The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) celebrated improvements at College Park rail station with a ribbon-cutting on the station’s East Plaza on April 26.
Improvements at the station include replacement of pavers on the plaza, pressure washing, repairs to light fixtures, sign replacement, paint touch-up, and landscaping.
Other improvements include:
- Parking lot repaving
- New trash receptacles
- New benches
- New light poles
- New artwork installations
- New wayfinding signage
- New fencing
MARTA’s Station Rehabilitation Program is a multi-year $300 million investment in improving the customer experience through projects that range from the aesthetic to the transformative. All 38 rail stations are part of the program, and all projects will use materials that are easier to maintain, making the station cleaner and safer for riders.
“I’m a big believer in celebrating milestones in projects, no matter the size,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood. “These types of improvements, that can be done at a low cost and rather quickly make a big difference in the customer experience and can be accomplished as other station enhancement projects such as parking lot repaving begin.”
Greenwood said College Park station is the “fourth busiest station” in MARTA’s rail system with about 9,000 passengers a day.
The current improvements are one of several phases to the renovation plan, according to Greenwood.
“In this phase, we have replaced plaza pavers, we’ve transformed the landscaping, we’ve replaced the signage, we’ve added new benches, and trash receptacles in this phase,” he said. “For the person who comes here every day starting their day commuting to work or school or wherever their going, it’s so much better knowing MARTA is thinking about you on a regular basis and you’re not tripping over the old pavers that used to be here and you’re entering a station that’s ready for you.”
Greenwood also said the phases are significant as an “indication to the community that MARTA is your MARTA and MARTA cares about you.”
Additionally, he said Smart Restrooms are coming to College Park Station soon. Smart restrooms, Greenwood said, are now complete and open at the following stations: Doraville, Dome, H.E. Holmes, and East Point. Furthermore, the next wave of stations scheduled for restrooms are Indian Creek, Kensington, Lakewood, and College Park.
Smart Restrooms are a high-tech, hands-free, self-cleaning, vandal-resistant, loiter-proof bathroom built to address every mass transit agency concern and offer safe and sanitary service to the fare-paying public. Bathroom features include a “virtual restroom attendant” that monitors the bathroom via an outside overhead camera; metered-out toilet paper; a sensor-controlled sink that provides soap, water, and an air-dry feature; and the walls are lined with a graffiti-resistant coating.
“They are easier to maintain, safer, and cleaner,” he said. “All MARTA stations will eventually have smart restrooms so whether you start your journey at one station or another, we got you covered.”
City of College Park Councilman Joe Carn said the city is “ecstatic”.
“This is a big deal for us, and $4 million worth of improvements may seem like a drop in the bucket to a city like Atlanta, but for us, it’s a big deal and we are so happy that this is happening,” he said.
To learn more, visit https://www.itsmarta.com/College-Park.aspx.