MARTA launches Rapid A-Line BRT service
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Rapid A-Line, its first bus rapid transit (BRT) line, launched service on April 18 as part of the NextGen Bus Network. The five-mile Rapid A-Line connects downtown Atlanta to Capitol Gateway, Summerhill, Peoplestown and the Atlanta Beltline’s Southside Trail, with connections to MARTA’s heavy rail system at Five Points, Georgia State and Garnett Stations.
Phase 1 features:
- Service hours from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- 40-foot compressed natural gas buses with Rapid A-Line branding.
- Completed BRT stations will feature off board fare payment starting May 2, real-time service information and other amenities associated with rail stations.
- In areas where construction is complete, buses will operate in dedicated red bus-only lanes with transit signal priority.
- In areas under construction, temporary bus stops located near stations will be used, including at Convocation Center, Summerhill, Ormond Street, Peoplestown and Carver. Temporary stops near unfinished stations are fare free.
MARTA notes that since the project broke ground, the project experienced many challenges, including the discovery of old infrastructure during excavation and a battery recall on the New Flyer battery-electric buses purchased to operate on the line, which delayed completion of BRT stations and necessitated a phased opening. Phase 2 of the Rapid A-Line launch is scheduled for fall when all BRT stations are complete.