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City leaders press MARTA for timeline after Summerhill BRT cost increases and audit questions
Summary
City staff and council members pressed MARTA and the mayor’s office for a clear timeline and reconciliation after the Summerhill BRT project reported unexpected cost increases and audit differences; city officials said they have opened a joint committee with MARTA and requested detailed project-by-project information.
ATLANTA — City officials said Tuesday they are pressing MARTA for details and a short timeline after the Summerhill bus rapid transit (BRT) project reported major cost increases and delivery delays, raising questions about the wider More MARTA program and city oversight of taxpayer funds.
City Chief Operating Officer Lashandra Burks told the Transportation Committee that the city has asked MARTA for “very specific information” about projects, “the challenges that they see, what we think some of the overruns may be, the expenses to date, the budgeted amount.” Burks said the city was surprised by requests for additional funding and delays on the Summerhill BRT and is working to get documents that show cost-to-date and the reasons for increases.
Why it matters: Council members said Summerhill is the city’s first major BRT project and an early failure could make it harder to justify other projects such as the Clifton Corridor or Hamilton Road BRTs. Councilmember Jason Dozier said he was “deeply disappointed” and warned that the project’s delay could undermine support for future transit investments.
What officials said and did - Burks said the city and MARTA are forming a joint committee of senior leadership to reconcile differences between a city audit and a MARTA financial assessment; she characterized the two reports as different kinds of reviews and said reconciliation work is underway. - Councilmember Byron Amos and Councilmember Overstreet asked for a MARTA presentation to the committee as soon as a timeline is available; Overstreet said, “I don’t want an indefinite joint committee.” - Burks committed to working with MARTA on a short timeline and to provide frequent updates to the council.
Council concerns: Several council members pressed for specifics on how the Summerhill delays and overruns would affect other projects funded by the half‑cent sales tax and the Renew Atlanta/moving Atlanta forward programs. Councilmember Juan said the committee is “in the ninth inning” for World Cup readiness and asked for a project-level breakdown of outstanding balances and status by council district; Burks and department staff committed to providing a district-level breakdown in the coming weeks.
Formal action: During the meeting the council approved an intergovernmental agreement to reimburse MARTA for resurfacing the general-purpose lanes of Hank Aaron Drive as part of the Summerhill BRT work, authorizing payment not to exceed $6,304,312.00. The measure passed 5 yeas, 1 nay.
Background: Council members referred to a city audit and a separate MARTA financial assessment that showed differing totals; committee members said the MARTA assessment was narrower in scope and took less time than the full audit the city completed. Burks and the mayor’s office said the joint committee will work to reconcile numbers and report back.
What’s next: Committee members requested a MARTA briefing to the Transportation Committee and a short reconciliation timeline from the joint city–MARTA committee. Burks said the city will provide repeated updates and will aim for a short, not indefinite, schedule.
