June 2007: TRU helps organize US Social Forum Opening March of over 8000 people through downtown Atlanta!
USSF Opening March passes under GA State MARTA Station
A great coalition of Transit Riders' Union members, Concerned Paratransit Riders members and other members of the disability community came out in full force at MARTA public hearings, committee and board meetings to tell MARTA loud and clear not to limit the number of rides on a monthly paratransit pass. TRU members worked with residents of the Terry Mill Community to restore Sunday service on the Route 22 and lengthen the hours of operations on weekdays. In April 2005, MARTA announced a fare increase. ATRU organized a broad alliance of community, labor, senior, disability, student, and environmental activists. We brought over 100 people to MARTA’s May 2005 board meeting. Transit riders demanded that MARTA not balance its books “off the backs of the people who can least afford it." The MARTA board tabled the decision. We went back to the June board meeting and successfully stopped the fare increase. This was an historic victory! MARTA also cut a vital bus route to the Bowen Homes community in northwest Atlanta. Residents organized door-to-door, held a teach-in, and rallied protesters at an Atlanta Regional Commission meeting. At the October 2005 MARTA board meeting, community activists joined with labor activists from Amalgamated Transit Union Local 732. The union was there to demand a fair contract for the workers of MARTA, Cobb County Transit, and Gwinnett County Transit. Together, 200 strong, community residents and union members testified to the board about the impact of losing Route 61 and the problems facing MARTA workers on the job. At the end of October, MARTA announced route changes which included restoring service to Bowen Homes with the new Route 153. June 2007: Stopped MARTA's attempt to end unlimited Paratransit rides!
April 2006: Route 22 Service Improved!
June 2005: Fare Increase Stopped!
October 2005: Route 61 Restored!