MARTA Board approves NextGen Bus Network

    June 16, 2025
    Set to launch in late 2025, the redesigned system will nearly triple the number of people with access to frequent bus service and offer consistent bus service seven days a week.
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    A MARTA bus.
    A MARTA bus.

    The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Board of Directors approved the NextGen Bus Network, a strategic redesign of more than 100 bus routes that is intended to deliver a smarter, faster and better bus network to meet the evolving needs of the Atlanta region.  

    According to MARTA, the NextGen Bus Network will significantly enhance access, equity and mobility. Set to launch in late 2025, the redesigned system will nearly triple the number of people with access to frequent bus service and offer consistent bus service seven days a week. The new network emphasizes a 70/30 ridership-to-coverage balance meant to improve efficiency while ensuring broad access across communities. 

    “This is a major step toward a more equitable and rider-focused transit system,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood. “The NextGen Bus Network is built from the voices of the people we serve. With more frequent buses, better connections and improved infrastructure, this redesign meets our region’s evolving needs and lays the groundwork for a stronger transit future.” 

    MARTA says the NextGen Bus Network redesign followed four years of planning, analysis and robust public engagement, including more than 60 public meetings and more than 15,000 survey responses. According to the agency, the feedback directly shaped network refinements, ensuring that community concerns, especially around access for low-income and minority residents, were addressed. 

    NextGen Bus Network: Smarter, faster, better

    The agency notes the NextGen Bus Network will provide greater access to more jobs, destinations and opportunities by: 

    • Expanding frequent service areas from five corridors to 17, making it easier for riders to reach their destinations. 
    • Increasing 20-minute service routes from nine existing routes to 11 planned routes for shorter wait times and quicker trips. 
    • Adding 12, new, on-demand service zones, offering flexible transit solutions for communities with lower population density. 
    • Providing service seven days a week on all routes and on-demand zones, with flatter, more consistent frequencies throughout the day to meet riders’ diverse schedules. 
    • Streamlining fixed bus routes from 113 to 81 to create a simpler and more navigable network. 
    • Offering greater accessibility for residents and workers, with 74,000 more people and 76,400 additional jobs within close reach of frequent transit service that runs every 15 minutes or better. Additionally, 143,100 more residents will have access to service running every 30 minutes or better.  

    Key outcomes of the NextGen Bus Network include: 

    • A six percent increase in overall population served. 
    • An 11 percent increase in minority residents near transit. 
    • A 27 percent increase in grocery stores accessible within 60 minutes. 
    • A seven percent increase in low-income residents near transit. 
    • A 31 percent increase in hospitals accessible within 60 minutes. 
    • A 22 percent increase in jobs accessible within 60 minutes by transit. 

    According to MARTA, the redesign also features new and improved transfer points with timed transfers, and infrastructure upgrades that will improve the rider experience and ensure smoother operations on redesigned routes. Additionally, the 12 on-demand zones will allow customers to use an app to call a ride to connect them to the MARTA system. 

    MARTA says it will begin final preparations right away to prepare to launch the new network in late 2025.