Come Saturday, Atlantans will have a new—and temporarily free—option for reaching MARTA’s rail and bus network and other destinations. 

MARTA plans to launch its on-demand transit service MARTA Reach on March 7 as a “sophisticated” point-to-point transportation option across 12 specific zones in Atlanta. It’s considered a key part of the transit authority’s NextGen Bus Network, an effort to optimize bus routes, that launches next month, per officials. 

MARTA Reach will work like this: Atlanta residents can request a ride through the service’s app or make a reservation online. That will provide a pickup window of 30 minutes wherever the rider is, with a goal of seamlessly transporting them to the nearest stop for MARTA’s broader bus or rail system—or to another destination within their specific zone.  

According to MARTA officials, the service will operate seven days a week for 18 hours per day for residents of specific neighborhoods. 

The 12 distinct zones are defined as follows: 

Courtesy of MARTA

MARTA will offer the MARTA Reach service without fares for the first three weeks, from March 7 to 28, to help riders get acquainted with the service. 

The MARTA Reach fare will be $2.50—the same as standard rail and bus service—once MARTA’s Better Breeze payment system goes live March 28. 

According to project leaders, the fare will include four free transfers for customers using Breeze payments. That system will soon allow for contactless, tap-to-pay options with bank cards and mobile wallets. 

The new on-demand service “represents a fundamental shift in how we serve our communities,” MARTA interim general manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt said in an announcement today. “By integrating on-demand technology into our NextGen Bus Network, we are providing a ‘first-mile, last-mile’ solution that makes transit more accessible, efficient, and more personal for our customers.”

MARTA has leased a fleet of Ford Starcraft vans for its Reach fleet, following a nationwide federal manufacturer recall of the planned permanent vehicles for the service, a Dodge Ram ProMaster fleet. 

Example of Ford Starcraft vans leased by MARTA for the on-demand transit service. Courtesy of MARTA

The Ford substitutes are ADA-accessible with two slots for wheelchairs. But according to MARTA, the temporary vehicles will use a wheelchair lift, as opposed to a ramp, and will not offer bicycle racks. 

“Bicycles will be permitted on MARTA Reach once the permanent vehicles are cleared for service,” agency officials noted today. 

To prepare for using MARTA Reach, customers should download the MARTA Reach app in the Apple Store or the Google Play Store or call the service’s reservation line at 404-848-6622, starting March 7. 

The reservation line will be open for calls seven days a week, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Courtesy of MARTA

...

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• MARTA-related news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)