The agency says BRT will cost less, be completed faster, and provide more frequent service than the commuter rail option.
A Mass Transit staff report details the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s (MARTA) decision to choose bus rapid transit (BRT) over commuter rail for the State Route 54 extension of its service into Clayton County.
According to the report, “The planned 22-mile BRT on State Route 54 will include 17 proposed stops and connect East Point rail station to Mountain View, Forest Park, Clayton State University, Jonesboro, the Clayton County Justice Center and Lovejoy in Clayton and East Point and Hapeville in Fulton County.” The report explains, “MARTA explains the commuter rail option encountered a variety of obstacles with right-of-way acquisition, environmental and historical resource concerns, along with a ballooning cost estimate.”
As MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood stated, “We recently traveled to Indianapolis with the Clayton delegation and saw first-hand the benefits of BRT and how it makes more sense for this transit corridor and will provide faster, more frequent service at a much lower cost.” The report adds that the BRT line “can be built in half the time as that of commuter rail and once completed operates at a higher frequency, providing service all day rather than just during peak commute times.”
Officials also say BRT will offer more frequent, two-way service all day long, as opposed to one-way service that would have been offered by commuter rail.
FULL STORY: MARTA to pursue BRT for Clayton County
What Is ‘Arterial Rapid Transit?’
Atlanta is planning to build ‘BRT lite,’ a version of bus service that offers signal priority and fewer stops but keeps buses in mixed-traffic lanes.
Atlanta Gaining Two New ‘Arterial Rapid Transit’ Lines
MARTA will begin construction on two new bus lines this year, which will share lanes with other vehicles but use other tools to speed up service.
Atlanta Proposed Rail Line to Become Bus Rapid Transit
MARTA officials argue that bus rapid transit will be faster and more cost-effective than the originally proposed light rail option.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
