MARTA Ridership Up In Atlanta?

"Ridership on MARTA's rail system has surged to its highest level in five years. The transit system on Monday reported a 10 percent jump in daily ridership between July and September compared to the same period a year ago. The number of rail trips handled each day rose from 231,000 to 257,000 during that time."

Bus ridership has risen more modestly - about 1.5 percent above last year.

"It's not clear why the rail numbers have spiked...One possible explanation: new electronic fare gates MARTA has been installed at all 38 rail stations. The 6-foot-tall gates do a much better job of counting passengers than the oft-broken and easy-to-hop turnstiles they replaced."

"MARTA officials acknowledge the new head counts are more reliable. But they stress the old numbers should not be discounted, as they are based on a complex formula that included other measures, such as fare revenue."