Federal transportation officials launched an investigation into Atlanta’s transit system after authorities said a 66-year-old woman was fatally stabbed in a broad-daylight attack aboard a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy directed the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to investigate MARTA’s security spending, safety protocols and risks to riders and workers, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced June 4. The review follows two violent attacks on MARTA property in one week, including the May 30 killing of Margaret Swan and a May 24 stabbing that injured a 40-year-old man at a MARTA station, the department said.
The federal audit could put new pressure on MARTA leaders as Atlanta prepares to host visitors for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. DOT said MARTA’s rate of personal security events involving riders and workers is nearly twice the national average, while the rate on rail lines is three-and-a-half times the national average.
John Elijah Matthews, 25, of Decatur, was charged in a federal criminal complaint with committing an act of violence using a dangerous weapon with intent to cause death on a mass transportation system, federal prosecutors said. Authorities alleged surveillance footage showed Matthews stabbing Swan about 20 times as she tried to defend herself. Matthews is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
MARTA said after the attack it has 12,000 security cameras and a dedicated police force of 280 officers. The agency said it would immediately move officers to six-day workweeks, a step originally planned for World Cup preparations. FTA gave MARTA 15 days to turn over documents on crime and fare evasion, security spending, safety funding and its response to prior federal directives on assaults against transit workers.
