The first phase of MARTA's new NextGen Bus Network launches Saturday when microtransit services begin in 12 areas across the region. Eventually, the curb-to-curb MARTA Reach service will replace certain bus routes within those zones. Temporarily, bus and microtransit services will coexist to give riders time to adjust before the full changes go into effect April 18.
The NextGen redesign marks the first significant reimagining of MARTA's bus system since the agency's founding. Five years in the making, the plans shrink the number of bus routes but increase frequency overall — a trade-off officials say should ultimately make the system work better for more people. Three times as many routes will operate 15-minute headways compared to today, and weekend service will match that of weekdays.
Customers in one of the 12 zones can use an app or call to reserve a ride from one point to another anywhere within the zone, though trips must be a minimum of a quarter-mile. Reach will operate 18 hours per day, seven days a week, and a vehicle will pick passengers up within 30 minutes of a request. For those traveling farther, Reach vans can drop off riders at bus routes or rail stations.
The MARTA Reach fare is $2.50 per trip, the same cost as a bus trip. For the first few weeks, Reach trips will be free because the transit agency is upgrading its fare system. Reach customers get four free transfers within three hours, the same as on bus and rail. The Reach vans are Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible and have two wheelchair slots.
Riders can book using an app called "MARTA Reach On-Demand Transit" available in both Apple and Google app stores, or by calling 404-848-6622. The reservation line will be available seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Saturday.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution