ATLANTA — The federal government is launching an investigation into Atlanta’s public transit system, MARTA, citing concerns about safety, security and agency spending following a series of violent incidents that have drawn public attention.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy informed MARTA CEO of the investigation in a letter sent Wednesday. Federal officials said the review was prompted by recent crimes on the transit system, including the killing of 66-year-old Margaret Sams-Swan.
For some longtime MARTA employees, the announcement was not unexpected.
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“Long overdue ... it didn’t come as a surprise to me,” said Yolanda King, a former MARTA bus operator. “Should have been something done quite a long time ago.”
King, who said she took early retirement because of safety concerns, said operators have long complained about a lack of visible police presence throughout the system.
“One thing we have complained about is the lack of appearance of more police officers,” King said.
Several riders interviewed Thursday said they generally feel safe using MARTA but would like to see more security.
“It was a sad situation,” rider William Dodson said of Swan’s death. “I do believe they do probably need more security.”
Passenger Cynthia Godinez echoed those concerns.
“I hope they do increase security,” she said. “I don’t want violent attacks to continue.”
The investigation comes as MARTA continues to defend its safety record.
MARTA issued the following statement to Channel 2 Action News on Thursday.
“The safety and security of our customers and employees is our number one priority. Every day thousands of MARTA employees show up to work at our stations, on our buses and trains, and in our facilities and offices to keep Metro Atlanta moving in a safe and secure manner. We welcome the opportunity to share with federal officials the hard work that the MARTA team puts in every day as well as the significant investments in personnel, technology, and operational measures that MARTA has in place to support safety and security across our entire system.
MARTA remains committed to continuously evaluating and strengthening our safety programs, procedures, and resources to provide a safe, secure and reliable transit experience for the communities that we serve."
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The agency also noted that overall crime on the system is down 26% in 2025 and nearly 45% since 2020.
The federal government has given MARTA 15 days to submit historical crime trend data and a detailed breakdown of its budget, according to officials.
The investigation arrives as Atlanta prepares to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an event expected to bring large numbers of visitors to the region. Several riders said they believe the federal scrutiny is connected to those preparations.
While MARTA points to declining crime rates, ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. According to MARTA’s fiscal year 2026 budget documents, 2025 ridership was about 46% of 2019 levels.
Duffy has previously ordered FTA investigations into Chicago’s CTA, Washington D.C.’s WMATA, New York City’s MTA, Los Angeles Metro, Charlotte Area Transit System and Philadelphia’s SEPTA.
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