Fri., October 1, 2010 5:42pm (EDT)

MARTA Cuts Budget and Increases Fares
By Courtney Ward
Updated: 3 years ago

ATLANTA  —  
MARTA fares increase this Sunday (Image courtesy Wordpress)
MARTA fares increase this Sunday (Image courtesy Wordpress)
Fares for the Atlanta transit system, MARTA, will increase this weekend. Recent budget cuts have caused service changes and several routes to be combined. Transit all over Georgia is suffering from a severe lack of funds and an ailing state economy officials say.

William Mecke with the Georgia Regional Transit Authority says that there is little hope for getting more state funds.

“What the state can do remains to be seen. It’s a difficult year for everybody. As everyone knows the economy has not been kind to Georgia. It has been, up to this point, a county responsibility and counties have been great about stepping up and fulfilling their role.”

Fare increases for MARTA will begin on Sunday. Weekly tickets will increase to $15, monthly tickets to $17 and only two children, instead of four, will be allowed to ride for free.