In July 2000, Trans/AQ, Inc. began an assessment of taxi-transit integration in the Atlanta Metropolitan Region under contract with the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.  The work included assessments of the current state of the taxi industry, the regulatory structure under which the Atlanta taxi fleet operates, and the current planning linkages between the taxi and transit industry.  The study also reviewed the taxi-transit infrastructure, focusing on the integration of facilities and policies designed to encourage and facilitate mode transfers.  The overall assessment included six elements:

• Regulatory Agency Interviews - Appropriate MARTA, ARC, and GDOT staff and management were interviewed to identify regional transportation policies and funding priorities that affect taxi-transit integration.
• Taxi Industry Forum - A 1/2-day open forum was convened with the operations managers of the major companies that comprise metropolitan Atlanta's taxi fleet. The GRTA-facilitated forum helped to determine the taxi industry's perception of regulatory and infrastructure factors that enhance or detract from taxi-transit mode linkages. The forum include a brainstorming session to identify perceived changes to policy and operations that can enhance the taxi-transit linkage.
• MARTA Transit Station Site Assessments - All operational MARTA rail stations were inspected to identify the infrastructure design elements that enhance or hinder transit-taxi transfer accessibility.  Station plans were obtained and scanned to map taxi stand locations.
• Evaluation of MARTA Ridership Surveys - The literature associated with the most recent MARTA trip survey was reviewed.  Data that had been missing for seven years were located and analyzed to determine whether there are specific trip types, origin/destination locations, or time factors appeared to affect the frequency of linked taxi-transit trips.
• Regulatory Review - Relevant city, county, and state regulations affecting taxi operations were identified, obtained, and assessed.  There are 40 different city and county regulations that apply to taxicab operations in the region.  The evaluation focused on identifying the regulations that affect taxi permitting, operations, service, and pricing structures (including any regulations that enhance or detract from the taxi-transit mode linkage).
• Survey of other MPOs - A telephone and Internet survey of 21 of the largest metropolitan planning organizations to determine whether each agency specifically incorporates taxi elements into their transportation plans.  Participation of the taxi industry was evaluated and  key regulatory, policy, design, and operations elements were reviewed.

Five summary reports (the first two elements above appear in a single report) and all relevant documentation were scanned and converted to Adobe Acrobat format and provided below.  All materials associated with the project can be found on this CD-ROM.  

Atlanta's Taxi Industry, Taxi Industry Forum, and Regional Agency Staff Interviews

    An Excel spreadsheet containing the company database is also on this CD-ROM

MARTA Transit Station Review

    Reference Materials:

• MARTA Civil Engineering Standards

• MARTA Architectural Standards

    MARTA Station Blueprints with Taxi Stand Notations:

Review of Taxi/Transit Trips in the 1990 Onboard Transit Ridership Survey Data

    Reference Materials:

• Atlanta Regional Commission (1993); 1990 Household Travel Study: Final Report; Atlanta, GA; December.

• George Hoyt and Associates (1990); Onboard Rail and Bus Survey: Final Report (RFP #135); Mount Vernon, VA; October. 

    Data files and SPSS analytical results are also on this CD-ROM

Analysis of Taxi Regulations across 40 Jurisdictions in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area

    Specific Taxi Regulations:

    Applicable State Requirements:

    Bureau of Taxicabs and Vehicles for Hire:

Taxi Industry Participation in the Transportation Planning Process in Major Metropolitan Areas Across the United States