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This year marks the 50th anniversary of Atlanta’s rapid-transit system changing forever. In 1965, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, more commonly known as MARTA, was formed by an act of the Georgia General Assembly.
Though DeKalb, Fulton, Clayton and Gwinnett counties initially voted in favor of MARTA, the latter two counties failed to vote to fund it in 1971, primarily due to concerns about it bringing crime and “undesirable elements.”
MARTA was funded through a 1 percent sales tax in the remaining counties and through assistance from the city of Atlanta – the state of Georgia was notably financially absent.
– Mark C. McDonald, Georgia Trust