MARTA to start construction on two transit lines later this year
MARTA will begin construction later this year on two transit lines in south Atlanta.
The first will provide enhanced bus service on Cleveland Avenue from East Point station to Jonesboro Road. The second will offer similar service along Metropolitan Parkway between West End station and Cleveland Avenue.
Together, the lines are expected to cost about $46 million. Construction on both is expected to begin in October.
The projects are part of MARTA’s revised Atlanta expansion program. The agency recently reshuffled the timeline for various projects, and the Cleveland and Metropolitan lines made a list of nine priority projects.
They’ll offer a type of enhanced bus service known as “arterial rapid transit.” The routes will feature large shelters with amenities such as real-time arrival information, bench seating and bicycle racks.
They are similar to the “bus rapid transit” lines MARTA plans for Campbellton Road, Capitol Avenue and the Clifton Corridor in Atlanta. One difference: Those rapid bus lines will operate mostly in exclusive lanes, while the arterial rapid bus lines will operate in regular traffic.
The Cleveland and Metropolitan lines will have features that allow buses to move faster in traffic. They will use technology that gives buses priority at traffic signals and “queue-jump” lanes that allow them to maneuver around other vehicles.
MARTA plans to seek a contractor to build the lines beginning next month. If all goes well, the lines will begin service in March 2025.
About the Author
David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
