The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) will continue to receive funding from the penny sales tax after all four jurisdictions that receive MARTA service passed the 15th Amendment to the Rapid Transit Contract and Assistance Agreement.
The full-penny sales tax will fund MARTA bus and rail service in Atlanta and Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton Counties through 2057.
“MARTA has spent significant time in the last two years working with our jurisdictional partners to build and repair relationships, deliver on service improvements and advance capital projects,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker. “Fundamentally, approval of the 15th Amendment signals our jurisdictions’ commitment to our partnership. I do not take these votes of confidence lightly. The entire MARTA team will keep the promises we’ve made and keep us moving forward.”
Adoption of the 15th Amendment allows MARTA to extend its long-term bonding capacity, which is necessary for MARTA to maintain the current service levels and capital program, including rehabilitation of all 38 rail stations and purchase of 254 new rail cars. The amendment also enables MARTA to move forward with expansion projects in Atlanta and Clayton County and continue planning for expansion in Fulton and DeKalb counties.
Freda Hardage, chair of the MARTA Board of Directors, said, “The board could not be more pleased by the votes on the 15th Amendment. Passage of this key amendment to our intergovernmental agreement with our jurisdictional partners is not only an integral part of the process that leads to system expansion, but equally important, it ensures that MARTA will be able to continue delivering safe, reliable service to our customers. This is a victory for all of us.”
MARTA’s current bonding capacity is estimated at $3.2 billion and includes $538 million in sales receipts collected in Atlanta, Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton Counties in 2019, along with the additional half-penny sales tax levied in the city of Atlanta.
