Trump administration to investigate MARTA after stabbing attacks

The Federal Transit Administration, which falls under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has ultimate oversight over MARTA and other transit agencies throughout the country.

The federal agency will be looking at whether there are systemic conditions endangering the safety of MARTA riders or employees.

Duffy followed up his official statement Thursday with a social media post that included a photo of stabbing victim Margaret Swan.

“I want ANSWERS from Atlanta,” he wrote. “Margaret’s family DESERVES ACCOUNTABILITY. No one should be forced to fear for their safety on public transit.”

This is the latest safety investigation the Trump-led FTA has opened into transit agencies in Democratic-run cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City. The agency launched a similar inquiry into Charlotte’s public transit agency in North Carolina last year following the killing of Iryna Zarutska. That investigation identified 18 areas where officials said the system fell short.

The federal investigation comes just days before MARTA is set to welcome hundreds of thousands of riders in town for the FIFA World Cup. The agency had to cancel the launch of its new rail cars this week because it missed deadlines to certify the trains were safe.

It’s yet another setback for the beleaguered transit agency, which has been operating for nearly a year with interim leadership following its general manager and CEO’s retirement last year.

MARTA spokesperson Stephany Fisher said the agency has made “significant investments in personnel, technology, and operational measures,” adding they “support safety and security across our entire system.”

“We welcome the opportunity to share with federal officials the hard work that the MARTA team puts in every day,” she said. “MARTA remains committed to continuously evaluating and strengthening our safety programs, procedures, and resources to provide a safe, secure and reliable transit experience for the communities that we serve.”

One area the FTA will be examining is MARTA’s strategy against fare evasion, which has been an issue for the agency for years.

A bus driver was shot and killed last year following what police said was a dispute over the $2.50 fare. Many of the agency’s old fare gates were routinely broken, allowing riders to walk into train stations without paying.

The agency is installing new gates meant to help address fare evasion and make it easier for riders to pay using debit or credit cards or their phones, but the rollout has been rocky. Many of the gates remain open in stations where MARTA has not yet finished installing the new equipment, and this week MARTA said it is replacing the glass panes because the original design was shattering.

Originally, MARTA planned for a roughly one-month fare grace period to allow for transfers to the new payment system. MARTA extended the grace period for a month. Saturday, the same day Swan was stabbed to death, marked the first day fares were again required. But MARTA Police Chief Scott Kreher said the man accused of attacking her had not paid that day.

The FTA has given MARTA 15 days to submit detailed information showing its budget for passenger and employee safety. The federal agency said it is concerned about the number of assaults on MARTA’s trains.

Kreher has said overall violent crime on the system is down 50% since 2019.

Saturday’s attack was random, police have said. Swan, 66, had boarded the train just minutes before her attacker struck, according to the arrest warrant. The man came up to Swan, drew his knife and slashed her throat.

Federal prosecutors charged John Elijah Matthews, 25, with committing an act of violence causing death on a mass transportation system. He also faces a state charge of malice murder.

In another stabbing incident May 24, two men — who authorities say did not know each other — got into an argument at the Georgia State MARTA station. The man “who instigated the fight was stabbed multiple times” and had non-life-threatening injuries, according to MARTA.

Kreher and other MARTA officials have long pointed to a gap between the amount of crime reported on the system and the public’s perception. Since Saturday, calls to address safety on the system have intensified.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, one of two Republicans in a contentious runoff for governor, pledged this week that, if elected, he would deploy Georgia State Patrol troopers to MARTA trains to keep people safe. Republican Senate candidate and U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, who is also locked in a runoff election, said he was thankful the Trump administration was taking crime seriously.

“No one should have to put their life at risk to travel on Georgia’s public transportation,” Collins said.

MARTA’s interim General Manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt made his first statement about Saturday’s stabbing in a video message Wednesday and gave his condolences to Swan’s family.

“Violence has no place on our transit system,” Hunt said. “The safety of our patrons and employees is our number one priority.”

The federal investigation caught many by surprise, including local transit enthusiasts. Darin Givens, the co-founder of ThreadATL, an urbanism advocacy organization, questioned whether the Trump administration was taking advantage of the high-profile incident to make a point about Democratic-run cities.

“You don’t have to take too far of a leap to connect conservative politics and anti-MARTA sentiment in Georgia,” Givens said. “It’s sad to see, but I’m not really surprised to see political conservative leaders seizing on this moment to play into that bias against MARTA.”

Staff writers Shaddi Abusaid and Greg Bluestein contributed to this report.

— This is a breaking news story. Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.