MARTA Hosts Tour for Future Engineers from Africa

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) hosted a tour recently for a group of students from Africa. The students, currently attending Georgia State University, are participants in the Mandela Washington Fellows Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

The program was proposed by former ambassador and Atlanta mayor Andrew Young, who took the time to meet with participants. The visiting students, from Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and South Africa, are interested in pursuing careers in transit. Among the group are two future mechanical engineers, an aspiring urban planner, and a future civil engineer.

The experience provided the students with insights into the operations and infrastructure of transit systems. Eddie Hicks, zone superintendent in rail operations at MARTA, led the tour, which included visits to MARTA transit landmarks such as Five Points Station, Peachtree Center, and the streetcar garage.