WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has directed the Federal Transit Administration to launch an investigation of Atlanta's Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, or MARTA. The investigation will review the transit agency's security spending, safety protocols, and risks to riders and workers.
The probe comes on the heels of two attacks in broad daylight on MARTA property in a week's time last month.
On May 30, a 66-year-old woman was fatally stabbed 20 times by a man while riding a MARTA train.
On May 24, a 40-year-old man was stabbed multiple times following an altercation in a MARTA station.
The rate of personal security events such as assaults, robberies and rapes for MARTA employees and riders is nearly twice the national average, according to U.S. Department of Transportation. This trend is particularly concerning on MARTA's rail lines, where the rate is three-and-a-half times higher than the national average.
The FTA investigation will determine if systemic conditions exist that endanger the public or transit workforce on the Atlanta system.
'Every American should be disturbed by the horrific crimes we have seen on MARTA in the last month. No one should be forced to fear for their safety simply because they choose to ride public transit,' said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. 'From our nation's capital to Chicago, we've made substantial progress in holding systems accountable and enhancing security for transit workers and riders. President Trump has made it clear that American families deserve better, and that's what we are going to deliver in Georgia too.'
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