RACE AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN METRO
ATLANTA: A LOOK AT MARTA
By Robert D. Bullard
Race still operates at the heart of Atlanta's regional transportation dilemma. For years, I-20 served as the unofficial racial line of demarcation in the region, with blacks located largely to the south and whites to the north. The bulk of the region's growth in the 1990s occurred in Atlanta's northern suburbs, areas where public transit is inadequate or nonexistent.The 10-county Atlanta metropolitan area has a regional public transit system only in name. In the 1960s, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA was hailed as the solution to the region's growing traffic and pollution problems, but today, MARTA serves just two counties, Fulton and DeKalb. For years, MARTA's acronym was jokingly referred to as "Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta." African Americans currently make up 75 percent of MARTA's riders.
The first referendum to create a five-county rapid rail system failed in 1968, and the vote was largely along racial lines. However, in 1971, the City of Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb counties (political jurisdictions with the largest minority concentration in the region) approved a referendum for a 1-percent sales tax to support a rapid rail and feeder bus system, but the mostly white suburban Cobb County and Gwinnett County voters rejected the MARTA system. People of color represent 29 percent of the population in the 10-county region.
Nevertheless, MARTA has since grown from 13 rail stations in 1979 to 36 rail stations in 1999, and two additional stations-Sandy Springs and North Springs-along the north line are under construction and are expected to open in December 2000. These two northern rail stations are the only MARTA lines currently under construction. MARTA operates 154 bus routes that cover 1,541 miles. Its rail lines cover 46 miles. In 1999, MARTA was responsible for 553,000 daily passenger trips (50.1% bus and 49.9% rail).
Just how far MARTA lines extend has proved to be a thorny issue. Politics will likely play a major role in determining where the next MARTA lines go. Even who pays the tab for MARTA is being debated. MARTA's operating budget comes from sales tax (46 percent), fares (34 percent), and the Federal Transit Administration and other sources (20 percent). But only Fulton and DeKalb County residents pay for the upkeep and expansion of the system with a one-cent MARTA sales tax.
A recent rider survey revealed that 78 percent of MARTA's rail and bus riders are African Americans and other people of color. Whites make up 22 percent of MARTA riders. More than 45 percent of MARTA riders live in the city of Atlanta, 14 percent live in the remainder of Fulton County, 25 percent live in DeKalb County, and 16 percent live outside MARTA's service area.
Parking at MARTA's 23 lots is free except for the 1,342 overnight parking slots that cost $3 per day. All of the overnight lots are located on MARTA's North Line where they serve affluent, mostly white suburban communities. For example, the far-north stops on the orange lines (Doraville and Dunwoody Stations) have proven to be popular among suburban air travelers. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a parking space in some MARTA lots.
A license tag survey covering the period 1988-1997 revealed that 44 percent of the cars parked at MARTA lots were from outside the Fulton/DeKalb County service area. It appears that Fulton and DeKalb County tax payers are subsidizing people who live in outlying counties and who park their cars at the park-and-ride lots and ride on MARTA trains into the city and to Hartsfield Atlanta Airport, the busiest airport in the nation. Both the Doraville and Dunwoody stations (and the Sandy Springs and North Springs stations scheduled to open in December, 2000) provide fast, comfortable, traffic-free rides to Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. By paying only $1.50 (the fare will rise to $1.75 January 1, 2001) for the train ride (and no one-cent MARTA sales tax), many suburbanites who live outside Fulton and DeKalb Counties get an added bonus by not having to park in airport satellite parking lots that range from $6 dollars and up.
Atlanta and Fulton County Adopt Resolutions Opposing Fare Increase
On May 1, the Atlanta City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution opposing MARTA's fare increase. The Fulton County Commission, on April 5, 2000 also adopted a resolution in opposition to the fare hike. Both resolutions expressed that the fare increase would have a disproportionately negative impact on low-income MARTA riders, the vast majority of whom reside in Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb counties, and who already pay a 1% sales tax, which subsidizes the other metro users. The MARTA board was urged to consider alternatives to the fare increase in order to "provide equity to the residents of Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb counties" and to "more effectively spread the financial burden of operating the system to other users in the Metropolitan Atlanta area."
Several MARTA Board appointees representing Atlanta and Fulton County apparently ignored the resolutions passed by the elected officials from these districts. These appointees voted for a resolution adopting the MARTA budget with the fare increase on May 25, 2000, which failed by one vote and again on June 18, 2000, which was passed by the MARTA Board. The resolution adopted by the MARTA Board calls for implementation of the fare increase on January 1, 2001. Atlanta and Fulton County appointees to the MARTA Board who voted for the fare hike are as follows: Dr. Walter Branch (Atlanta), Amos Beasley (Atlanta), Frank Steinemann (Atlanta), and Arthur McClung (Fulton County).
South DeKalb Leaders Hold Transportation Town Hall Meeting
May 9, 2000, Atlanta, GA - Nearly a hundred residents turned out for a town hall meeting held at the Georgia Perimeter College - South Campus. The meeting was organized and chaired by State Senator Connie Stokes and Representative Henrietta Turnquest. Senator Stokes explained why the town hall meeting was called. "The purpose of this meeting is to provide South DeKalb residents with the initial goals, objectives, and future transportation plans in the Atlanta region, including those of MARTA and GRTA" stated Stokes. Representative Turnquest registered her concern with the historical treatment of the South DeKalb area: "South DeKalb residents have not been active participants in the Atlanta metropolitan transportation decision-making process. This must change."
The meeting led off with a panel that included Robert Bullard (Clark Atlanta University), Catherine Ross (Georgia Regional Transportation Authority), William Mosley (MARTA Board chair), and Arthur Barnes (Georgia Rail Passenger Authority). Much of the panel discussion revolved around existing public transit service inequities, the MARTA fare increase, and regional transportation investments. During the question and answer period, South DeKalb residents expressed concern about the growing North-South economic divide in their county and the role of transportation agencies in developing plans that are inclusive of low-income and people of color communities. Jennifer Parker, editor of the South DeKalb Crossroads magazine, expressed the view of many local residents: "You can't get there on MARTA." Parker urged MARTA to concentrate on improving services and take care of its loyal customers.
Residents Stage Mass Walkout at MARTA Board Meeting
May 25, 2000, Atlanta, GA - Atlanta residents waited more than an hour for the MARTA Board members to show up
for the scheduled 1:15 p.m. board meeting. The meeting room at MARTA headquarters was filled with customers whose yellow signs urged the board to "Vote NO" on the fare hike. The residents complained that this was not a way to run a $300 million business. William R. Moseley, chair of the MARTA Board, opened the meeting with a resolution to adopt the Fiscal Year 2001 operating and capital funds budget and was immediately interrupted by John Evans, President of DeKalb NAACP. Evans asked the board to move to the public comment period before the vote on the fare increase. Moseley refused to do so. He also asked Evans to not disrupt the meeting or he would have him removed from the room. While Moseley and Evans were engaged in a heated debate, most of the residents walked out of the meeting. After about ten minutes, a MARTA staff person came outside and told the residents that the MARTA board voted on the proposed fare hike. The budget measure was defeated by one vote.
TWO-MILE RAIL EXTENSION COSTS WHOPPING $464 MILLION
MARTA officials claim the fare hike is needed to offset a projected $10 million shortfall associated with the opening of two new suburban train stations on its North line. The two new Sandy Springs and North Springs stations, scheduled to open in December, 2000, add just two miles of track at the cost of $464 million in construction. They will cost an additional $4 million to operate annually. The $464 million North Springs and Sandy Springs stations are projected to increase MARTA's ridership by approximately 5%. On the other hand, the fare increase is projected to decrease ridership by 5%. Compared to the "new" riders, the "lost" riders are far more likely to be low-income, transit-dependent, people of color who reside in, and pay sales tax in Fulton and DeKalb Counties. Currently, African Americans make up 75 percent of MARTA's riders.
MARTA BOARD APPROVES FARE INCREASE
June 19, 2000, Atlanta, GA - - The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) recently approved a $307 million operating budget that raises its one-way cash fare from $1.50 to $1.75-a 17 percent increase. The weekly transit pass will jump from $12 to $13, monthly passes will increase from $45 to $52.50, and half-price senior citizens passes will go from 75 cents to 85 cents. A similar budget proposal came before the MARTA board on May 25, but failed by one vote. Although split, the board approved its FY01 budget that included the whopping fare hike. In an effort to save face, the board passed a "rabbit-out-of-the-hat" amendment that instructed the MARTA staff to seek alternatives over the next 120 days to cut $2 million from the administration, take $2 million from its reserve fund, and request another $2 million from various city, county, state, and federal governments.
MARTA officials will be hard pressed to get any extra funds from the Atlanta City and Fulton County governments since both entities voted unanimously against the fare hike. Citizens of Atlanta, Fulton, and DeKalb have invested 25 years in a one-cent sales tax in building the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA. For the past four months, a host of community leaders, civil rights activists, academics, local elected officials, and transit riders have called for MARTA to increase ridership, trim its bloated administrative staff, and seriously consider alternative revenue sources such as advertising, concession, and parking fees.
Equity Coalition Holds Press Conference on "Juneteenth"
June 19, 2000, Atlanta, GA - A dozen local community leaders, representing the
Metropolitan Atlanta Transportation Equity Coalition or MATEC, held a press conference in front of the MARTA headquarters (2424 Piedmont Road, N.E.) on Monday June 19th (before the MARTA board meeting). It is ironic that the questionable fare increase passed on "Juneteenth," a date celebrated by millions of African Americans across the nation. Although formed less than a year ago, MATEC has steadily expanded its membership. It has also sharpened its focus on transportation inequities in the region. The ethnic coalition now includes an array of environmental justice organizations, civil rights groups, churches, service organizations, labor unions, homeowners associations, neighborhood planning units, elected officials, and academic institutions who have come together under a common theme of dismantling transportation racism in metropolitan Atlanta.
What People are Saying about the Fare Increase
There are clear equity impacts related to the proposed MARTA fare hike. Without a doubt, poor people and black people will be hit the hardest. In lieu of fare hikes, the MARTA should initiate an aggressive plan to expand ridership, streamline its administrative staff, acquire more state, regional, and federal funding for public transit, and explore the feasibility of a fare reduction." (Dr. Robert D. Bullard, Director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University and author of the 1997 book, Just Transportation: Dismantling Race and Class Barriers to Mobility)
"MARTA is not in serious need to increase the fares, but because of the two new stations (Sandy Springs and North Springs) soon to be on line, now would be the perfect timing for a fare increase." (Terry L. Griffis, VP of Finance and Administration for MARTA; statement made at a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Overview Committee (MARTOC) meeting held on May 12, 2000)
"MARTA will not be in violation of either the 35% Operating Ratio nor the 50% Operating Funding tests for its fiscal year 2001 (FY01) or Fiscal Year (FY02) Budget if it does not impose the recommended fare increase. Atlantans already pay a high one-way cash fare. Going to a $1.75 fare would definitely set MARTA apart from the pack. Therefore, if the objective is to carry more passengers, a fare decrease is likely to be the most productive and cost-effective methodology available by a wide margin." (Thomas A. Rubin, CPA and nationally known transportation consultant)
"I find it unfortunate that MARTA feels they must increase their fare at a time when we are trying to get more and more people out of their cars and on to mass transit. In addition to the negative effects on our air quality and traffic congestion, a fare increase at this time could limit some low-income people's access to the transit system and their places of employment. While I pledge to continue working for more federal money for MARTA, I believe that a certain percentage of state gas tax revenue should be dedicated to MARTA, and I hope that MARTA will work to find other fiscal solutions to their budget without increasing fares at this time." (Cynthia McKinney, U.S. Congresswoman)
"This whole thing is about race. Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton don't want MARTA and poor or black people. I can't imagine MARTA saying we will raise the fare on the core of this proposed regional transportation system we plan to have." (James E. "Billy" McKinney, State Senator)
"MARTA should insure that all avenues have been exhausted before initiating a fare increase. There presently are many questions as to whether that has been done." (Vernon Jones, State Representative)
"South DeKalb residents have not been active participants in the Atlanta metropolitan transportation decision-making process. This must change." (Henrietta Turnquest, State Representative)
"The impact of a MARTA fare increase on the working poor would be disastrous. MARTA should work to ensure that all alternatives have been exhausted, and work with state, local and federal officials to find resources for MARTA." (Vincent Fort, State Senator)
"I can appreciate the fiscal situation that MARTA finds itself in. But in all fairness to working class and poor people who are the financial mainstay of the MARTA System, I along with my other Atlanta City Council colleagues urge MARTA not to raise their fare but to look at alternative ways of financing. Some of these initiatives could include parking fees or other creative initiatives." ("Able" Mable Thomas, Atlanta City Councilwoman)
"MARTA's fare increase is a complete disrespect for those who depend on mass transportation for their mode of transportation. I would like to see our state legislators take the leadership to remove Gwinnett and Clayton members off the MARTA Board." (John Evans, DeKalb NAACP)
"By insisting on this fare increase, MARTA has violated the trust placed in it by the citizens of Fulton and DeKalb counties to have an affordable and safe transit system. We had to resort to public protests to alert citizens about the proposed fare increase." (Flora M. Tommie, a MARTA rider since 1983 and an active member of Atlanta's NPU-X)
"MARTA riders have already adjusted to the $1.50 fare. People on fixed incomes definitely cannot afford a 25 cents increase in one-way cash fare. The MARTA Board needs to address the existing inadequate services in minority communities especially in Southwest Atlanta (e.g. no benches at bus stops, no kiosks during inclement weather, overcrowded buses, buses running late, and old broken-down buses." (Ester B. McCrary, a transit-dependent rider)
"Environmental Defense opposes the proposed fare increase for MARTA because it would be inefficient, environmentally destructive and inequitable. Rather than increasing fares, MARTA should be contemplating lower fares to encourage people to use transit. Higher transit use would result in less congestion, cleaner air, and less consumption of natural resources like gasoline." (Robert Garcia, Senior Attorney and Director, Environmental Defense-formerly known as Environmental Defense Fund-Los Angeles Project Office)
The Environmental Justice Resource Center is involved in a major research undertaking that examines transportation equity in the Atlanta metro area. This research began in 1995 when the center hosted a national transportation equity conference (funded by U.S. DOT). In 1996 the center produced the 45-minute Just Transportation video. And in 1997, staff from the center edited Just Transportation: Dismantling Race and Class Barriers to Mobility. In 1999, the center's staff undertook a major research and policy collaborative on sprawl. This collaborative resulted in a major suburban sprawl report entitled Sprawl City: Costs and Consequences of Uneven Growth and Development. It is also responsible for a new book entitled Sprawl City: Race, Politics and Planning in Atlanta (Island Press, 2000).
After learning of the proposed MARTA fare hike this past February, the center began an in-depth investigation of the potential impact that such a fare increase would have on MARTA's low-income, transit-dependent, and people of color riders. After two months into the investigation, EJRC researchers submitted its preliminary results in writing (memorandum dated April 17, 2000) to William Moseley, MARTA Chairperson, and to the MARTA board.
The fare increase reportedly will raise approximately $12 million per year for MARTA. However, any benefit to the agency is likely to be outweighed by the substantial losses of income and mobility for the transit-dependent that will result in the loss of employment and housing, and the inability to reach medical care, food sources, educational opportunities, and other basic needs of life.
The fare hike would have the greatest impact on low-income riders who pay with cash. MARTA's transit-dependent riders are typically children and elderly, lower-income, carless, large households, residents who live near transit stations, and generally people of color. On the other hand, MARTA's northern-tier ridership will likely increase regardless of fare hikes. MARTA should encourage affluent white suburbanites to get out of their cars and use its system. At the same time, the agency should not balance this initiative on the backs of those customers who can least afford to pay.
Anticipating that a critique of public transit in metro Atlanta might require a legal analysis, the EJRC added a civil rights attorney (Ruth Neal) to its staff. Ms. Neal has served as a staff attorney with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, where she handled Title VI (Civil Rights Act of 1964) complaints.
Because of the work with community groups in Los Angeles such as Labor/Community Strategy Center and Bus Riders Union (who were successful in their fight against transit racism), the EJRC reached out to some of the experts who worked on the Labor/Community Strategy Center Bus Riders Union et al. v. Los Angeles MTA case. The EJRC facilitated several meetings between the LA-based Bus Riders Union and the Metropolitan Atlanta Transportation Equity Coalition or MATEC, an emerging coalition of Atlanta groups. This past February, a ten-member MATEC delegation visited Los Angeles. They viewed the new Bus Riders Union documentary, attended an Organizers Training School class, passed out leaflets on the MTA buses and trains, and saw first hand the Los Angeles-Atlanta transit connection.
Many Atlantans do not take kindly when people compare their city with Los Angeles' smog, traffic, gridlock, or sprawl problem. However, Los Angeles beats out Atlanta when it comes to affordable public transit. Despite the higher median household income and higher cost of living in Los Angeles, Atlantans now pay more to ride public transit than Los Angeles residents. MARTA's current one-way cash fare is $1.50 (will increase to $1.75 in January 1, 2001). The Los Angeles MTA one-way cash fare is $1.35.
The EJRC retained the services of Thomas A. Rubin, an Oakland, California-based transportation consultant, to assist with the analysis of MARTA's fare structure and financial status. Rubin has worked on a number of national transportation equity and civil rights cases, including the Los Angeles MTA case. On June 1, 2000 the EJRC submitted its legal analysis and Rubin's budget analysis to the MARTA board.
The fare increase raises serious equity questions under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its regulations for the following reasons: (1) The fare increase would adversely impact African Americans, (2) There is no business necessity for a fare increase, and (3) MARTA has less discriminatory alternatives to a fare increase. The Title VI regulations prohibit an agency that receives federal funding from engaging in actions that have an adverse disparate impact on protected classes (race, color, national origin) for which there is no business necessity and for which there are less discriminatory alternatives.
MARTA's existing $1.50 cash fare is the second highest of all major U.S. urban transit operators. If the quarter increase is approved, MARTA's $1.75 adult cash fare would be the highest in the nation. Considering costs of living, MARTA's cash fare is the highest in the nation now.
MARTA's 34.2% farebox recovery ratio is the highest of comparable Sun Belt transit systems. Since the 15¢ fare ended in 1979, MARTA's adult cash fare has increased ten-fold. Factoring in cost of living changes, it has increased over 300%. MARTA will be in full compliance with all statutory requirements for both FY01 and FY02 without a fare increase. MARTA has absolutely no shortage of cash. Rubin concludes that the fare increase is not necessary, justified, or wise.
Federal Court Blocks Regional Transportation Plan
Atlanta, GA, July 20, 2000 - The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals of Atlanta on Tuesday blocked metro Atlanta's effort to regain use of federal road-building funds. The region is a nonattainment area for ground level ozone. The action, which places metro Atlanta's regional transportation plan on hold, was a result of a lawsuit filed by a coalition of environmental groups. The regional transportation plan proposed to spend $36 billion over 25 years on roads, transit, sidewalks, bike paths, and HOV lanes in the 13-county region. The court granted a stay to the coalition who sued the EPA in April, charging the agency with illegally extending the region's deadline for meeting federal clean air standards. The coalition also charged the regional transportation plan with using flawed data. The court is not expected to hear the case at least until September, thereby delaying the final approval of metro Atlanta's regional transportation plan until later in the fall.
MARTA IGNORES ITS SPANISH-SPEAKING CUSTOMERS
By Angel O. TorresThe Atlanta metro area looks a lot different today than it did 25 years ago when MARTA first began its service. However, one would not know it from observing the May 3rd public hearings held at MARTA headquarters. Two other public hearings were held the same day at Atlanta City Hall and in Decatur. The lack of Latino participation in the events was alarming. During the three hearings, not a single member of Atlanta's Latino community testified. The Latino community was not informed about the meeting. Ironically, the largest Latino community within the city limits is located within close proximity to the MARTA headquarters at the Lindbergh station.
MARTA has not responded proactively to the changing demographics of its Fulton and DeKalb service district. For example, the public hearing notices ran in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in English only. The ad was also posted on MARTA's web page, also in English only. MARTA did not take the time to properly alert Latinos in metro Atlanta of the proposed fare changes. Even calling MARTA's customer service Hot Line for information in Spanish proved fruitless. After maneuvering through the available choices in Spanish on the Hot Line, the customer is offered an opportunity to listen to the Olympic route bus schedule. Someone should inform MARTA officials that the Atlanta Olympic Games were held four years ago in 1996!
The translation equipment for Spanish-speaking individuals was requested well in advance of the May 3 and June 19 MARTA board meetings. A MARTA customer service representative assured me that the agency was prepared to handle Spanish-English translation. However, while at the June 19th MARTA board meeting, I was informed that if individuals needed this kind of assistance, it is MARTA's policy that the individual should bring his or her own translator to the meeting. Several Latino (non-English speaking) MARTA customers who attended the June 19th board meeting needed translation. I volunteered. Soon after beginning my new duties as a translator, I was quickly informed that I could not talk while the Board was in session. This ended my tenure as a translator after less than two minutes. This policy must change. It effectively renders MARTA's Spanish-speaking customers invisible and voiceless.
There are measures that MARTA could take to remedy this problem. MARTA could begin by requesting a meeting with Latino community leaders and attempt to understand its next-door neighbors. This task should not be hard to achieve since many organizations serving Latinos can be easily found in the Atlanta's Hispanic Yellow Pages. Another step towards this goal could be establishing a meaningful and inclusive community outreach program to the Latino community. It would also help if the Latino representation were added to the MARTA board. Other cities have faced the same challenge that Atlanta faces today. City and county leaders need to follow the examples set by cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and New York, to name a few. Atlanta is no longer the city "too busy to hate" it is just "too busy to care" about its new residents.
U.S. DOT Completes Phase I of Metro Atlanta Equity Analysis
The U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Civil Rights, issued its Environmental Justice Phase I report (dated May, 2000) entitled Assessment of Environmental Justice and Public Involvement in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. The transportation equity report resulted from a lawsuit settlement and complaint filed by environmental justice and civil rights groups. The equity concerns revolve around the way environmental justice issues are addressed in the planning process as well as the way the benefits and burdens of transportation investments are distributed across various populations. Preliminary negotiations called for a two-phase analysis of transportation equity in the Atlanta region. Phase I consists primarily of addressing the "procedural aspect of the planning process, focusing on how public participation of low-income and minority communities can be enhanced and how the concerns of these communities can be better identified and addressed in the planning process." Phase II will focus on the "substantive outcomes of the planning process, examining the distribution of transportation burdens and benefits to low-income and minority communities and expanding effective participation by low-income and minority communities in the planning process." US DOT is currently discussing its draft work plan for Phase II. For more information contact Ronald A. Stroman, Director, Office of Civil Rights, US. DOT, 400 Seventh Street, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-4648.
DOT Holds Environmental Justice/Title VI Summit
July 16, 2000, Arlington, VA - The Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration sponsored the first ever Environmental Justice/Title VI Summit to discuss strategies for implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the environmental justice Executive Order 12898, signed by President Clinton in 1994. The two day meeting was attended by more than one hundred federal DOT officials, including regional administrators, state DOTs, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), transit providers, and members of local, community-based and national advocacy organizations.
Who do you need to call about transportation issues?
William R. Moseley, Jr., Chair
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
MARTA Headquarters
2424 Piedmont Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30324
Phone: (404) 872-7759
Fax: (404) 848-5044
E-mail: wmosley@itsmarta.com
Webpage: http://www.itsmarta.comRoger Dottin
Community Coordinator
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
MARTA Headquarters
2424 Piedmont Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30324
Phone: (404) 848-4266
Fax: (404) 848-5041
E-mail: rdottin@itsmarta.com
Webpage: http://www.itsmarta.comEmerson Bryan
Chief of Staff
Atlanta Regional Commission
40 Courtland Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 463-3112
Fax: (404) 463-3105
E-mail: ebryan@atlantaregional.com
Webpage: http:// www.atlreg.comHoward Grant, PhD
Public Involvement Coordinator
Atlanta Regional Commission
40 Courtland Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 463-3195
Fax: (404) 463-3105
E-mail: hgrant@atlantaregional.com
Webpage: http:// www.atlreg.comCatherine Ross, Executive Director
Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
245 Peachtree Center Ave. NE
Suite 900
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 463-3012
Fax: (404) 463-3060
E-mail: execdir@grta.org
Webpage: http://www.grta.orgJoel Cowan, Chairman
Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
245 Peachtree Center Ave. NE, Suite 900
Atlanta, GA 30303|
Phone: (404) 463-3000
Fax: (404) 463-3060
E-mail: joelcowan@grta.org
Webpage: http://www.grta.orgRodney Slater, Secretary
USDOT
400 7th St., SW
Washington, DC 20590
Phone: (202) 366-1111
Fax: (202) 366-7202
Webpage: http://www.dot.gov/briefing.htmRonald Stroman, Director
Departmental Office of Civil Rights
USDOT
400 7th St., SW
Washington, DC 20590
Phone: (202) 366-4648
Fax: (202) 366-9371
E-mail: ronald.a.stroman@ost.dot.gov
Webpage: http://www.dot.gov/ost/docrNuria Fernandez, Acting Administrator
Federal Transit Administration
USDOT
400 7th St., SW
Washington, DC 20590
Phone: (202) 366-4040
Fax: (202) 366-9854
Webpage: http://www.fta.dot.gov/Eugene Cleckley, Director
Southern Resouce Center
Federal Highway Administration
USDOT
61 Forsyth Street, Suite 17T26
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 562-3570
Fax: (404) 562-3700
E-mail: hrcso.fhwa@fhwa.dot.gov
Webpage: www.fhwa.dot.gov/ resourcecenters/southernMarta V. Rosen
State Transportation Planning Administrator
Department of Transportation, State of Georgia
No. 2 Capitol Sq., SW, Ste. 372
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: (404) 657-5226
Fax: (404) 657-5228
E-mail: marta.rosen@dot.state.ga.us
Webpage: http://www.dot.state.ga.usSteven C. Brown
Assistant Administrator for Statewide Planning
Department of Transportation, State of Georgia
No. 2 Capitol Sq., SW, Ste. 360
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: (404) 657-6688
Fax: (404) 657-5228
E-mail: steve.brown@dot.state.ga.us
Webpage: http://www.dot.state.ga.usBooks
Bullard, Robert D., Glenn S. Johnson, and Angel. O. Torres, eds., Sprawl City: Race, Politics, and Planning in Atlanta. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2000, $30.00.
A serious but often overlooked impact of the random, unplanned growth-commonly known as "sprawl"-that has come to dominate the American landscape is its effect on economic and racial polarization. Sprawl-fueled growth pushes people further apart geographically, politically, economically, and socially. Atlanta, Georgia is experiencing one of the most severe cases of sprawl in the country, and offers a striking example of sprawl-induced stratification. Sprawl City: Race, Politics, and Planning in Atlanta uses a multi-disciplinary approach to analyze and critique the emerging crisis resulting from urban sprawl in the ten-county Atlanta Metropolitan region. Local experts including sociologists, lawyers, urban planners, economists, educators, and health care professionals consider sprawl-related concerns as core environmental justice and civil rights issues. All of the contributors examine institutional constraint issues that are embedded in urban sprawl, considering how government policies, including housing, education, and transportation policies have aided and in some cases subsidized separate but unequal economic development, segregated neighborhoods, and spatial layout of central cities and suburbs.
Contributors offer analysis of the causes and consequences of urban sprawl, and outline policy recommendations and an action agenda for coping with sprawl-related problems, both in Atlanta and around the country. The book illuminates the rising class and racial divisions underlying uneven growth and development, and provides an important source of information for anyone concerned with these issues, including the growing environmental justice movement as well as planners, policy analysts, public officials, community leaders, and students of public policy, geography, planning, and related disciplines. Sprawl City (Island Press, Summer 2000, ISBN: 1-55963-790-0) is edited by Robert D. Bullard, Glenn S. Johnson, and Angel O. Torres. To view book description use http://www.islandpress.org/books/bookdata/sprawlcity.html. The book can be ordered from Island Press at 1-800-828-1302 or orders@islandpress.org
Bullard, Robert D. and Glenn S. Johnson, eds., Just Transportation: Dismantling Race and Class Barriers to Mobility. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 1997, $15.95.
Racism continues to dominate America, media and public debate, but the subtle ways in which institutionalized racism affects us are still unexamined. Does our public transportation reinforce segregation and discrimination? How do transportation polices affect where we live and work, the health, education, and public service benefits we have access to - our social and economic mobility? Just Transportation moves beyond denouncing gross bigotry and offers provocative insight into the source of pervasive racism and social apartheid in America.
From Harlem to Los Angeles, and cities in-between, Just Transportation examines how the inequitable distribution of transportation benefits creates subtle, yet profound obstacles to social and economic mobility for people of color and those on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum. While the automobile culture has been spurred on by massive government investments in roads and highways, federal commitment to public transportation -- which serves mostly the poor and minorities - appears to have reached an all-time low, allowing urban mass transit systems to fall into disrepair.
With a Foreword by Congressman John Lewis, an original Freedom Rider and a champion of civil rights in the U.S. Congress, and essays by a wide range of environmental and transportation activists, lawyers, and scholars, Just Transportation traces the historical roots of transportation struggles in our civil rights history. From Rosa Parks and the Freedom Riders to modern-day unjust transportation practices, Just Transportation persuasively illustrates how the legacy of "separate but equal" is still with us. Just Transportation (New Society Publishers, 1997, ISBN 0-86571-357-X) is edited by Robert D. Bullard and Glenn S. Johnson. See book description at http://www.newsociety.com/aut.html. The book can be ordered from New Society Publishers at 1-800-567-6772 or info@newsociety.com.
Articles
Bullard, Robert D., Glenn S. Johnson, and Angel O. Torres. "Dismantling Transportation Apartheid through Environmental Justice." Progress, Surface Transportation Policy Project, Vol. 10, No. 1, (February/March, 2000): 4-5. This article examines how past transportation policies have subsidized, reinforced, and exacerbated residential segregation and economic isolation while they have concentrated areas of poverty. Contact EJRC at (404) 880-6911 or ejrc@cau.edu.
Bullard, Robert D., Glenn S. Johnson, and Angel O. Torres, "The Routes of American Apartheid," Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy, (Forthcoming Fall 2000). This article examines how past transportation policies have hit people of color especially hard because of their heavy dependence on public transit. These polices have played a major role in shaping low-density suburban developments, creating congested freeways, and contributing significantly to poor urban air quality.
Websites
Community Transportation Association of America. http://www.ctaa.org. The Community Transportation Association of American (CTAA) is a nonprofit membership association with members who are devoted to mobility for everyone, regardless of economic status, disability, age, or accessibility. Community transportation is a practical alternative that picks up where the private auto and mass transit leave off.
Environmental Justice Resource Center. http://www/ejrc.cau.edu. The Environmental Justice Resource Center (EJRC) at Clark Atlanta University was formed in 1994 to serve as a research, policy, and information clearinghouse on issues related to environmental justice, race and the environment, civil rights, facility siting, land use planning, brownfields, transportation equity, suburban sprawl, and Smart Growth. The center is multi-disciplinary in its focus and approach. It serves as a bridge among the social and behavioral sciences, natural and physical sciences, engineering, management, and legal disciplines to solve environmental problems.
Federal Transit Administration. http://www.fta.dot.gov/wtw. The Federal Government through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provides financial and technical assistance to the local transit systems. The National Transit Library is a repository of reports, documents, and data generated by professionals and lay persons from around the country. The library is designed to facilitate documents sharing among people interested in transit and transit-related topics.
Southern Resource Center. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenters/southern. The Southern Resource Center (SRC) is designed to facilitate transportation decision-making and choices. The choices made by SRC will help the Federal Highway Administration, state, and local officials in achieving FHWA's National Strategic Plan goals and performance measures.
TEA-21. http://www.fhwa.dot/tea21/index.htm. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century was enacted June 9, 1998 as Public Law 105-178. TEA-21 authorizes the Federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for the 6-year period 1998-2003, provided technical corrections to the original law. This website is a reflection of the combined effect of these two laws and refers to this combination as TEA-21.
Videos
Divided City: The Route to Racism. Running Time: 22 minutes. Films for the Humanities and Science (2000). This video is from the ABC News Nightline where the death of Cynthia Wiggins from Buffalo, New York is discussed. Ms. Wiggins was killed by a dump truck while crossing a seven-lane highway to get to her job at the Walden Galleria Mall. The mall's operators and planners were charged with racism because the bus route that served inner-city residents were prevented from stopping at the shopping mall. For more information contact: Films for the Humanities & Sciences, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543-2053, 1-800-257-5126 or (609) 275-1400 (609) 275-3767 (fax), E-mail: custserv@films.com, http://www.films.com.
Just Transportation. Running Time: 45 minutes. Price: $20.00. This video includes highlights from the "Environmental Justice and Transportation: Building Model Partnerships Conference" that was held in Atlanta, Georgia in 1995. The Atlanta conference brought together grassroots organizers, civil rights activists, local, state, tribal, and federal transportation planners, public officials and legal experts. Civil rights issues in people of color communities are explored and shot on location in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, West Harlem (New York City), and Washington, DC. Contact EJRC: (404) 880-6911 or ejrc@cau.edu.
ABOUT THE EJRC
The Environmental Justice Resource Center (EJRC) at Clark Atlanta University was formed in 1994 to serve as a research, policy, and information clearinghouse on issues related to environmental justice, race and the environment, civil rights, facility siting, land use planning, brownfields, transportation equity, suburban sprawl, and Smart Growth. The overall goal of the center is to assist, support, train, and educate people of color students, professionals, and grassroots community leaders with the goal of facilitating their inclusion into the mainstream of environmental decision-making. The center is multi-disciplinary in its focus and approach. It serves as a bridge among the social and behavioral sciences, natural and physical sciences, engineering, management, and legal disciplines to solve environmental problems. The center's programs build on the work that its staff has been engaged in for over two decades.
Transportation Equity is published four times a year by the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University, 223 James P. Brawley Drive, Atlanta, GA 30314, (404) 880-6911, fax: (404) 880-6909, E-mail: ejrc@cau.edu, Web site: www.ejrc.cau.edu.
Transportation Equity is a newsletter of the Atlanta Transportation Equity Project. Editor, Robert D. Bullard. Editorial Staff: Marie Green, Glenn S. Johnson, Ruth Neal, Angel O. Torres, and Chad G. Johnson. We welcome the submission of short articles, notices of publications, videos, conferences, and other announcements. Copyright 2000 by the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University. [All rights reserved.]
