ATLANTA — The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority will launch the first phase of its Rapid A-Line on Saturday, April 18, rolling out the region’s first bus rapid transit service as part of the agency’s NextGen Bus Network.
The five-mile line will run between Downtown Atlanta and the Capitol Gateway area, serving Summerhill, Peoplestown and the BeltLine’s Southside Trail. The route will connect with MARTA rail at Five Points, Georgia State and Garnett stations.
MARTA said Phase 1 will operate from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. using 40-foot compressed natural gas buses wrapped in Rapid A-Line branding. As stations come online, MARTA said they will offer off-board fare payment beginning May 2, along with real-time arrival information and other amenities more typically associated with rail stations.
The agency said buses will operate in dedicated red, bus-only lanes with transit signal priority where construction is complete. In areas still under construction, MARTA will use temporary stops near planned stations, including at the Convocation Center, Summerhill, Ormond Street, Peoplestown and Carver. MARTA said stops tied to unfinished stations will be fare-free during the construction period.
MARTA warned drivers that the red lanes are restricted to MARTA buses, regional partner transit buses and emergency vehicles, and that motorists should not drive or park in them. The agency also said drivers should expect buses to receive priority at several intersections along the route, including Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at Forsyth Street; Mitchell Street turning right onto Washington Street; Washington Street turning left onto Memorial Drive; and Hank Aaron Drive at Haygood Avenue.
MARTA said the project has faced setbacks since groundbreaking, including the discovery of old infrastructure during excavation and a battery recall involving New Flyer battery-electric buses originally purchased for the line. MARTA said those issues delayed station completion and prompted a phased opening.
Phase 2, when all BRT stations are expected to be complete, is scheduled for the fall, MARTA said.
Be the first to comment