Three public transit agencies in Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia -- that published charter service notices with short deadlines have reissued the notices or extended their deadlines. (See Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 issues of Bus & Motorcoach News.)

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority reissued its notice Nov. 1, saying it was using "an abundance of caution" in revising the notice to comply with Federal Transit Administration rules.

The United Motorcoach Association had filed a compliant with the FTA last month, accusing MARTA of blatantly ignoring charter service procedures of the FTA. UMA said MARTA:

Failed to notify private bus operators in metropolitan Atlanta that it had issued its charter service notice. It also didn't notify UMA, as required by FTA rules.

Published its charter service notice two months after the start of its fiscal year.

Sent a letter to the Georgia Motorcoach Operator's Association dated four days before the deadline for responding to the charter notice.

FTA rules say public transit agencies must give private bus operators at least 30 days to respond to charter service notices, and the notices are to be mailed to all private charter bus operators in the transit's service area, as well as to the United Motorcoach and American Bus associations.

Under the revised MARTA notice, operators have until Nov. 30 to respond. Those operators who rushed a response to the first notice need not respond to the latest version, according to MARTA.

Responses should be sent to: Leeshu Kennedy, Supervisor of External Affairs, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, 2424 Piedmont Rd., NE, Atlanta, GA 30324. Phone: (404) 848-5744. E-mail: lkennedy@itsmarta.com.

Also issuing updated notices were Winston-Salem (N.C.) Transit Authority and Virginia Regional Transportation Association. Here are particulars for both:

Purcellville, Va. and surrounding area. New deadline: Nov. 30, 2007. Contact: Mark McGregor, CEO, Virginia Regional Transit, 109 N. Bailey Lane, Purcellville, VA 20132. Phone: (540) 338-1610.

Metro Winston-Salem, N.C. Extended deadline: Nov. 9, 2007. Contact: Art Barnes, General Manager, Winston-Salem Transit Authority, 1060 N. Trade St., Winston-Salem, NC 27102. Phone: (336) 727-8131.