I-285 Express Lanes transit project shows signs of life

A state, regional, and local initiative that aims to build transit options along 33 and ½ miles of Atlanta’s Interstate 285 loop is entering a new phase, with a goal of better preparing the region for future growth.

Officials with MARTA, the Georgia Department of Transportation, and the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority, or ATL, today announced a series of meetings scheduled for early December to gather public feedback on the I-285 Express Lanes Transit Study’s preliminary plans.

The meetings, to be held in partnership with city and county officials along the I-285 corridor, will serve to update residents and commuters on planned changes for one of Georgia’s busiest transportation corridors, the northern arc of I-285, according to MARTA.

GDOT’s I-285 Top End Express Lanes project calls for building two new express lanes, all separated by barriers, next to existing lanes around the northern arc.

The section of I-285 in question for transit spans between MARTA’s Indian Creek MARTA station near Stone Mountain (the system’s easternmost stop) and H.E. Holmes MARTA station (the westernmost stop).  

The ATL has been leading efforts to study how transit service could best be incorporated into the I-285 express lanes GDOT plans to build. Exactly what the transit options might look like hasn’t been finalized, but GDOT has said the new lanes will be built to accommodate bus rapid transit, or BRT. Cost estimates are also TBD.

Specifically, public transit providers that will operate in new lanes—at no additional cost to transit riders per trip—include MARTA, Xpress, and state-registered van pools. A Peach Pass will be required for drivers.

Project leaders say public input is key to refining plans for flexible, reliable transit in the corridor.

According to GDOT, more than 240,000 vehicles use the stretch of I-285 in question each weekday. The transit study area is expected to see a 42-percent population surge and 33-percent bump in job growth by 2050, which MARTA says underscores the need for better transit options.

The I-285 transit study is “a pivotal step in shaping how we address the region's growing need for expanded and reliable public transportation,” Collie Greenwood, MARTA general manager and CEO, said in an update today. “By tapping into the funded Express Lanes infrastructure investments already planned for I-285, we have an opportunity to provide efficient transit solutions that benefit residents and commuters alike.”

Another focus of the study will identify needed improvements—such as optimal station and ramp locations, along with potential funding sources—for making I-285 transit access a viable reality.

According to GDOT, a procurement and construction schedule for the project’s initial phases is being put together now. The express lanes are expected to be rolled out in three different phases.

A final study report on transportation options along I-285’s northern arc is scheduled to be completed next summer.

Anyone interested in submitting input on the I-285 project should do so either in-person or online (see bottom of this page) by Dec. 18, according to MARTA.

The three upcoming meetings for the I-285 Express Lanes Transit Study can be viewed virtually at this link. Details for the in-person gatherings are as follows, per MARTA:

Wednesday, Dec. 4

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Smyrna Community Center

1250 Powder Springs St., Smyrna

Accessible via CobbLinc Route 25

… 

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hampton Inn Perimeter Center

769 Hammond Dr. NE, Atlanta

Accessible via MARTA Red Line, Route 150, and Xpress Route 401 

…

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024

5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Clarkston Community Center

3701 College Ave., Clarkston

Accessible via MARTA Routes 120, 125

...

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