by Robin Kemp
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) says all its bus routes will be up and running again as of Saturday, April 24. As of press time, 58 routes remain offline due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, MARTA says some of those routes may not run as often due to lower rider demand, so check the timetables.
Last spring, MARTA suspended 70 routes; it recently brought 12 back online.
You’ll still need to wear a mask on the bus. If you don’t have one, get one from the mask dispenser by the front door or ask the driver for one. MARTA says all buses now have bipolar ionization air filters that clean the air every 75 seconds .
Depending on how many people use MARTA in the coming months, and depending on when COVID-19 safety restrictions are lifted, MARTA expects to have all routes back to their regular frequency sometime later this year.
MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker said, “We understand the reduction in bus routes created a hardship for many of our customers, and we are appreciative of their patience as we balanced providing a service with protecting public health. While returning these routes means returning a sense of normalcy for many customers, it does come with a change to service frequency to account for reduced ridership. To align with current health recommendations, we are limiting bus capacity to seated loads only, no standing or crush loads, and extra buses will be on standby to be placed into service to minimize overcrowding.”
Visit https://www.itsmarta.com/servicerestoration.aspx to view schedules based on restored routes, adjusted routes, and routing changes.
You can get real-time service alerts by following @MARTAservice on Twitter or download the MARTA On The Go app.
