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‘Pray for transit’: Seeking transportation justice in metropolitan Atlanta

Author

Listed:
  • Alex Karner

    (Graduate Program in Community and Regional Planning, The University of Texas at Austin, USA)

  • Richard Duckworth

    (United States Department of Agriculture, USA)

Abstract

On 4 November 2014, voters in Clayton County, Georgia, approved a referendum to join the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), Atlanta’s regional transit agency. The historic vote was won by a margin not often seen in US electoral politics – 73% in favour with only 27% opposed. The vote was significant because it resulted from the sustained effort of Clayton County residents, non-profit advocacy organisations and elected officials to replace a public transit service that had been completely eliminated in early 2010. After opting not to join MARTA in 1971, Clayton County became increasingly Black and low-income as the economic centre of Atlanta shifted northwards. This demographic transition made public transit a necessity, and a bus service began in the county in 2001 in the wake of an air quality conformity lapse that jeopardised the region’s transportation funding. The rebirth of transit in 2014 and the success of the advocacy effort extends extant notions of urban regimes and governance in Atlanta and provides a unique example of a transportation equity win not forced by a legal challenge. Using primary and secondary source materials, this article illuminates precisely what made the Clayton County effort a success and looks to the future of public transit in the metropolitan region. While the precise conditions leading to MARTA’s expansion are not likely to be replicated elsewhere, the work highlights the potential for coalitions composed of elected officials and non-profit organisations supported by philanthropic capital to make broad and lasting changes to regional transportation systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Karner & Richard Duckworth, 2019. "‘Pray for transit’: Seeking transportation justice in metropolitan Atlanta," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 56(9), pages 1882-1900, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:56:y:2019:i:9:p:1882-1900
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098018779756
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Karner, Alex & Niemeier, Deb, 2013. "Civil rights guidance and equity analysis methods for regional transportation plans: a critical review of literature and practice," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 126-134.
    2. Paget-Seekins, Laurel, 2013. "Competing mobility needs: The users, actors, and discourses in Atlanta, Georgia," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 142-149.
    3. Karner, Alex, 2018. "Assessing public transit service equity using route-level accessibility measures and public data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 24-32.
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