MATEC Challenges True "Smart Growth" in Atlanta via Administrative Complaint Filed With U.S. DOT
at Conference Designed to Curb Sprawl

December 4, 2000 -- Several organizations, including The Metropolitan Atlanta Transportation Equity Coalition (MATEC), which filed an administrative complaint against MARTA for a litany of alleged discriminatory practices towards its minority and disabled passengers, will outline those charges at a press conference Wednesday, December 6th. The press conference will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the 8th floor atrium at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, located at 210 Peachtree Street, in Atlanta.

"Attracting diverse groups to Atlanta has been a simple task," said MATEC's Temita Davis. "However, the major thorn for metro planners has been equitable transportation development. On the north side, MARTA has developed Lindbergh, but there's nothing comparable planned south of I-20. Frankly, that's not smart growth, its discriminatory growth."

The complainants filed an administrative complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation Nov. 30th, citing discrimination in delivery of services to minority communities that includes overcrowded bus lines, a lack of clean compressed natural gas (CNG) buses dedicated to minority communities, and inadequate security at rail stations serving mostly minority riders.

"Atlanta must also address issues such as access for the disabled and elderly, discriminatory treatment of minorities in terms of delivery of services and the inequities between the wealthy and the working class," said DeKalb NAACP President John Evans.

In addition, the coalition charges that MARTA has denied disabled riders equal access to public buses entitled to them under Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The complaint also charges that MARTA has failed to provide alternative transportation in a prompt manner for people who require lift equipment. The complainants, which include MATEC, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Rebel Forest Neighborhood Task Force, the Campbellton Road Coalition, Second Chance Community Services, Inc., The Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 732, and Second Chance Community Services, Inc., also charged MARTA with racial discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Since first announced by the MARTA staff, MATEC has challenged MARTA's need to raise fares, insisting that such a move B scheduled for January 1, 2001 B will have an adverse, disproportionate and discriminatory effect on the system's 75 percent-plus minority clientele.

"MARTA's decision to raise fares was not a smart one," said Tanisa Foxworth of Youth Task Force. "MARTA's own research shows a decline in ridership with each fare increase."

Contact: Sherrill Marcus, MATEC Project Coordinator (404) 755-2294 or 755-2855