The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), a transit agency serving Metro Atlanta, recently announced the Rapid A-Line, the region’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) line, will launch in two phases.
The five-mile Rapid A-Line connects Downtown Atlanta to Capitol Gateway, Summerhill, Peoplestown, and the Beltline’s Southside Trail, with connections to MARTA’s heavy-rail system at Five Points, Georgia State, and Garnett Stations.
The first phase will launch on April 18 as part of the NextGen Bus Network. It will feature service between 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Buses will operate in dedicated lanes with transit signal priority in areas where construction has been completed and will operate at temporary bus stops located near stations in areas under construction. The second phase will launch in the fall after all BRT stations are completed.
Stations will feature offboard fare payment real-time service information, level boarding, and other amenities. MARTA will release information about how to ride the new line, including detailed station and temporary stop locations and fare payment instructions, in the near future.
The project has been plagued by unforeseen circumstances since groundbreaking that delayed completion of stations and may require supplemental vehicles to provide initial service including
the discovery of old infrastructure during excavation.