MARTA weighs next steps for Reach transit program

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — MARTA continues to weigh options for the future of its ondemand Reach program after interest and ridership climbed during a sixmonth pilot period last year.

At an April 6 meeting of the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (ATL), MARTA Customer Experience Innovation Program Manager Anthony Thomas gave a presentation on the cost assessment of Reach.

The ATL is a 16-member body that oversees transportation in Metro Atlanta. However, decisions about the future of the Reach program ultimately lay in the hands of MARTA and its Board of Directors.

MARTA Reach offers riders the ability to call a shuttle to a regular MARTA rail or bus stop or to one of several new stops added for the service.

The program, a partnership between Georgia Tech and MARTA, served more than 8,000 riders during its run from March-August 2022. Its launch followed the increasing call for on-demand transportation, rather than traditional fixed-route buses.

Reach launched with three Atlanta coverage zones, including Belvedere, the Gillem Logistics Center and West

Atlanta. In May 2022, the service added a North Fulton zone, which spanned from Roswell to North Point Mall, Avalon and the Georgia State University Alpharetta campus.

MARTA Reach could increase its hours of service at the same cost with fewer vehicles or operate under lower program costs with fewer vehicles in service, Thomas said. With positive results from the end-of-program data analysis, Thomas said he and staff recommend incorporating underserved areas, pursuing a request for proposal for the program’s software and including ADA trips on regular shuttles.

Future decisions on the Reach program will be made by MARTA as part of the Next Gen Bus Project.

Boardmembers also heard updates on the ATL Rides program, a multiagency trip planning app that allows riders to transfer from MARTA to Xpress buses, as well as Cobb, Douglas, Cherokee, Gwinnett and Henry County public transit.

ATL Transit Funding Manager Abby Marinelli said the app is in beta testing and will formally launch this summer.

The ATL is also assisting Forsyth County in implementing a new demand response computer aided dispatch and automated vehicle locator for county vehicles.

DELANEY TARR/APPEN MEDIA

At an April 13 work session, the Fulton County School Board looked at a recommended 7.1 percent salary increase for the 2023-2024 school year, with 5.1 percent lasting into future years.