State Of The Authority

As General Manager/CEO of the nation’s ninth largest transit agency, I am extremely pleased to issue our first State of the Authority and to report that the state of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is good and getting better. While we like many other government and business interests continue to experience challenges and the negative effects of the downturn in the economy, overall the fiscal health and viability of the Authority remain strong.

Over the past several months, discussions have become more frequent about who benefits from MARTA and who should contribute to the operation of MARTA. Everyone in the metropolitan Atlanta region benefits from MARTA and we thank the citizens of Fulton, DeKalb and the City of Atlanta for their continued investment.

Despite a weak economy and its ensuing challenges, we recently received excellent ratings from both of the major bond rating services, Moody’s and S&P. Both agencies gave MARTA high marks for our “prudent and proactive management,” relative to the cost containment measures staff and board instituted last fall. These measures included the painful decision to discontinue several non-productive bus routes and resulted in the elimination of a $28 Million deficit in eight short months, without layoffs. Staff and board should be commended.

For the third straight year, spending has been dramatically reduced. The MARTA Board of Directors and staff have been excellent stewards of the taxpayers’ investments all while making costly improvements to an aging system badly in need of rehabilitation and looking to future regional needs. We are proud of our record of achievements designed to make a good system better. Here are some highlights:

MARTA has been providing bus service in the Atlanta area since 1972 and rail service since 1979. Today, MARTA carries nearly a half million people a day on its buses, trains and paratransit vans.

NEW BUSES
MARTA has moved toward a fully accessible, low-floor compressed natural gas bus fleet, with the recent procurement of 200 buses. The construction of a CNG fueling facility at Laredo Garage is complete and planning is in the works for the Hamilton Garage in South Fulton County.

ENHANCED BUS SERVICE
A program of enhanced bus service begins this year to provide a higher level of service within general purpose traffic lanes. Features include limited stops, increased amenities such as Park/Ride, shelters, and schedule information. The vehicles themselves will have a totally different design and distinctive look.

PARATRANSIT SYSTEM
This system provides service for persons with disabilities who are unable to use the fixed route services. We have been working with members of the disabled and elderly community to upgrade and improve the delivery of service to this important segment of our riders. We have exceeded our 91.5% on-time performance goals.

TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENTS
Another way to boost ridership, help clear the air and reduce traffic congestion is Transit Oriented Development. MARTA has successfully introduced a number of TODs, most notably the Lindbergh City Center Project. We cut the ribbon recently on the first phase of this project, which at build-out will be nearly 50 acres of office, retail, and hotel space built around the Lindbergh Center Station. The current revenue derived from this project is $1 million annually. At build-out, we anticipate quadrupling that income. Work is underway on the Medical Center TOD and the King Memorial Station TOD. Interest has been expressed in all 38 of our rail stations for transit related developments.

CLAYTON COUNTY SERVICE
In 2001, MARTA began providing fixed route and paratransit service in Clayton County under contract to GRTA. MARTA regards the service as an example of the innovative services it can provide, as part of its role in improving mobility for the region. Ridership on the Clayton County service has exceeded all expectations.

ECONOMIC IMPACT
We recently commissioned an economic impact study that was
conducted by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute. Among the major findings: If MARTA ceased operations today, there would be 10,000 fewer jobs in the region. Our impact on the total value of goods and services in the region today is about $476 million. Perhaps the best available measure of the economic impact of MARTA is on the pocketbooks of residents in the region. MARTA puts an average of $26 in the pockets of every man, woman and child in metro Atlanta from nine to 90 years of age.

BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION
We’ve empaneled a blue ribbon commission headed by Clay Long, of Long, Aldridge and Norman. Some of metro Atlanta’s finest and most respected minds are looking at alternative funding sources for the system. MARTA is currently funded by a penny sales tax from Fulton, DeKalb and the City of Atlanta.

SAFETY
MARTA is one of the safest systems in the country. Crime on our sys-tem has gone down for the past several years. Especially significant is the decrease in the rate of crimes against persons. A major lighting and renovation project is underway at all MARTA rail stations.

CHARITABLE GIVING
MARTA employees donate an average $600,000 a year to various char-ities including Meals on Wheels, the March of Dimes and the United Way. Each year employees hold a Santa Shop, allowing needy families to shop for new toys and other gifts for Christmas.

SPEAKERS BUREAU
Since May 2002, members of this volunteer group of MARTA employees have made over 100 appearances at schools, civic groups and before businesses and government organizations, carrying the MARTA mes-sage and expanding the reach of the Authority.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
At the end of January we will launch the most ambitious awareness campaign since the Olympics with a multi-media advertising blitz called "Pulling Together.” ‘The campaign is designed to promote the authority as a safe and affordable means of transportation that helps reduce traffic congestion and improve the air while taking people where they need to go – work, school, entertainment or the airport.

BIKE RACKS
The installation of bike racks on all of our MARTA buses began in June. Each rack holds two bikes. Bicycling can be a safe, efficient and healthy way to commute. It can also improve productivity at work.

WINDWARD PARKWAY PARK AND RIDE
MARTA opened its Windward Park/Ride lot in late September. Located on Dryden Road off Georgia 400 in Alpharetta, the lot provides more than 500 parking spaces and five covered bus stalls that accommodate exist-ing bus routes 85 and 140. A new route 143 carries passengers to the North Springs station.

50/50 SPLIT
We partnered with our local and state legislative delegations to successfully gain approval of House Bill 1245, which allows MARTA greater flexibility in how sales tax revenues are spent. When necessary, we are now able to spend 55% of our tax revenues on operating expenses and 45% on capital projects instead of a 50/50 split.

RAIL CAR REHAB
One of our largest investments to date is our rail car rehabilitation program. A contract of nearly $250 million has been awarded to a New York firm for the refurbishment of our aging rail cars in addition to the purchase of 100 new rail cars.

NEW FARE COLLECTION SYSTEM
We expect to award a contract sometime early this year for a new fare collection system using a “smart card.” This will be a major step in providing seamless transportation in the region.

AUTOMATED VEHICLE LOCATORS
We’re moving rapidly toward an automated vehicle location system, which will greatly enhance our ability to track our buses and increase on-time performance.

EXPANSION STUDIES
Ongoing studies and public meetings are being held concerning Board-mandated expansion priorities, i.e. west Fulton, I-20 East Corridor and north Fulton. The C-loop and Belt Line proposals are also being discussed.

LEASE LEASE BACK PROGRAM
MARTA’s lease financing of rail vehicles has netted over $35 million in benefits for the Authority. Two more vehicle lease lease backs are planned, as well as a contract for the south line right of way, from the airport to Five Points station.

The MARTA board and staff work extremely hard to make our good system better. At every level of the Authority we are striving for a standard of excellence that will be reflected in the delivery of the safest, most reliable and cost-effective service to our customers throughout the metropolitan Atlanta region. We will not be deterred. We will not be distracted. We are correcting what was wrong and making what is good better. We thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr.
General Manager/CEO, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority