9 p.m. update: MARTA and Gwinnett County Transit announced details of its service that will resume at 7 a.m. Tuesday:
*MARTA rail service will initially run at approximate 20-minute intervals. Rail operations will continue to scale up to full service by noon. MARTA supervisors will perform system-wide quality scans to check the rail system's infrastructure and verify power at all stations.
*Bus operations will begin with a tiered-service approach. Bus lines connected to hospitals, shelters and social service facilities will be included in the initial morning routes. Those service lines are: Routes 6, 19, 21, 78, 99, 110, 111, 123, 185 and 196.
As bus routes are assessed and safety checks performed, MARTA will increase bus service to include heavy ridership routes. Those service lines are: Routes 5, 15, 39, 51, 71, 73, 83, 87, 95, 107 and 120.
All other bus routes will be added later in the day as MARTA prepares to launch full bus service by noon on Tuesday.
*MARTA has already begun booking paratransit trips for Tuesday - even trips that begin before 7 a.m.
Meanwhile, Gwinnett County Transit announce it will not run express service and will delay local and paratransit service until 10 a.m., except for scheduled dialysis trips. Check the county's web site for details on local routes.
The 10 a.m. start time is subject to road conditions so please check the county website for possible updates.
Gwinnett expects to return to normal service on Wednesday.
Original post: MARTA will resume limited service at 7 a.m. Tuesday.
The agency announced it will resume its bus, rail and paratransit service “on a limited basis as we continue to assess facility & road conditions.” As weather conditions improve, MARTA will increase service across the system.
“By delaying the start of our service time, we are able to avoid the brunt of the severe conditions caused by Tropical Storm Irma. We anticipate resuming full bus and train service by midday,” CEO Keith Parker said in announcing the move. “We will continue to monitor the weather conditions, evaluate our access to roadways and adjust our operations as needed.”
Details of the limited service that will begin at 7 a.m. were not immediately available.
The state’s Xpress bus service in metro Atlanta has canceled service for Tuesday, citing inclement weather. CobbLinc also announced it is suspending all express, local and paratranist bus service Tuesday.
Gwinnett County Transit has not announced plans for Tuesday.
MARTA suspended all its bus, rail and paratransit services today, citing high winds from Tropical Storm Irma that could blow over train cars and buses or make it difficult for bus drivers to maintain control of their vehicles. The agency said it decided to suspend service all day to avoid stranding passengers who might ride in the morning only to see service suspended later in the day.
It is believed to be the first time the agency has suspended all services for a day.
Burton said MARTA workers have been out today clearing debris from tracks and performing other maintenance to ensure the transit system will be ready to resume service.
“We are making a round-the-clock assessment of our system,” Burton said. “We have miles of track. We have to ensure that’s clear so it’s a safe commute for our customers.”
The cancellation of Monday’s service inconvenienced passengers. Burton apologized for the inconvenience, but said public safety is the agency’s top priority.
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