The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved legislation to ensure alignment between the City of Atlanta and MARTA, as both entities continue their collaboration to deliver the “More MARTA Program.” The vote took place during Monday’s City Council meeting.
Resolution 26-R-3743, led by District 7 Councilmember Thomas Worthy, requests Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to renegotiate the More MARTA Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) and requests the addition of several new members, including three City Councilmembers, to the IGA renegotiation team who will also serve as representatives to the More MARTA IGA. The three City Councilmember positions that would be added are the Finance/Executive Committee Chair, Transportation Committee Chair and Transportation Committee Vice Chair. The Councilmembers currently holding those positions are Jason Winston, Chair, Finance/Executive Committee; Alex Wan, Chair, Transportation Committee; and Worthy, Vice Chair, Transportation Committee, and legislation co-sponsor.
Under the terms of the legislation, the renegotiated IGA will be presented to the Atlanta City Council and MARTA Board for approval and delivery no later than Nov. 1, 2026.
Atlanta voters approved a tax in 2016 specifically to expand and enhance MARTA’s transportation system. In November 2020, MARTA and the City of Atlanta entered into an IGA to successfully deliver the More MARTA Program.
“As a nine-year MARTA Board member, I’ve seen the commitment from everyone at MARTA to deliver a world-class public transportation system,” said Worthy. “This is a chance for the City of Atlanta and MARTA to take a second look at the original More MARTA Program IGA and collaborate on a way to get the job done with more transparency and accountability. It’s essential to me and the people of Atlanta that this program achieves the goals that Atlanta residents set before us when they passed the MARTA tax to expand and enhance MARTA back in 2016.”
The legislation reads in part:
“[T]he More MARTA IGA set forth the roles and responsibilities between MARTA and the City of Atlanta to collaborate on the planning, design, construction, and operations of the expansion and enhancement of the rapid transit system, and… it is the desire of the City of Atlanta for the Mayor to renegotiate the More MARTA IGA to ensure alignment with the current priorities concerning the roles and responsibilities between MARTA and the City of Atlanta as both entities continue their collaboration on the planning, design, construction, and operations of the expansion and enhancement of the rapid transit system.”
Resolution 26-R-3743 was one of several critical pieces of legislation passed during the July 6 Council meeting. The next scheduled Council meeting is Monday, Aug. 3.
About Atlanta City Council
The Atlanta City Council is the chief policy-making body for the City of Atlanta. It acts by considering and enacting all laws that govern the city. The Council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City as recommended by the mayor, and it continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The Atlanta City Council reviews and decides on many land-use and zoning matters. Major economic development projects for the City also fall under the Council’s jurisdiction.
The City Council is composed of 12 districts and three at-large posts. Council representatives are Council President: Marci Collier Overstreet; District 1: Jason Winston; District 2: Kelsea Bond; District 3: Byron Amos; District 4: Jason S. Dozier; District 5: Liliana Bakhtiari; District 6: Alex Wan; District 7: Thomas Worthy; District 8: Mary Norwood; District 9: Dustin Hillis; District 10: Andrea L. Boone; District 11: Wayne Martin; District 12: Antonio Lewis; Post 1 At-Large: Michael Julian Bond; Post 2 At-Large: Matt Westmoreland; and Post 3 At-Large: Eshé Collins.
To learn more about the Atlanta City Council, please visit http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/. For the latest updates, follow the Atlanta City Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
