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MINUTES OF THE TWENTY-FIRST MEETING OF THE
METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY
NOVEMBER 7, 1967
The Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid
Transit Authority held its regular meeting on November 7, 1967,
at 3:30 P.M., in the Glenn Building Conference Room, Atlanta.
Mr. Richard H. Rich, Chairman, presided. ‘
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Robert F. Adamson (City of Atlanta)
Sanford Atwood (DeKalb County)
M. C. Bishop (Fulton County)
Roy A. Blount (DeKalb County)
Rawson Haverty (City of Atlanta)
L. D. Milton (City of Atlanta)
Richard H. Rich (City of Atlanta)
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Edgar Blalock (Clayton County)
K. A. McMilion (Gwinnett County)
OTHERS PRESENT:
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
H. L. Stuart, General Manager
King Elliott, Public Information Director
Earl Nelson, Chief Engineer
H. N. Johnson, Secretary to General Manager
Consultants
Walter Douglas, Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas,
New York
J. A. Coil, Resident Manager, Parsons, Brinckerhoff-Tudor
Bechtel, Atlanta
Leon Eplan, Eric Hill Associates, Atlanta
W. Stell Huie, Huie & Harland, Atlanta
George Goodwin, Bell & Stanton, Atlanta
Bill Bates, Bell & Stanton, Atlanta
Financial Advisors and Bond Counsel
Lloyd Hatcher, White, Weld & Company, New York
Dan O'Conner, King & Spalding, Atlanta
John Mobley, Gambrell & Mobley, Atlanta
Others
T. M. Callaway, DeKalb County Commissioner
Aubrey Couch, Decatur-DeKalb Development Association
Don Ingram, Central Atlanta Progress, Inc.
Margaret Hurst, Atlanta Constitution
Mrs. Rachel Champagne, J. D. Wingfield, Jr., Jerry Coursey,
Atlanta Region Metropolitan Planning Commission
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman.
Minutes
Upon motion by Mr. Bishop, seconded by Mr. Adamson, the minutes
of the October meeting were unanimously approved.
Financial Report
The General Manager presented the financial report as of
October 30, 1967, which is attached hereto and made a part of
these minutes. He reported receipt of funds from Gwinnett
County during the month, making it current in its appropria-
tions to the Authority. Mr. Stuart said expenditures for the
year would be less than anticipated, and a surplus of $105,238
was projected. There were no questions, and Mr. Bishop made a
motion that the financial report be approved. Dr. Atwood
seconded the motion and it was unanimously passed.
Report of General Manager
Mr. Stuart said over sixty meetings had been held with various
agencies in the area concerned with transportation and planning,
as the 702 work of the engineers had begun to reflect prelim-
inary drawings in more detail. Mr. Nelson, Chief Engineer,
presented a map showing expressways existing, under construc-
tion, and proposed. He said the MARTA engineers were working
with State Highway Department engineers on all future improve-
ments planned for the expressway system, in an effort to
coordinate all transportation planning.
Mr. Rich suggested the possibility of a spur line off Lenox
Road in the center of the freeway to Sandy Springs be con-
sidered as part of the long-range plan. He felt it would be
a logical and relatively inexpensive way to accommodate the
projected explosive growth in Sandy Springs.
Mr. Callaway of the DeKalb County Commission inquired about
the possibility of having a station in Court Square in Decatur
instead of along the railroad near Agnes Scott College. He
said officials of Agnes Scott would like to have it as far
from the College as possible, and officials of Decatur and
DeKalb County would like to have it as near the center of
Decatur as possible.
Mr. Callaway mentioned urban renewal land available in the
heart of Decatur, and asked that this be considered at an early
date. Mr. Aubrey Couch, representing the Decatur-DeKalb
Development Association, also endorsed the exploration of the
use of Decatur's urban renewal land for a transit station,
parking, etc.
In connection with Mr. Callaway's request, Mr. Blount asked
if it would be feasible to send an engineer to Decatur to
talk about the requests for changes. Mr. Coil said this would
be done, and Mr. Callaway requested that DeKalb County officials
be included in such a meeting.
Mr. Rich said the site along the railroad had been proposed as
the most economical, but the plans were tentative, and public
hearings would be held in all jurisdictions, and all sugges-
tions considered before the Authority adopted a final plan.
The General Manager said meetings with all of the railroads
would be completed within one week. Preliminary engineering
plans had been left with the engineers of the railroads for
study. It was the consensus of the Board that the time was
approaching when the Board should begin to seriously negotiate
with the policymaking heads of the railroads. In response to
a question, Mr. Walter Douglas replied that as soon as the
railroad engineers had time to absorb the plans, it would be
well to seek agreement on operational and political feasi-
bility, leaving the question of money estimates until there
had been a favorable bond issue and money was available with
which to negotiate.
Mr. Haverty made a motion that the 701 report be sent to the
heads of the railroads at the appropriate time, with a personal
letter from the Chairman of the Authority. The motion was
unanimously passed.
Reports by Consultants
Parsons, Brinckerhoff-Tudor, Bechtel
Mr. John Coil said the 701 report had been printed and
was being bound. The popular report, which was to be a
condensed version of the 701 report, would be in draft
form for review within a week by ARMPC and MARTA, and
would be printed within about three weeks.
He said studies of refinement were continuing, and the
engineers continued to make evaluations as to use of
construction, patronage, etc., and to consider alternate
solutions or revisions in the recommendations.
Eric Hill Associates
Mr. Leon Eplan said the comments of his firm on three of
the lines had been given to the engineers, the Planning
Commission, and the Authority. Work on the other line
would be completed soon, and the writing of the final
report had begun. It was hoped their final report would
be available by the end of the year.
Report of ARMPC Planning Director
Mr. J. D. Wingfield, Jr., ARMPC Planning Director, reviewed
the proposed amendment to the Section 9 application, approved
by the MARTA Board at its October 3rd meeting. He said the
amendment request had been filed with the Department of
Housing and Urban Development as of October 3, 1967. This
extension would involve the use of Alan M. Voorhees Associates
to give an objective appraisal of transit planning to date.
The study was expected to cost $10,000 in local money, and to
take approximately three months. This study, hopefully, would
satisfy the interests of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development and the Bureau of Public Roads in their efforts
to coordinate various public investments in transportation, as
well as their concern for the broader impact of transit on the
region.
Mr. Rich mentioned the possibility of additional studies in
the future, to examine coordination with the existing bus
system.
Report of Legal Counsel
Mr. Stell Huie of Huie and Harland, Counsel for the Authority,
introduced Mr. Lloyd Hatcher of White, Weld & Company,
financial advisors of New York, and Mr. Dan O'Conner of King
and Spalding, and Mr. John Mobley of Gambrell and Mobley,
both bond counsel firms of Atlanta. Mr. Huie said several
meetings had been held to develop a financial plan which
would be practical, with bonds at the lowest possible interest.
After discussing various ways of financing, it was recommended
that a committee be appointed to work with the financial ad-
visors, bond counsel, and Hammer, Greene, Siler Associates,
to develop current recommendations which could be used in sup-
port of a bond issue.
The Chairman appointed Mr. Adamson, Dr. Atwood, and Mr. Huie
as a committee to work with financial advisors, bond counsel
and Hammer, Greene, Siler Associates, to refine and review
such variables as interest rates and inflation factors, in an
effort to be certain a realistic millage rate would be used in
presenting a bond issue to the public.
The Chairman also appointed Mr. Haverty as Chairman, together
with Mr. Blount and Mr. Bishop, as a committee to work in the
area of public information under the direction of Mr. George
Goodwin of Bell and Stanton, to develop the best way to present
the plan to the public for referendum.
Upon motion by Mr. Blount, seconded by Dr. Atwood, the Board
unanimously concurred in the appointment of these two com-
mittees by the Chairman.
Mr. Huie reviewed 17 proposed amendments to the MARTA legisla-
tion, which counsel considered important, and suggested that
new legislation incorporating these amendments be submitted
to the Legislature in the January session. The suggested
changes are attached to and made a part of these minutes.
Dr. Atwood made a motion that Counsel be given authority to
draft legislation incorporating the proposed amendments and
submit it to local governments and legislative representatives
of local governments for study. Mr. Bishop seconded the motion,
and it was unanimously passed.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 P.M.
Next Meeting
December 5, 1967.