• Subscribe
  • Magazine
  • 40 Under 40
  • Supplier's Directory
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
    1. Management

    MARTA interim general manager/CEO discusses future of public transit at United for Infrastructure summit

    March 14, 2022
    Greenwood participated in a discussion on investing in metro Atlanta’s transportation future and highlighted the important role public transit and its continued expansion play in economic opportunity and development.
    Related To: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)
    MARTA
    MARTA General Manager and CEO Greenwood joined local and state leaders to talk about the future of public transit.
    MARTA General Manager and CEO Greenwood joined local and state leaders to talk about the future of public transit.

    Local, state and regional transportation and infrastructure leaders were joined by Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Interim General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood at United for Infrastructure’s Lead with Infrastructure: Southeastern Summit held in Atlanta.

    Greenwood participated in a discussion on investing in metro Atlanta’s transportation future and highlighted the important role public transit and its continued expansion play in economic opportunity and development.

    The summit was focused on what the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law means for Georgia and featured keynote addresses from Mayor of the City of Atlanta Andre Dickens and Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner and MARTA Board Member Russell McMurry, and began with recorded remarks from Mitch Landrieu, senior advisor and infrastructure coordinator to President Joe Biden.

    “The bipartisan infrastructure law allows us to be more ambitious in undertaking expansion and improvement projects,” said Greenwood. “Thanks to the efforts of Georgia Senators Ossoff and Warnock, we have more projects eligible for the Small Starts program, including Clayton Southlake bus rapid transit which recently advanced to the project development phase of the federal program. This BRT will improve mobility and create new economic opportunities in Clayton County.”

    Greenwood was part of a breakout panel discussion, during which he talked about the pandemic’s impact on transit ridership and strategies for attracting and retaining customers, including offering more frequent service outside of traditional peak commuting times and restructuring fare products to better align with the increase in remote work.

    “If someone is only going into the office two days a week, a monthly pass may not best meet their needs,” added Greenwood. “We need to examine ridership patterns observed during COVID-19 and adjust to provide more frequent, more reliable service at times and for a price that is attractive to those who typically commute by car. We also need to continue our focus on customer service with improvements to real-time service information and amenities that make taking transit convenient and enjoyable.”

    Greenwood also highlighted MARTA projects that hint at the future of public transportation such as the recently launched MARTA Reach pilot program, an on-demand app-based transit service that works like Uber or Lyft, and provides first- and last-mile connectivity to the larger MARTA system. 

    The panel discussion included Chris Tomlinson, executive director of the State Road & Tollway Authority; Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and MARTA Board Member, Siemens USA Head of Future Grid and eMobility Solutions John DeBoer; and was moderated by CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation Robert Puentes.