Test drive: MARTA's new rapid bus line
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All aboard! Photo: Thomas Wheatley/Axios
MARTA's long-awaited bus rapid transit route from South Downtown to the Atlanta Beltline's Southeast Trail is up and running.
- And even in its unfinished first phase, it's a fast and easy ride.
Why it matters: The Rapid A-Line is a test case for a mode of transit that could help people get around faster without driving.
- Buses are the cheapest option for expanding transit throughout sprawling metro Atlanta without buying expensive land for rail.
Zoom in: I hopped on the bus in South Downtown on Mitchell Street and traveled the full loop, passing Summerhill and Peoplestown and the Capitol before hopping off.
By the numbers:
⏱️ 11: Number of minutes to travel from South Downtown to Terminal South, a mixed-use district along an under-construction segment of the Beltline's Southeast Trail.
🚛 1: Number of vehicles blocking the painted red lanes (it was a city utility truck)
🚏 5: Number of completed bus platforms
What they're saying: Samantha Brown, the only non-MARTA employee who rode the bus while I was aboard, said she was testing the route after a yoga class in Summerhill.
- Brown rides the bus every day and thinks the express line could give her another way to travel after some of her regular routes were dropped in MARTA's bus redesign.
Caveats: Not all the bus-only lanes have been painted red and several raised platforms are still under construction.
- The A-Line's extra-fancy buses were recalled, so MARTA is using temporary vehicles that can't accommodate bicycles.