In the last decade, some people's first thought of MARTA buses is the viral moment when one blocked the Weather Channel's view of the 2017 Georgia Dome implosion. But MARTA is taking a major swing and making what it calls its biggest overhaul in decades to better serve diehard passengers and, the agency hopes, attract others.
The MARTA NextGen Bus Network will add more bus trips to the busiest routes, trim less common ones and bring in a new on-demand vanpool in place of some buses. Seventeen bus routes will see buses every 15 minutes and another 12 routes will see them every 20 minutes — with that frequency maintained during rush hour, midday, evenings and weekends alike.
MARTA is replacing lower-ridership service with a zoned rideshare program called MARTA Reach, which works "like an Uber pool or a ridesharing service," allowing passengers to request a ride via app, phone call or website within 30 minutes or less for the same $2.50 fare as regular bus or train service. There are 12 MARTA Reach zones, and any passenger — including customers who use wheelchairs and mobility devices — can take a Reach van for that flat fare.
The NextGen bus routes and schedules begin April 18. MARTA launches Reach on March 7, giving passengers just over a month to try the replacement before their buses cease service. These changes also arrive ahead of this summer's World Cup games, as part of what the agency is calling "New Year, New MARTA" in 2026. Bus rapid transit also debuts with the Rapid A line linking downtown Atlanta to the Beltline Southside Trail on April 18.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution