Atlanta City Council asks Mayor to present renegotiated “More MARTA” deal by Nov. 1, 2026

Atlanta City Council voted July 6, 2026 to ask Mayor Andre Dickens to renegotiate the City–MARTA “More MARTA” intergovernmental agreement (IGA), Resolution 26-R-3743. Council set a specific next step and timeline: the updated agreement must be presented to Atlanta City Council and the MARTA Board for approval consideration no later than Nov. 1, 2026.

This is a governance move, not a rewrite of the existing agreement. Council’s resolution requests that the Mayor restart renegotiation so roles and responsibilities align with “current priorities” as the partners continue planning, design, construction, and future operations tied to transit expansion.

What City Council approved

According to the Atlanta City Council press release, Council approved a resolution requesting that the Mayor renegotiate the “More MARTA” IGA to ensure the roles and responsibilities between MARTA and the City of Atlanta are aligned with current priorities as both entities continue their collaboration on planning, design, construction, and operations for the expansion and enhancement of the rapid transit system.

Council’s action is formally identified as Resolution 26-R-3743.

What the resolution asks for (and what it doesn’t do)

Atlanta News First reports that the measure does not rewrite the agreement itself. Instead, it formally requests that the Mayor renegotiate the existing IGA with MARTA to ensure it aligns with “current priorities” for how the city and MARTA work together.

The resolution also specifies that the renegotiation should be overseen by the Mayor under powers in the city charter, and it says the request should not be interpreted as creating a new committee or board subject to open meetings requirements.

And City Council asked that the Mayor’s renegotiation team include several city officials, including:

Chief of Staff (or designee)
Chief Operating Officer (or designee)
Chief Strategy Officer (or designee)
Chief Financial Officer (or designee)
City Attorney (or designee)
Chair of City Council’s Finance/Executive Committee
Chair of City Council’s Transportation Committee
Vice Chair of City Council’s Transportation Committee

Background: what “More MARTA” is built on

MARTA’s “More MARTA Projects” background page explains that the More MARTA Atlanta Program originally consisted of 70 projects in 2016. After two years of meetings and public input, the MARTA Board adopted 17 projects, which were memorialized in an IGA approved by the MARTA Board and City Council and executed by Mayor Bottoms in November 2019.

MARTA also says its financial model is expected to be used to evaluate project sequence, schedule, scope, and funding sources—and that timing, scope, and funding sources may be adjusted based on changing conditions and input from the program governance process.

What to expect next by Nov. 1, 2026

Under the resolution described by Atlanta News First, once renegotiated, the updated agreement must be presented to both Atlanta City Council and the MARTA Board for approval consideration no later than Nov. 1, 2026.

For residents and commuters, the practical takeaway is process: the November 2026 date is a presentation deadline for consideration by two governing bodies, not a guarantee that specific changes will be finalized by then. The next formal Council and MARTA agenda items in the run-up to that review window are where residents will see what the renegotiation effort is actually proposing to change in roles and delivery oversight.

Sources

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