From Curbed Atlanta, 3/30/18:
Georgia passes landmark legislation for regional transit; prepare for ‘The ATL’
In five years, Atlantans and visitors seeking public transit in the metro area will be looking to catch a ride on The ATL.
On Thursday night, in the waning hours of Georgia General Assembly 2018, legislators made happen something many Atlantans thought might never come: landmark legislation that sets in place funding framework and a regional transit governing system for all of metro Atlanta.
Story here. This is big. Finally, a regional transit authority to coordinate the city and suburban transit under one oversight agency. The "R" in MARTA does not stand for "Regional" but rather "Rapid". However I could have seen everything in the suburban area folded under MARTA, with the "R" becoming "Regional".
The name "The ATL" is a bit tacky. Yes besides that being its airport and Amtrak code, "The ATL" is already a nickname for the entire city. Making the bus and train system follow the same label is going to lead to confusion, especially in this day of hashtags and online presence.
Whether or not "The ATL" will someday become so regional that it includes sorely needed and long rejected commuter rail remains to be seen.