MARTA to adopt the Authority’s Fiscal Year 2022 Operating and Capital Budgets

Sharon McCutcheon/Unsplash

ATLANTA, GA — The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Board of Directors has adopted the Authority’s Fiscal Year 2022 Operating and Capital Budgets on June 10. The budget is worth almost $1.3 billion, including $557.1 million in operating funds and $749.2 million for capital programming.

MARTA is currently in a good position to recover from a year of unprecedented income loss. It is now ready to advance its capital expansion program with the help of federal relief.

FY 2022 fare income is projected to be less than half of pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, sales tax revenue which results in about $500 million of overall revenues is projected to grow at 3 percent from FY 2021 levels.

“I am extremely proud of the entire MARTA team for their hard work during the pandemic. We pivoted our service to keep people safe, froze vacancies and executed as many projects as we could while people weren’t traveling. As customers come back, they will find we’ve improved their ride,” said Jeffrey Parker, MARTA General Manager and CEO.

However, this MARTA’s operating budget does not include a fare increase. It has remained steady since 2011. Federal relief from the CARES Act as well as American Rescue Plan will be made use to operate expenses until fare income recovers, which is not expected until FY 2025.

The budget incorporates the return of the cost of living wage increases, which is addressed to non-represented employees and represented workers consistent with the current contract with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 732.

“The State Legislature for the first time included a line item in the state budget for a MARTA capital project, while also creating a 10-year Transit Trust Fund. This support from the state, combined with a new federal administration that champions transit, puts us in a great position to fulfill our expansion promises to our partner jurisdictions and potentially attract new jurisdictions to join the MARTA system," said Rita Scott, MARTA Board Chair.

The $120 million budget will be allocated by the state of good repair capital budget for rolling stock, including $68 million for the purchase of new rail cars. While around $34 million will be allocated to the ongoing Track Replacement Project and an upgrade of the Train Control System.

MARTA’s FY 2022 Operating and Capital Budgets can be found at https://www.itsmarta.com/reports-and-publications.aspx.

For more detailed information, visit https://www.itsmarta.com/marta-adopts-balanced-budget.aspx.

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