Group wants MARTA CEO to ride MARTA

ATLANTA — An activist group wants the next MARTA CEO and chairman to meet what it is calling four community priorities.
   
The Transportation Equity Coalition delivered the request to MARTA transit officials Wednesday. Among the list is a demand that the MARTA CEO use the transit system regularly and meet with MARTA users quarterly.

The coalition wants to have the public meet with the two finalists for the job but said MARTA's board chairman has declined.

"The Atlanta police chief, as you may remember, had an open forum with the community when he was hired. The director of the Atlanta Civilian Review board had a public meeting where the finalists took questions from the community," State Senator Vincent Fort said.

MARTA's current CEO and chair, Beverly Scott, is going to head Boston's transit system. Her contract expires in December but a company representative said it's not clear yet exactly when she will leave.
   
The Transportation Equity Coalition also does not want the next CEO to be beholden to politicians. MARTA is not commenting on the group's demands.

An audit released Tuesday indicates its reserves could be used up by 2018. It outlines the need for more efficiency.

"This is a pivotal moment in the history of MARTA, and we need to be able to cooperate with the new CEO, the chair of the board and the board of director of MARTA," Fort said.

One of the CEO finalists heads the mass transit system for Pittsburgh; the other runs San Antonio's system. A MARTA representative said the board is expected to make a decision on a finalist in the next couple weeks.

WSBTV