Dive Brief:
- The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority unveiled the first of its new trains last week, which are expected to go into service later this year.
- The trains, manufactured by Stadler, were first ordered in 2019 and will be delivered as 56 four-car train sets to operate along MARTA’s 48 miles of electrified rail lines.
- MARTA also plans to redesign more than 100 bus routes serving the Atlanta metropolitan area with public input through a series of in-person and virtual open meetings.
Dive Insight:
MARTA serves the city of Atlanta along with the Georgia counties of Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton, supported by a 1% sales and use tax in each of these areas. The transit agency carried more than 65 million riders in fiscal year 2024, well below its 2019 pre-pandemic level of nearly 118 million riders. However, the agency says it enjoys a strong financial position.
The new, open-gangway rail cars comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and include storage areas for bicycles and strollers. “When I stepped onto that new train this morning, it felt like stepping into the future,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood at the Jan. 30 reveal of the trains at the Lindbergh Station in Atlanta.
Stadler will also provide a new communication-based train control system, which permits real-time tracking of train locations, improving safety and on-time performance, MARTA said in a press release. The transit agency is alsoo investing $1 billion to upgrade all 38 rail stations.
The bus network redesign will provide 15-minute service along 18 corridors with seven-day service. On-demand service will be available in 12 zones in underserved areas. Greenwood also outlined another new project to bring zero-emission buses to the agency’s bus rapid transit line along one corridor this year. Average weekday bus ridership in February, 2024, returned to 70% of the same month in 2020 while rail ridership recovered to 52% over that same period.
Atlanta will host the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Super Bowl. “MARTA’s investments will play a critical role in ensuring seamless transportation for millions of visitors,” the agency said in a press release.
