Two measures to fund transit expansion and transportation enhancements received resounding support from Atlanta voters in yesterday’s election. A referendum to raise $2.5 billion for more MARTA service passed by an overwhelming 72 percent.
“We left no stone unturned in our outreach campaign and our hard work paid off,” said Fred Hicks, campaign manager for MORE MARTA and principal of the Hicks Evaluation Group. “The MARTA referendum passed in every precinct in Atlanta. In Atlanta’s portion of DeKalb County, 76 percent of the voters said yes to expanding and enhancing MARTA. The voters have spoken and they want MARTA.” Hicks Evaluation Group has won all five infrastructure campaigns it has spearheaded.
The campaign’s strategic partner, Citizens for Better Transportation 2016/Expand MARTA, advocated for more transit and more transportation options for Atlantans. “This was a huge win for the people,” said Expand MARTA’s campaign manager Justin Giboney. “Atlanta is the only city in the country to pass two transportation referenda on the Nov. 8 ballot. It speaks volumes to the trust citizens have in the leadership of our city and in the effectiveness of these campaigns.”
A complementary referendum will generate $300 million to fund Atlanta road improvements, including completion of the Atlanta Beltline, a former railway corridor that will link dozens of Atlanta neighborhoods. It passed with 68 percent of the vote.
With the referenda, and a 2015 infrastructure bond, Atlanta is investing more than $3 billion in its transit and transportation infrastructure – the largest investment in the city’s history. As a result, 94 percent of Atlanta residents and 98 percent of the city’s jobs will be within a half-mile of a new transportation project.
This election also marked the two-year anniversary of MARTA’s first jurisdictional expansion since its inception 36 years ago. In 2014, by a three to four margin, Clayton County voters to join the system. This followed the 2010 non-binding referendum to expand MARTA in Clayton County which was also passed overwhelmingly.
