Atlanta, GA
New audit finds MARTA overcharged city by millions for expanded bus, train services
MARTA may owe Atlanta taxpayers millions of dollars
Atlanta city leaders say MARTA owes taxpayers millions of dollars. This comes after an audit found that the transit agency may have been overcharging for services under the city’s more MARTA program
ATLANTA – Atlanta city leaders say MARTA owes taxpayers millions of dollars after an audit found that the transit agency may have been overcharging for services under the city’s “More MARTA” program.
Eight years after residents voted yes to an expanded bus and train services, the independent audit revealed upwards of $70 million in discrepancies over money spent and the actual cost of services.
“The suspicions have been there…it’s disappointing that the suspicions have been validated,” Atlanta City Councilman Michael Bond told FOX 5.
Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman says he and other council members sounded the alarm on program spending about a year and a half ago.
“The auditors found that certain years, the auditors couldn’t find how MARTA made the calculations for the service deliveries,” he explained.
The findings released to the public on Monday by an independent firm said MARTA overcharged for services between 2020 and 2022.
The transit agency admitted to errors in those years totaling a little over $20 million.
“The calculations that they made were overestimates,” Shipman said.
MARTA officials sent a letter in response to recommendations auditors made for better record keeping and communication —agreeing with most—but denying the findings from 2017-2019 that showed a $40 million gap in services.
In a statement to FOX 5, a MARTA spokesperson said:
“Mauldin & Jenkins’ calculations are wrong. They used a flawed methodology by applying a COVID-based formula to reverse engineer what they believe should have been charged for bus service in 2017, 2018 and 2019, resulting in false calculations. MARTA charged for the cost of actual bus service during those years and the City officials then in charge were aware of the costs, as the minutes of monthly meetings prove.
“MARTA informed the City and Mauldin & Jenkins of their flawed methodology and is disappointed that our responses to the audit which were provided to both parties were not included or referenced.”
Bond says his concern is the public’s perception of trust.
“We went out and took a message to voters that if they supported the referendum, the money would be spent 100% on what they absolutely wanted,” Bond stated.
That statement from MARTA went on to say: “Despite these errors, MARTA will continue to work in good faith with the city to improve the IGA and strengthen the overall success of the More MARTA Atlanta Program.”
The next step is a meeting between MARTA officials and Mayor Andre Dickens to get on the same page.
Atlanta, GA
Skol Brewing opening 30,000-square-foot gaming lounge in downtown Atlanta
Key points:
- Skol Brewing is expanding with a sprawling gaming lounge in downtown Atlanta.
- Valhalla Gaming Lounge should open in May at 200 Peachtree, adjacent Skol Brewing.
- The gaming venue will feature food, drinks, and more than 40 game options, including simulators, bocce courts, and an old-school arcade.
Skol Brewing Company is about to get a lot bigger. The Nordic-themed brewpub in downtown Atlanta’s 200 Peachtree building is expanding into an adjacent 30,000-square-foot space dedicated to playing games.
Valhalla Gaming Lounge should open in May, ahead of the FIFA World Cup matches in Atlanta this summer at nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Longtime Atlantans will remember that the 200 Peachtree building, located next door to the Westin Peachtree Plaza, is the former home of Davison’s and Macy’s department stores.
All 2026 FIFA World Cup Atlanta coverage
What to expect
Valhalla Gaming Lounge will feature more than 40 gaming options, including simulators, soccer experiences, bocce courts, billiard tables, darts, and old-school arcade games. There’s also a possibility a live-music stage and climbing wall could become part of the gaming lounge in the future. Skol already operates an axe-throwing venue at the downtown Atlanta brewpub through a partnership with American Axes.
Expect the Skol food and drinks menu served at Valhalla Gaming Lounge.
Related stories:
• 200 Peachtree announces Skol Brewing Co., Valhalla Social
• Red Phone Booth team opening three new Downtown Atlanta restaurants
• Where to eat like a local in downtown Atlanta
Skol Brewing in Atlanta
Skol Brewing Company opened at 200 Peachtree last year with a Nordic-inspired theme and menu. The menu, developed by Chef Rich Rosendale, leans into Midwest comfort food like Ellsworth Creamery cheese curds, smoked brisket poutine, and a take on a “Jucy Lucy” burger (cheese-stuffed patty popular in Minnesota).
The brewery produces nearly 20 beers, including Northern Lights Lager, Space Wrangler Hazy IPA, and Skol Nation Cold IPA, the last of which was brewed with Minnesota Vikings fans in mind. (The bar produces indoor snow whenever the Vikings score a touchdown.)
Valhalla Gaming Lounge joins several other restaurants in the works within the heart of downtown Atlanta and South Downtown near the state capitol. Many of these restaurants will open ahead of the World Cup.
Atlanta, GA
Power outage impacts more than 5,000 customers in Midtown Atlanta
Thousands of people are without power in Midtown Atlanta as crews work to restore service following an equipment failure, according to Georgia Power.
The outage affected nearly 5,300 customers, stretching from Currier Street Northeast to 11th Street.
Georgia Power said the outage was caused by an equipment issue, and crews are on-site making repairs.
Officials added that, thanks to smart grid technology, service is expected to be remotely restored to more than half of affected customers soon.
An estimated restoration time was listed at 10:15 a.m.
Atlanta, GA
The Best Vintage Shops in Atlanta
Vogue’s guide to the best vintage stores in Atlanta is part of our directory of the very best vintage around the world, curated by editors from all over. Whether you’re traveling and searching for some superb stores to visit on your trip or are curious about your local vintage treasure chests, Vogue’s directory has you covered.
Come to Atlanta for its southern charm and lush greenery, stay for its vintage. The Hollywood of the South has a lot more than on-set locations and an upcoming roster of FIFA World Cup games, and whether exploring shops along the Beltline, losing your voice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, or itching for the eccentric pleasures of a roadside antique mall, these vintage gems make the journey to the A more than worth it.
Photo: Courtesy of The Clothing Warehouse
Dutch field pants, netted shirts, prairie dresses, and a floor-to-ceiling selection of cowboy boots are a few of the many goods awaiting your search at this Atlanta mainstay. Opened by Jim Buckley in 1992, the Clothing Warehouse now calls the hipster Little 5 Points home. Its redbrick exterior is hard to miss—head upstairs for womenswear and union-made dresses, then downstairs to a room of seriously color-coded tees—it’s likely you will find plenty of Atlanta history in the form of 1996 Summer Olympics shirts. Plus, its wholesale location is a 15-minute drive away in West Midtown, if you’re up for an afternoon dig.
Address: 420 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta
At the vintage and makers market Mother Lode, there’s something for every lover of old things. Founder Lindsay Short’s estate sale background is well-reflected in the shop’s range of garments, decor, and wares. Find 1930s beach pajamas beside bowling shirts and Edwardian tunics at Fellows Vintage’s booth, or ’60s wedding dresses that seem more Factory Girl than bride-to-be from Iron Pony. The hunt continues at Mother Lode’s sister location in college town Athens, which opened in 2023.
Address: 3429 Covington Hwy Ste B, Decatur
Monet Brewerton-Palmer first got her love for bridal from her grandmother, who was a shop seamstress. Then, after shopping for her own wedding dress in 2014 and ending up with four, her interest (and personal collection) only grew. Now, Brewerton-Palmer offers brides an array of dresses by Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Catherine Rayner, and more. Standout pieces include a 1959 one-of-one from Jacques Heim, a silk rose-covered Christian Dior for the romantic, and a fur-accented Muriel Martin for the nontraditionalist.
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