Under CEO Keith Parker, Atlanta's formerly desperate transit agency is picking up steam after suffering annual deficits of up to $33 million. The service area has expanded, the fleet is being modernized, and voters approved a new transit tax.

Crushed by the twin challenges of weathering the Great Recession and serving one of the nation's most sprawling metro areas, MARTA was in dire straits when it hired Keith Parker as CEO in 2012. The agency was on its way to insolvency, and riders feared that one day the buses and trains would just stop coming.
Today, the agency is on firmer footing. Parker instituted a host of reforms to tame MARTA's budget, reduce overhead, and attract new riders—without raising fares. Taking a "businesslike approach" to transit, Parker has ambitious plans for 2015:
"Earlier this month, at an annual "State of MARTA" address, he outlined a new vision delightfully acronymed SEAT—for service, economy, arts, and technology. Goals include a big plan for better bus service, continued study of potential system expansion (especially along the GA 400, I-20, and Clifton corridors), a push for public art around stations, and a move to go "all in on the smartphone" with WiFi access and mobile fare payment."
FULL STORY: The Remarkable Turnaround of Atlanta Public Transit

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule
The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.
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