This sounds pretty good for the buses and the cars.
Mass transit moves in a surprising direction: Atlanta commute takes a new turn; High-tech vehicles will put themselves at front of the line
PAUL DONSKY; Staff
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
August 15, 2007
MARTA is building a next-generation transportation system on Memorial Drive in east DeKalb County that promises fast, reliable service when it launches in late 2008 or early 2009.
And get this --- the cutting-edge ride will be on a bus.
But these are no ordinary buses. They'll be able to control traffic lights, keeping them green longer. And they'll be able to bypass long lines of cars stopped at red lights via special bus-only lanes.
The service, linking the Stone Mountain area and MARTA's Kensington rail station, will feature a limited number of stops and sleek new buses with railcar-like touches, such as wider aisles and lower floors to enable riders to board without walking up steps. Riders will pay fares at stops instead of on the bus, greatly speeding the boarding process.
The buses won't have their own dedicated lanes and will have to battle rush-hour traffic like everybody else.
But MARTA officials say the innovations should help the buses speed along at a faster clip. The transit system hopes that persuades commuters who wouldn't dream of riding a conventional bus to try the new service.
"We're trying to give people a viable option to move through a corridor that is congested," said Johnny Dunning, manager of regional planning and analysis at MARTA.
