Clayton County Mulls Future of C-Tran

By Odette Yousef

Atlanta, GA – Clayton County's Commission Chairman says he wants to avoid any cuts to the popular C-Tran public bus service. The operation faces a $1.3 million shortfall because of the recession, and could be disbanded altogether.

WABE's Odette Yousef reports.

That would be the most draconian move. But others options are a 50-cent fare hike, a surcharge, cutting some lines of service, and ending weekend runs. County Chairman Eldrin Bell opposes them all:

BELL: To cut it any at all, when we are only providing minimal services currently, will have a decided impact for our citizens,.

Bell says a significant portion of C-Tran riders earn minimum wage, 60 percent use it to get to work.

BELL: People who use transit in Clayton County are primarily doing it for their survival.

C-Tran is funded through federal grants and business license revenues - which have dropped during the recession. Bell wants to pull out of other general fund expenditures to cover the shortfall, and lobby the General Assembly to raise a cap on an airport sales tax that could fund transit projects.

Odette Yousef, WABE News.