MARTA to face drastic cuts after bill stalls

[MichaelM.]

Are any of the people that are supporting MARTA on here native Atlantans?

I am a native and have lived here since my birth in 1982.

My parents have told me what happened to Lenox Mall when MARTA was brought through in 1984 - crime spiked and the mall became a haven for thugs and teenagers from the south side that would ride up to the mall to hang out and not buy anything. The mall almost went under - thank god a new mangement company stepped in to increase security and keep things under control. But there was no doubt - a criminal element moved in the same time as MARTA.

I remember what happened to Perimeter in 1996 when the Dunwoody Marta Station opened - the same exact thing. Spikes in petty crimes, hoodlums of teens running around (I was a teen then so I especially noticed), thuggish behavior. Perimeter was changed forever - for the worse - because of Marta. I was in Dunwoody at the Best Buy at 9:30 at night a couple of weeks ago when a panhandler asked me for money as he waited outside the Best Buy... in Dunwoody... across the street from MARTA - now how the heck you think he got there?

Why do you think a cop has to sit outside of the Perimeter Point Movie theater? Easy - the Sandy Springs Marta Station.

A friend of mine used to live in Alpharetta off Kimball bridge within walking distance of the Mansell Bus station - she noticed after it was built a signifigant increase in crime in her neighborhood.

Of course, there are success stories, like Lindbergh Center, but mostly these exmaples explain why many native Atlantans are so opposed to MARTA - because they saw the criminal element it brings and how it drastically altered Perimeter, Lenox, and to a lesser extent Alpharetta, right before thier eyes.

How could this be solved? Removal of mass transit - which I do not support. Atlanta needs MARTA.

What I support is a zone fare system for MARTA. That way if you want to ride from Collie Park to Dunwoody to chill at the mall, break into some cars, or beg for some money - your going to have to pay for it - making it less likely to happen.

No other system besides NYC operates like Marta with a single fare. Washington, D.C. uses a zone fare system, and there are few comlpaints from the wealthy suburb Alexandria, VA about criminal elements becuase the zone fare system prevents them from moving in.

Of course people argued that MARTA is safe and showed stats to prove it was in line with other systems in terms of safety, but refused to acknoledge a huge factor - all those systems use zone fare.

But why does Dr. Scott, CEO, refuse this option? Im not sure, but I have an idea - she has racist intentions. She knows most people who ride MARTA are black and she does not want them to be denied the right to ride wherever they want all over the city for one price. Justified? You decide - but all I know is that she refuses to discuss an option that would save MARTA.