by Rafael Pena
December 27, 2023
Coy Dumas navigated the bustling streets of metro Atlanta behind the wheel of a MARTA bus for 51 years and three months.
Bus driver Coy Dumas navigated the bustling streets of metro Atlanta behind the wheel of a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) bus for 51 years and three months, becoming an enduring symbol of commitment and service.
Dumas has made his last stop, but it’s a run he won’t soon forget.
“I’ve done everything except deliver a baby, and I came close to doing that. Twice,” he told Atlanta News First.
MARTA estimates that Dumas transported nearly 3 million passengers and covered an equivalent number of miles. His Austell home is a testament to his dedication, adorned with plaques and proclamations honoring his work.
Among the cherished mementos is a MARTA uniform, signed and framed by his coworkers, presented during a November retirement party.
“I’ve been blessed to serve MARTA and Atlanta and the State of Georgia,” Dumas said.
A highlight in Dumas’s living room captures a framed photo depicting his face adorning the side of a MARTA bus to celebrate his 50 years of service.
“I’ve always said, ‘We carry the most valuable cargo you can imagine, and that’s human life, and everybody cannot do what we do,’” Dumas said.
He added, “To do what we do, you have to have a special kind of spirit and understand the responsibility. We have people that rely on us to go to the grocery store, to go to the doctor, to go to work, to go to school.”
Retirement doesn’t mark the end of his connection with MARTA. In January, Dumas intends to return to mentor and train new drivers, instilling in them the same passion and dedication that defined his lengthy career.
Dumas is currently focusing on his “honey-do list” during his retirement. He quipped that it should be about 50 years long.
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