly amiss, but legislators like to shine spotlights on others almost as much as they like spotlights shining on themselves, so these bills must await the next session, and presumably a more serious focus on the chronic funding problems MARTA faces.  MARTA is the only major transit system in the country which receives no state funds at all.

Action Needed

Background

MARTA construction for its design system, what is called “the referendum system” which Fulton and DeKalb voters to build in 1968, is complete.  The original 50-50 division of the sales tax revenue stream was a political gesture to impress the officials in Washington at the time that Atlanta was willing to help pay a share for building a transit system.  The half percent sales tax raised nowhere near enough funds to build the current MARTA system.   The money did result in massive federal assistance for construction of the system however. 

Now that the system is built, why is money paid by Fulton and DeKalb residents for transit still being put in the bank for construction?  There are certainly capital expenses still looming for MARTA, but again, the sales tax revenue stream is not going to cover a large amount of those needed investments. 

If more sales tax funds were committed to operation of the system, paying salaries and fuel and electric bills, MARTA could offer better and more frequent service and attract more riders, who would leave their cars at home.