During Emory University’s Student Government Association (SGA) Oct. 27 meeting, the governing body passed a bill to authorize funding for partially subsidized 10-trip Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) passes for Emory students. This meeting was SGA’s second public meeting of the year. Vice President of Sustainability Anissa Patel (27C) introduced the bill to increase students’ access to Atlanta and promote sustainable modes of transportation. Executive Vice President Zoe Grotjan (24Ox, 26B) and Vice President of Finance Grant Lichtman (26B) co-sponsored the bill.
To bring this initiative to life, SGA is collaborating with Emory Transportation and Parking Services (TPS). According to the bill, TPS will purchase 100 10-trip passes as a pilot program. The bill authorizes a total of $1000 for SGA to subsidize $10 of each $25 pass, allowing students to buy a 10-trip pass for $15. Students will be able to purchase these passes at the Starvine Parking Deck on the Clairmont Campus.
TPS currently offers discounted 30-day MARTA passes to Emory students through the University Pass Program, allowing students to purchase passes for $68.50 instead of the standard $95. However, Patel said the current program is not cost-effective for students who do not use MARTA every day.
“What I’m trying to do with this bill is trying to get undergrad students to have 10-trip MARTA passes, because that’s something that will be more financially feasible for students who aren’t going to be using it every day,” Patel said.
Patel said that once TPS purchases the passes for the new program, they will likely be available to students within the next several weeks. She added that TPS will sell the passes on a first-come, first-served basis. The bill also states that, in her role as SGA sustainability VP, Patel will advocate for TPS to open a new location for students to purchase MARTA passes on Emory’s Atlanta campus.
Patel emphasized that the program aims to address challenges in students’ access to transportation throughout Atlanta.
“A lot of undergrad students, including myself, don’t have a car,” Patel said. “The Emory shuttles are somewhat limited in terms of where they go.”
Patel added that the initiative provides a sustainable alternative to other transportation options.
“A lot of people utilize Uber, which is not the most sustainable option and is also not the most financially feasible,” Patel said.
SGA Speaker of the Legislature Pranay Mamileti (26B) echoed Patel’s sentiment, saying it is important to increase students’ access to transportation throughout the city.
“Having a dedicated pilot program, to getting people familiar with MARTA and giving them the ability to use it at a lower cost is super, super impactful,” Mamileti said.
SGA President Tyler Martinez (26C) stated that the program aims to foster greater connectivity between Emory and Atlanta.
“A lot of our platform is about engaging our community in the greater city of Atlanta, and this is a perfect opportunity,” Martinez said. “It also destigmatizes the idea of taking public transportation.”
Mamileti said the program has the potential to make a lasting impact on campus culture.
“If more people go and have a good experience on it, then that changes the general perception on campus and among undergraduates,” Mamileti said. “The more people that use it, come to rely on it, the more formalized usage of public transit generally will be, which, as Anissa mentioned, is much better for the environment overall.”
