MARTA plans to use ARC for maitenance

By Charles Edwards

Atlanta, GA – MARTA is getting 25 million federal stimulus dollars from the Atlanta Regional Commission.

The move approved yesterday means MARTA avoids making drastic cuts to riders and employees.

The 25 million will cover MARTA maintenance expenses. It also plugs a budget hole, which could have resulted in no MARTA service on Sundays. MARTA's original plan for that problem failed in the state legislature. That's why MARTA CEO Beverly Scott thanked the ARC.

SCOTT: "My momma use to say a long time ago, I'm a country girl, actions speak louder than words. What took place today was action. This was leadership."

However, Scott warns the money won't fix MARTA's upcoming budget. She says the agency will still have to raise fares and parking fees and MARTA workers might pay more for health care.

SCOTT: "This 25 million dollars come on top of a lot of other difficult choices we've had to make but to close these kinds of gaps would not have been possible to avoid massive changes in service if we didn't get this infusion."

Governor Perdue and a state transit group still need to approve the plan.