MARTA votes to keep $1 fare for Atlanta Streetcar

After assuming ownership of the Atlanta Streetcar, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) will keep the existing $1 fare to ride the streetcar, MARTA’s Board of Directors decided.
Other operational decisions, such as service frequency and route expansion, will come after MARTA officially takes over operations from the City of Atlanta on July 1.
The four-car light rail system will be part of MARTA’s new Office of Light Rail Operations, which will handle daily operations, maintenance and technical inspections, according to a MARTA press release. Communications, human resources and policing, as well as other support services, will be handled by current MARTA departments.
During the transition, MARTA is focusing on enhancing safety and security, increasing ridership, reducing operating costs, and system integration, the release said. The streetcar’s 2.7-mile circular route presents an opportunity for MARTA to provide last-mile connectivity to riders, aligning rail schedules so commuters can use the streetcar for the last leg of their trip.
The transition will also allow the streetcar to be integrated into the area’s larger transportation system which received a boost this legislative session with the passage of House Bill 930.
The operating budget will be underwritten by More MARTA, the 2016 half-penny sales tax referendum.