"Transportation: the regulation and funding of Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority and Transportation Equity"

This research project was developed to explore and find an explanation of why Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has been eliminating bus lines and increasing the fares charged to its patrons. It will also explain why MARTA plans to eliminate more bus lines in the future. A case study analysis approach was used to analyze data gathered and survey research was administered to collect the public’s opinion and demographics. It examines the thought process put into the major changes the MARTA is continuously undergoing. Equity in public transportation covers a variety of inequalities in forms of fare inflation, bus stop and route elimination, and service taxes charged to both Fulton and Dekalb Counties. MARTA is funded by a 1 percent service tax that is paid by residents in Fulton and Dekalb Counties and the fares paid by its clientele. MARTA does not receive any federal funding. The MARTA board has made the decision to eliminate several bus routes and stops, and increase fares simultaneously. The adverse effects impact many people, more specifically people of color. The conclusions drawn from the findings suggest that MARTA is a primary means of transportation for many of the residents not only in Fulton and Dekalb Counties, but Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett as well. MARTA is becoming less accessible, and the fare is becoming more and more unaffordable for its patrons.