MARTA riders will see a brand new bus route map tomorrow — a leaner, more efficient one, officials say — as the transit agency rolls out the system's first comprehensive redesign since the 1970s.
Why it matters: MARTA buses move hundreds of thousands of people every week to the places the heavy rail system can't reach.
- Transit agency officials say the NextGen bus route redesign will put more people within reach of more hospitals, grocery stores, jobs and schools than before, and faster.
Catch up quick: In 2021, MARTA hired planning firm Human Transit to rebuild the bus route map from the ground up.
- After public feedback and study, the transit agency leadership chose to prioritize more frequent and reliable bus service on high-demand corridors rather than a vast coverage area.
Yes, but: MARTA is launching Reach, an on-demand rideshare-style vehicle that will pick up and drop off riders in 12 zones across the system to better serve people in less-dense areas.
Zoom in: The new system map has fewer routes (roughly 80 compared to 113 under the old system). But it is more efficient, MARTA officials said, and brings 6% more people within one quarter-mile of a bus stop.
- Buses will run every 15 minutes on 17 high-traffic corridors like Buford Highway and Campbellton Road, compared to just five corridors under the previous route map..
