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MARTA outlines ridership recovery, FY26 budget and Next Gen bus network; DeKalb-focused projects move toward final design
Summary
MARTA officials briefed the DeKalb County board on ridership data, a proposed FY26 operating and capital budget, the Next Gen bus redesign set for December 2025, and progress on DeKalb projects including Buford Highway ARRT, Candler Road ARRT and Kensington Station TOD.
MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood told the DeKalb County Commission on June 3 that the transit agency is seeing a steady return of riders after earlier under‑reporting problems tied to aging fare gate hardware. "It was an under reporting of actual ridership conditions," Greenwood said, describing a technical issue with station tap readers that has now been corrected and will be fully replaced with an automated fare collection system coming later this year.
Greenwood said MARTA submitted a FY26 operating budget balanced at $652,000,000 and a $561,000,000 capital program focused on state-of-good-repair projects. He highlighted investments intended to keep service "safe, clean and reliable," including a police pay increase and station rehabilitation work targeted at 5 Points, Indian Creek and the Airport station.
The CEO also outlined the Next Gen bus network, which the MARTA board planning and capital projects committee supported on May 22 and which the full MARTA board is scheduled to consider for adoption on June 10. If adopted, Greenwood said, the agency will begin rider education and preparatory work for a December 2025 launch. He said the redesign would enlarge the number of people…
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