Atlanta, GA, December 1, 2000 - On Thursday, the Metropolitan Atlanta Transit Authority (MARTA) board voted on its top three candidates for general manager. All three candidates are African American: Nathaniel Ford (Executive Vice President of Operations at MARTA); Robert Prince (GM at Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority), and Gordon Linton (former head of the Federal Transit Administration). The MARTA board selected Nathaniel Ford to run the $300 million transit agency.

Just two months ago, the Metropolitan Atlanta Transportation Equity Coalition (MATEC) presented a strong case for MARTA to dismantle its "glass ceiling" hiring policy for African Americans. They pointed out that over the past three decades, all five of MARTA's general managers have been white males. African Americans make up 78 percent of MARTA's staff.

It is ironic that the same day the MARTA board selected its first African American general manager, MATEC, a coalition of eleven black Atlanta organizations, filed an administrative complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation on behalf of their minority and disabled members. "I am pleased the MARTA board selected Mr. Ford as the new general manager. It looks like one of the first substantive issues he will have to address is the MATEC discrimination complaint," said Robert D. Bullard, who directs the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University. Bullard and his colleagues at the center have provided research and technical assistance to the MATEC groups over the past two years.

The MATEC organizations charged MARTA with racial discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They also cite MARTA for failing to comply with the federally mandated Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The complainants include a broad array of groups, including some well known civil rights organizations (SCLC, NAACP, and Rainbow/PUSH Coalition), neighborhood organizations (Rebel Forest Neighborhood Task Force, Campbellton Road Coalition, Second Chance Community Services, Inc.), a disabled persons advocacy group (Santa Fe VillasTenant's Association), an environmental organization (Center for Environmental Public Awareness), a youth group (Youth Task Force), and a labor union that represents MARTA drivers (Amalgamated Transit Union Local 732).

The coalition alleges that MARTA's service delivery to minority communities is not up to par with the services provided to white communities. They point out that a disproportionate number of the MARTA's overcrowded bus lines are located in minority communities, and minority communities do not receive a proportionate share of clean compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and bus shelters. They also contend that MARTA rail stations located in minority neighborhoods are poorly maintained and fewer amenities are provided in comparison to those located in white communities. Additionally, inadequate security is provided at the MARTA rail stations serving minority riders. Also, Latino riders are not provided Spanish language translation services to permit participation in public meetings sponsored by the MARTA.

The coalition insists that MARTA's decision to raise its fares will have a negative, disproportionate, and discriminatory effect on the system's largely minority (over 75 percent of MARTA's riders are African American), transit-dependent riders, and will cause them irreparable harm. On June 19, 2000 the MARTA board approved a $307 million operating budget that raised its one-way cash fare from $1.50 to $1.75--a 16.7 percent increase. The weekly transit pass jumps from $12 to $13 (an 8.3 percent increase); monthly passes increase from $45 to $52.50 (a 16.7 percent increase); and half-price senior citizens fares from 75 cents to 85 cents (a 13.3 percent increase). The fare hike is scheduled for January 1, 2001.

The groups also contest MARTA's need to raise its fares. They cite independent studies conducted by transportation experts at Clark Atlanta University's Environmental Justice Resource Center. For over nine months, the coalition and its allies have pleaded with the MARTA board not to raise its fares at a time when its ridership is showing an upward trend. Ridership increased more than 5 percent over last year. The groups cite MARTA's failure to arrive at real budget alternatives to the fare hike, such as considering charging for parking, raising the parking fee at its overnight lots, increasing advertising, and seeking funds from the state. Just last month, the Georgia DOT offered $2 million to assist in averting a fare hike. MARTA is the only major regional transit agency in the country that does not receive state funds.

The coalition alleges that MARTA has denied disabled riders equal access to public buses, entitling them to relief under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Disabled riders have not been accommodated in a timely manner and are disadvantaged due to malfunctioning equipment. MARTA has allowed equipment with inoperable lifts to remain in service contrary to federal ADA regulations. Alternate transportation has not been provided promptly to persons who require lift equipment, necessitating several hours wait for lift-equipped buses. One of the major pieces of equipment in question is the lift-equipped buses. "MARTA's failure to address repeated complaints by the disabled regarding these issues have resulted in physical injuries, humiliation, emotional distress, and other injuries," stated Santa Fe Villas Tenant's Association president Flora Tommie.

MATEC members also charge MARTA with failing to provide comparable paratransit services. The disabled utilizing MARTA's paratransit services are subjected to long delays and excessively long trips before reaching their destination. Additionally, MARTA has failed to assure that its personnel is trained to properly assist disabled patrons and to offer their services in a respectful and courteous way as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For More Information Contact:
Sherrill Marcus, Metropolitan Atlanta Transportation Equity Coalition (MATEC) (404) 755-2294
Flora Tommie, Santa Fe Villas Tenant's Association (404) 761-0580
Fred Taylor, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (404) 527-4327
John Evans, DeKalb NAACP (404) 241-8006

For more information on the research conducted by the Environmental Justice Resource Center under its Atlanta Transportation Equity Project (ATEP), see the center's web site at http://www.ejrc.cau.edu or contact Dr. Robert D. Bullard, Director, Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University, (404) 880-6911. The ATEP is supported by grants from the Turner Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Surdna Foundation.