If you are regular rider of MARTA, be aware changes are coming.
Waiting longer for the next train starts this weekend. Higher fares go into effect in the fall to deal with buckets of red ink facing the transit system.
First, MARTA said:
We will need your continued support as we work to identify and secure additional permanent, long-term sources of funding. MARTA avoided having to make further service cuts through the implementation of significant internal cost containment measures and funding made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Unless the President and Congress decide differently, we will not have those funds available to us in the future. This is not just a MARTA issue. We need everyone to make an urgent call for state, regional and local leadership to focus on this critical issue or MARTA, as we know it, will not survive.
Starting Saturday, trains will run less frequently. The new time tables are:
- 4:45 a.m. to 6 a.m.: trains run every 15 minutes, up from 10 minutes.
- Peak hours: every 12 minutes, up from 10 minutes.
- 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: every 15 minutes, up from 10 minutes.
- After 9 p.m.: every 20 minutes, up from 15 minutes
If you plan to use MARTA to get home after a night on the town, be aware the train service shuts down at 1 a.m.
Also, a one way ticket will cost $2 in October, up from $1.75.
What doesn't change is parking. Parking at East Point will remain free.
