Last Updated: Dec. 4, 2015 at 2:2 7 p.m.
The MARTA Army has only had boots on the ground for about three months. But the first initiative Operation Timely Trip and the new MARTA kudos challenge continues to march forward.
MARTA Army is an independent grassroots organization dedicated to improving the MARTA ridership experience.Since September, the Army held meetings in several Atlanta areas including Georgia State, East Point, Old Fourth Ward, and Georgia Tech, according to Simon Berrebi, co-founder of MARTA Army and Georgia Tech transportation Ph.D student.
“Our programs have created a network of power users across the system who are reclaiming ownership over the system by improving the transit experience in their own neighborhoods,” he said.
The newly implemented Kudos challenge allows MARTA riders to nominate any MARTA employee to receive a medal of honor and a $50 Amazon gift card during an awards ceremony on Dec. 11, according to a Nov. 17 MARTA Army release.
Also, MARTA Army soldiers who elect to “adopt a stop” take on the role of guardians, protecting and updating their neighborhood bus stops as a part of Operation Timely Trip. Berrebi said the “soldiers” will receive updated signs after MARTA’s Dec. 12 markups or bus service changes.
“If the sign gets damaged, soldiers are responsible for reaching out to us to get a new one,” he said.
He also said MARTA has been involved with the Army since the 2014 Georgia Tech Transportation Camp, where MARTA officials asked how could MARTA be improved, according to Atlanta Intown.
“MARTA officials gathered in a room full of transportation enthusiasts,” Berrebi said. “We were young, creative and techno-savvy. We said, ‘We can make a difference.’”
Berrebi said the Army has 150 members and 120 adopted stops. He also said the Army is crowdfunded and working toward non-profit status.
“Our model is to keep the costs as small as possible in order to make our programs as scalable as possible. Until a few days ago, our biggest donation was $50,” he said.
Geoffrey Price, a Georgia Tech transportation graduate student, said he met Berrebi last semester then decided to join the Army. He said non-English speaking MARTA patrons face issues, and the MARTA Army is “a step in the right direction.”
‘“If you haven’t used MARTA or don’t speak English certain aspects [of riding] are difficult, like paying the fare or [finding] trip information,” Price said.
MARTA doesn’t engage its riders often, so its riders created an Army. MARTA spokesperson Lyle Harris said the nearly 40 attendees of the 2014 Transportation Camp at Georgia Tech liked his idea of the MARTA Army.
“I found there was a very deep vein of people that wanted to help make MARTA better,” he said.
Harris said the Army “hacks,” or accesses the MARTA system for bus information for Operation Timely Trip, and MARTA’s legal department helped smooth out the process to allow “limited use” of the company’s logo and trademark.
“We made sure there wouldn’t be any impediments to [MARTA Army’s] operations,” he said. “This [citizen engagement] is not something MARTA does often.”
Josh Proctor, Georgia State middle education major, has only ridden the bus twice, but he thinks the MARTA Army is a great idea. He said he thinks the bus service is more reliable than the trains.
“During the snowstorm last year, I almost missed a test once riding MARTA because of the severe delays,” he said.
He also said he believes the train information monitors, specifically at Lindbergh Station, are unreliable and could use some work. He said regular maintenance should be part of the Army’s objectives, recalling the monitor failure while he was at Lindbergh Station last week.
“The monitors broke down last week [at Lindbergh], so scheduling maintenance would be good if they had a good team,” he said.
Harris said MARTA and the Army often meet to share information and support. He also said MARTA recently met with the Army about their periodic markups.
“The Marta Army is starting with small, impactful projects,” he said. “From all the reports we’ve received, the Marta Army is doing very well.”
