Soon, MARTA won’t be the only Atlanta agency trying its hand at a shuttle system that operates similar to Uber and Lyft.
Livable Buckhead officials say an on-demand version of the Buc, a longstanding shuttle transportation service, will launch Tuesday, April 19 with a fleet of new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans.
The good news for Buc riders, program leaders say, is that trips around Buckhead should be cheaper than standard rideshare services: $3 each way.
Meanwhile, trips to and from the district’s MARTA hubs—Lenox and Buckhead MARTA stations—will be free.
Like popular rideshare services, the Buc will require users to download an app before requesting rides; according to Livable Buckhead, a shuttle will be en route “within minutes.”
The Buc’s service area is defined as covering Buckhead hotels, restaurants, shopping districts, offices, and MARTA stations. (No, it won’t retrieve you from your front porch in Peachtree Hills.)
Livable Buckhead, along with the Buckhead Community Improvement District, launched the Buc system in 2003 to provide free, last-mile connections during commute hours between transit hubs, offices, and shopping destinations.
If there’s a catch, it’s that the on-demand Buc system won’t operate late into the night (sorry, bar crawlers) or on weekends.
Instead, shuttles will continue to run during morning and evening commutes, and through lunchtime hours. (Livable Buckhead encourages anyone interested to sign up for email and text alerts here.)
Buckhead's skyline, with Midtown and downtown in the distance. Shutterstock
Elsewhere in the city, MARTA has been ramping up outreach efforts for its new on-demand rideshare program, MARTA Reach, that launched in three specific areas around Atlanta earlier this month.
The app-based service, a partnership between MARTA and Georgia Tech, will run for six months on a pilot basis, ending August 31. All rides cost $2.50.
• Recent Buckhead news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
