MARTA, that 30-something transit agency, is going through a midlife transition and grooming itself to attract a younger crowd.
The system is trying to boost its cool factor with initiatives such as free Wi-Fi on buses and a partnership with the Uber ridesharing app.
The transit agency announced on Thursday that within the next few weeks, wireless Internet access will be available on 50 buses on various routes evenly distributed throughout its service area.
The goal is to have Internet connectivity on all buses, trains and rail platforms by March. At the same time, MARTA is pursuing mobile payment options, and nearing completion of a "smart" surveillance system that learns to spot aberrant behavior and alerts authorities whenever it occurs.
MARTA is able to provide Wi-Fi at no added cost to riders — or to the transit agency — by tapping unused bandwidth from its 4G surveillance camera system, according to its chief information officer, Ming Hsi. That system has been installed on its entire bus fleet over the past two and a half years at a total cost of $17.3 million for the equipment, installation and total system incorporation.
Also on Thursday, MARTA introduced a new partnership with Uber. Patrons who are new to the rideshare app can sign up with the promotional code “MARTA” to get their first trip free, up to a $20 value. The partnership is meant to encourage transit users to take advantage of Uber to get them from the doorstep of their home, school or office to the nearest station.
“We don’t go everywhere,” said MARTA CEO Keith Parker. “There are places that don’t make sense for us to add new bus or train service. This Uber partnership is to take care of that last mile of service.”
It’s a move clearly aimed at a younger and more mobile customer base. Nearly two-thirds of MARTA riders have smartphones, according to recent MARTA surveys. Parker said the challenge with drawing in those choice riders and millennials is to “make MARTA cool.”
While waiting for a bus at the Dunwoody MARTA station, 18-year-old Kaleel Brown hunched over a laptop that rested upon his knees to watch the British television series “Sherlock.” Brown said it would be nice to have Wi-Fi, considering how “bus rides get pretty boring.”
Perimeter College student Marvelous Tompkins, 20, stood nearby as he casually scrolled through texts on a smartphone. He said the ability to go online using his phone would be very convenient.
“All day, every day, you don’t see me without a phone in my hand,” Tompkins said.
Once Wi-Fi is available on all the trains and in stations, passengers will be able to order up an Uber ride as they’re stepping off a train and have a driver meet them in the pick-up area within minutes.
While customers won’t be able to stream content from video services such as Hulu, Netflix or YouTube, they will be able to do “light surfing” of the Internet and check emails, said Hsi. During the 60-day trial period, customers are encouraged to submit feedback to www.itsmarta.com/wifi.
Parker said lower gasoline prices in recent months have slowed ridership gains for transit agencies around the country as driving became more economical. MARTA’s overall ridership is still on the rise, up by 7 percent this quarter compared to the spring of 2014. But it’s not growing as aggressively as it was prior to last fall, when the transit agency was clocking about a million additional trips a month.
"What we have to do now is be even more creative, innovative and aggressive about holding onto our existing customers while attracting new people," Parker said. "That's why you're seeing everything from Wi-Fi on the buses to mobile phone payments to new, fresh markets."
MARTA does not yet have a mobile phone payment system in place, but plans are underway to have one operating within the next year.
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