MARTA Bus Route Forum in Decatur March 1st
Decatur Metro | February 25, 2010As noted in Decatur City Commissioner Patti Garrett’s recent email to the community, there’s a March 1st MARTA public forum at the lovely Maloof Auditorium in downtown Decatur, from 6p-8p, to discuss the proposed bus route changes and flat-out discontinuations planned for the Atlanta transit system. As noted rather succinctly by Garrett…
The routes around the East Lake, Avondale, and Decatur stations that face severe changes include the following:
Avondale: #2, #8, #36, #75, #114, #119, #120, #122, #125
Decatur: # 15, #18, #19,#123
East Lake: #22, #24
Garrett also suggests a couple other ways to give your feedback, which include…
1) Call the hotline, which receives and records messages from the public, at 404-848-5026; and 2) there is a “click and comment” section on the MARTA website at www.itsmarta.com.
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Thanks to Patti for suggesting some easy mechanisms for giving feedback. Lots of us care about having a functional MARTA but there’s a lot of other things going on in our lives too. And the folks the most dependent on MARTA, those with few if any other options, may not have the internet connection or means or time to give their critical input about how their lives will be affected. The elderly woman who posted here that it’s hard to walk all the way to Candler to catch a bus probably represents just one of many who are going to have trouble getting to work or medical appointments because of bus routes being cancelled. So those of us who care and DO have the ability to give feedback should be sure and use one of these mechanisms to do so!
The cutbacks in service that affect rail and bus service in Decatur would have a HUGE effect on the city’s business activity and the commuters who come in and out of the three Decatur-area stations (East Lake, Decatur, and Avondale). Please respond to MARTA’s survey request or call them to express your concerns about the proposed cutbacks in service and hours of service. I would be especially sorry to see changes in bus routes 2, 19, and 123 out of Decatur station, as well as any downturn in train scheduling.
I would definately like to see MARTA look at either re-routing or combining some routes. I have seen too many half full to almost empty buses around town, which seems to be extremely wasteful. Maybe even down sizing some buses that are sized more appropriately for the route.
I live on S. McDonough St. and I do not know if I am near the begining or the end of this particular route. However, I see the bus go by pretty much empty. I see it in the morning while I am going to work and I see it, and hear it, several times at night, yet no one seems to be riding it.
I personally think that they need to take a hard look at which routes are needed and which stops can be eliminated in order to combine routes. The goal for MARTA should be to provide services where they are needed and do it efficiently. Just my two cents and I am glad that this forum is here so people can voice their opinion.
Smaller buses seem like a great idea for routes that have riders dependent on the buses for transportation to work and medical services but not enough to fill huge buses all day long. Reducing routes altogether and/or the frequency of service can be counterproductive if the service gets so inconvenient that people give up entirely on being able to use mass transit. Problem is that MARTA probably has a huge fleet of big buses and might not have the means to invest in smaller, more efficient vehicles.
I’m beginning to experience more and more breakdowns and delays on the East-West train line during rush hour, something that used to be rare. What I see MARTA staff dealing with–e.g. flapping, unsecured control panels or doors that won’t shut without special manual attention–is not reassuring. If one sits near the front of the first car, where one can overhear the MARTA communications, one can hear some bizarre stuff. I’m worried about a downward spiral in which a tight budget results in poorer maintenance and service which results in decreased ridership by folks who cannot afford to show up at work late in the morning or at school or aftercare to get the kids which results in decreased revenues, tighter budgets, and even worse maintenance and service, etc. I wonder if either the private or public sector in Georgia will ever have the political or social will to create sustainable, workable mass transit.