MARTA Ridership Up In Atlanta?

Though the numbers show that ridership on MARTA's rail service is up 10 percent, the increase could only be a result of new fare gates that have curbed turnstile-jumping.

1 minute read

December 14, 2006, 10:00 AM PST

By Alex Pearlstein

"Ridership on MARTA's rail system has surged to its highest level in five years. The transit system on Monday reported a 10 percent jump in daily ridership between July and September compared to the same period a year ago. The number of rail trips handled each day rose from 231,000 to 257,000 during that time."

Bus ridership has risen more modestly - about 1.5 percent above last year.

"It's not clear why the rail numbers have spiked...One possible explanation: new electronic fare gates MARTA has been installed at all 38 rail stations. The 6-foot-tall gates do a much better job of counting passengers than the oft-broken and easy-to-hop turnstiles they replaced."

"MARTA officials acknowledge the new head counts are more reliable. But they stress the old numbers should not be discounted, as they are based on a complex formula that included other measures, such as fare revenue."

FULL STORY: MARTA train ridership up 10%; small rise for buses

Tuesday, December 12, 2006 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Transportation Georgia

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.