Under new leadership, MARTA station renovation, disruptions to begin

Josh Green

Fri, 08/15/2025 – 13:30

Big executive changes and a significant service disruption are afoot at MARTA.

MARTA’s Board of Directors on Thursday announced that Jonathan Hunt—a long-tenured employee and MARTA’s current chief legal counsel—will step in as general manager and CEO following Collie Greenwood’s sudden departure and retirement last month.

Hunt, named MARTA’s legal chief last year, has worked in the agency’s legal department for a dozen years and counts decades of transit, real estate, construction management, finance, and corporate law experience, including a stint as Atlanta’s Assistant City Attorney, per MARTA officials. In a statement, Hunt said he intends “to immediately get to work addressing service issues and advancing projects ahead of the World Cup.”

To assist him, MARTA’s board has also put together a “strategic operational advisory group” that includes former MARTA general manager and CEO Keith Parker, who was credited with reforming and improving the system’s operations and brand before his departure in 2017.

Other members of the advisory group include Metro Atlanta Chamber CEO Katie Kirkpatrick, Atlanta Regional Commission executive director and CEO Anna Roach, and City of Atlanta chief strategy officer Peter Aman. Meanwhile, the board has also formed a search committee that, alongside an executive search firm, will embark on finding a permanent replacement for Greenwood.

Temporary downtown disruption

The appointments come as a significant MARTA train service disruption is on the horizon downtown.

Beginning Sept. 13, MARTA trains will skip Garnett station to allow construction crews to replace platform pavers. The Gold and Red Lines will otherwise operate as normal, and bus operations won’t be impacted, per MARTA.

MARTA

The closure will also allow crews to perform staircase repair, pressure-washing and heavy cleaning, and to apply graffiti-resistant coating to concrete surfaces. Worn windscreens will also be replaced to improve natural lighting and visibility, according to MARTA.

MARTA

Trains are scheduled to begin stopping at Garnett station again on Oct. 26. During the weeks of construction, MARTA customers will not be able to enter or exit Garnett station.

A free bus shuttle will be offered between Garnett and Five Points stations, for customers who typically catch trains at Garnett. MARTA says those customers should allow for an extra 15 minutes per trip.

The rehab project is part of MARTA’s roughly $1 billion Station Rehabilitation Program that’s aiming to improve safety and aesthetics across all 38 stations over the course of multiple years.

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