Atlanta’s First Rapid Bus Line and Fresh Bike Lanes Making Steady Progress

Connecting Downtown and Summerhill through a New Transit Line

Atlanta, a city known for its thriving communities such as downtown and Summerhill, is bustling with new developments in transportation. A year after the ceremonial groundbreaking, the construction of MARTA’s first new transit line in over two decades is progressing at a notable speed. Real construction on the five-mile Bus-Rapid Transit (BRT) route, named MARTA Rapid Summerhill, began last fall. The project, worth $91 million, connects downtown to neighborhoods like Summerhill and Peoplestown and terminates near the BeltLine’s Southside Trail at a station dubbed Carver.

Timeline and Progress

According to MARTA officials, the project is in full swing and remains on schedule, marked by prominent changes such as the expansion of sidewalks, implementation of bike infrastructure, traffic lane adjustments, and more. Here’s a quick glimpse into the progress made so far in different areas:

Downtown:

In the downtown loop area, construction began in May along Mitchell Street, between Ted Turner Drive and Central Avenue. Utility work and pothole repair are ongoing while sidewalk and lane closures are anticipated to begin in June during the station installation process.

Summerhill along Hank Aaron Drive:

Lanes in the area were strategically shifted to move traffic into outer lanes, enabling BRT work to continue in interior lanes. Significant work like street widening, utility set-up, milling, and resurfacing is in progress along Hank Aaron Drive, from the Interstate 20 east onramp south to Ormond Street.

In the period between summer and September, the primary focus of the MARTA team will be centered on BRT station construction, paving, ADA ramp and sidewalk construction, and signal and Intelligent Traffic System work in both Summerhill and downtown.

Elsewhere:

Limited utility work is scheduled to be carried out later this year between Ormond Street and Carver Station, the southernmost point of the BRT line. The new transit line is set to wrap up by spring 2025 with passenger service to commence sometime later that year.

Sophisticated Transit System

The region’s first BRT line will function with new 60-foot electric buses. Each station will feature real-time arrival information and off-board fare collection to expedite boarding process. The buses are expected to arrive every 10 minutes during peak daytime hours and every 20 minutes during late nights and weekend mornings. MARTA estimates that approximately 2,350 riders will utilize the service on a daily basis.

The Onset of Fresh Bike Lanes

In addition to the new rapid bus line, bike infrastructure is simultaneously being implemented. As part of the sidewalk widening efforts, biking lanes are being constructed along Hank Aaron Drive. These new developments mark a significant stride towards integrating sustainable, multi-modal transportation in Atlanta.

The Road Ahead

Beyond the Summerhill BRT line, MARTA is moving forward with BRT transportation development in the Clifton Corridor near Emory University, on Campbellton Road in Southwest Atlanta, and in Clayton County. Yet another BRT route with service to Roswell and Alpharetta via the Ga. Highway 400 is under consideration currently.