Marta is NOT Smarter (Only in Atlanta #3)

So I was compelled to respond to the AJC's article on Marta's "cold snap." I doubt it will see the light of day. For starters, the AJC only accepts letters shorter than 150 words! Second, my letter is a little late and I'm sure they have moved on...But, it seemed to help ME. You know how they say one should write a letter to their abuser? It's meant to allow the abused to release the emotions and move on. So I guess, this was my release....

Paul Donsky's "Marta runs late in cold snap" almost led to my head exploding. As a newcomer, I was certain the rumors of cold weather shutting down trains were just rumors. After experiencing three breakdowns, in one very cold week, I started to wonder if the rumors were true. Thanks to this article, I am left with even more confusion. The article placement and ludicrous MARTA defense seem to imply this is an unimportant issue. I am appalled at the level of “customer service” MARTA provides and I blame the media and complacent passengers for the problem. When both customers and the news treat these issues as normal, where is the motivation for change?

My family and I recently left the Washington, DC area behind. With DC being my hometown, public transportation is not just a good idea, it is the best idea. When I first moved, catching the train, and avoiding the hideous "Spaghetti Junction", seemed like the natural choice. As a wife and mother of two, my commute is the only time I have to myself. During this time, I collect my thoughts and spend a few moments away from meal plans and checking homework. The idea of giving up my peace, in order to curse every idiot on I-285, scares me. The fact that I can save time and/or money, by riding MARTA, is simply icing on the cake. So, I am a faithful, yet frustrated, MARTA customer. Every day, I spend two hours riding the train back and forth to Dunwoody.

As stated, I have heard many horror stories about MARTA. Co-workers have missed flights and appointments. Friends have gotten lost and found no one to assist them. But, the funniest warnings related to the weather. "Be sure to drive when it gets too cold or hot," one friend said. Being that I arrived during a record breaking summer, I wondered how bad it had to get. I also wondered how any of this could be true. Certainly, other cities have worse weather and subsequently more weather delays right?

Well according to MARTA officials, the winter air in Atlanta is more humid than colder cities. This did not sit well with me. I surely remember Washington being a humid city and the underground stations were always twice as humid. It seems the National Climatic Data Center agrees. A quick trip to their website confirmed Washington, Chicago and Atlanta have similar relative humidity during the winter months. Washington has more humidity in the summer, followed by Atlanta. However, Chicago is not far behind. Yet Washington, Chicago, and cities around the country, manage to operate train systems without constant delays from the weather and other random scapegoats.

Knowing there is more to the story should make me feel better. But, when I remember being dumped into the cold and wet pre-dawn morning, I cannot feel anything but angrier. When you add in the ten minute wait with hundreds of late and incensed passengers behind me, and the very same thing happening on my northbound train, you would understand why I am fuming.

MARTA is not relatively expensive, but it is not cheap either. For nearly four dollars a day, I should have some level of comfort with the system. I should be able to trust that I will get to work on time and in one piece. Absurd weather delays and the much talked about security issues should never cross my mind. How someone can silently take this abuse for years is beyond me. If you wait for more than five minutes it is a delay where I'm from, yet Atlantans accept 10 minutes as a customary rush hour wait and deal with waits of twenty minutes or more!

Regardless of how things seem, the customers and constituents have the power. Instead of debating toll roads and HOV lanes, our legislature should find a way to make MARTA smarter. MARTA is the largest public transportation system without state funding. All the while, Washington’s WMATA receives funding from Virginia, Maryland and D.C. Both Washington and Chicago receive hefty federal funding as well. MARTA needs to increase its staff dramatically. More train operators, station assistants, police and engineers are needed to make the system user friendly, efficient and safe. Instead of creating temporary allowances for a $100 million Breeze system, legislators should force MARTA to actually improve the infrastructure as the law demands. Citizens should demand change and question why the state is so bent on toll lanes instead of public transportation. If done correctly, it will work wonders for traffic. Trust me I know.