the first significant intergovernmental agency in metro atlanta was the metropolitan atlanta rapid transit authority, which runs the marta public transportation system. alongside other factors such as race and class, as well as a lack of planning and perceived lack of need, problems associated with the inner city of atlanta (crime, poverty, and poor public school performance) influenced cobb, gwinnett, and clayton county voters to refuse to allow construction of marta into their respective counties during the 1970s. these decisions resulted in permanent effects on land development in the region, making use of private automobiles even more of a necessity.