MARTA names Jonathan Hunt permanent CEO
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MARTA CEO and general manager Jonathan Hunt. Photo: Courtesy of MARTA
MARTA's board of directors decided that the best person to lead the transit agency is already doing the job.
Why it matters: Jonathan Hunt, a longtime MARTA lawyer who has served as the interim CEO and general manager since last August, comes off a successful World Cup surge and must now help the agency rebuild post-pandemic ridership and relationships with Atlanta leaders.
Zoom in: Hunt, who joined MARTA's law department in 2014, said at Thursday's meeting that the past year has been an "amazing journey."
- He said he wants to build stronger relationships with metro, state, business and union leaders and welcomes efforts to make the agency more accountable.
"I think it's good for the authority," he said after the board voted to give him the job. "I think it's good for building trust throughout the region, and I think it's good for moving us forward."
Catch up quick: Former CEO and general manager Collie Greenwood, who is Canadian, retired in July 2025, citing a work authorization issue related to his immigration status.
- The board appointed MARTA chief legal counsel Hunt as interim CEO and formed a committee to conduct a national search.
- The board narrowed the list of nearly 300 applicants to: Hunt, who initially said he didn't want the job; Jacksonville Transportation Authority executive Cleveland Ferguson III; and Washington Metro executive Leroy Jones.
State of play: MARTA provided 4.7 million trips on the rail system during the World Cup — 1.6 times the typical amount during the same time period in 2025.
Yes, but: However, daily bus service has been hindered by cancellations, staffing shortages and absenteeism, Atlanta News First reports.
- In 2025, MARTA bus ridership was roughly one-third of its pre-pandemic level, the AJC reports.
The big picture: Hunt must make sure MARTA's recently redesigned bus network succeeds, new train vehicles hit the rails and station construction moves ahead, all while also navigating Atlanta's transit expansion plans.
- More broadly, he'll need to shepherd MARTA through an increasingly crowded transportation landscape that includes Waymo robotaxis, e-bikes, e-scooters and new autonomous shuttles.