New bus routes from Gwinnett, Forsyth and Cobb counties will let patrons have another transit option to and from Perimeter Center, one of metro Atlanta’s fastest growing employment centers.
The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) voted on Aug. 12 to expand its Xpress bus service’s morning and evening routes, making more destinations accessible by bus in metro Atlanta counties, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.
GRTA Chief External Affairs Officer Matt Markham said new routes include service from the Town Center Park and Ride to the Civic Center in Atlanta and the Perimeter Mall Park and Ride lot in Sandy Springs, which will be funded by the state.
Markham said there is no exact date set, but the new service plan will update existing commuter routes in addition to new routes. The new routes are referred to in the service plan as Horizon 1 and the first in GRTA’s three part plan.
Horizon 1 includes increased service hours and trip frequencies on high demand routes and new streamlined routing patterns through Downtown Atlanta, according to a Direct Xpress press release.
“We are targeting Spring of 2016 for the implementation of the changes in Horizon 1, including the new routes to Perimeter,” Markham said.
Markham said the new routes are designed to raise ridership, and routes with low ridership will make additional stops at adjacent park and rides, according to the Horizon 1 Service Plan.
“We are confident that these changes will lead to a long-term increase in ridership, which also has the benefit of improving commutes for people who still choose to drive,” he said.
In Perimeter Center, employer shuttles will focus on Dunwoody Station, including new routes from Cumming, Cobb County, and Gwinnett County, according to the Service Plan.
William Bamaca, Georgia State chemistry major, said his drive from school to home and back can take 40 minutes on a good day.
“On a bad day, driving home could take up to an hour and fifteen minutes,” he said.
Markham also said the new routes will provide an opportunity to decrease commuter traffic, notably on 1-75, adjacent to Town Center Mall in Cobb County.
Bamaca said he prefers to drive, but if he needed to take public transit, he would have to bring his belongings and store them somewhere safe on campus.
“I’d have to prepare more in advance, and store my belongings in a safe place on campus,” he said.
Markham said commuter buses account for two percent of vehicles on the road during high travel times on interstate lanes, and GRTA’s buses will free up congested vehicle lanes.
Angelica Oliver, Georgia State junior public relations major and resident of Gwinnett county, said she thinks the new bus routes are a great idea.
“It’s beneficial to the City of Atlanta and GSU,” she said. “We also have a lot of business professionals that need to get to work as well.”
Bus service routes with low ridership will either be eliminated or minimized, and federal employees will walk farther to work. But wait times for buses are expected to be as low as ten minutes, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Horizons 2 and 3 are dedicated to implementing service to I-75 N, I-75 S, I-85 Hartsfield Jackson International Airport from Cobb, Gwinnett, Henry and Coweta counties, according to the press release.
In preparation for this plan, the authority conducted an extensive outreach campaign to maximize its efforts towards improvement, receiving a multitude of customer feedback through surveys and public meetings, according to the service plan.
Markham said GRTA is examining Downtown Atlanta to enhance the commuting experience.
“We are committed to looking at improvements we can make in Downtown Atlanta to enhance the commute experience for our customers, such as improved signage, lighting, shelters and bus stop amenities,” he said.
GRTA also is working in conjunction with MARTA and the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) to improve signage, according to the service plan.
The Service Plan also calls for improved bus service for all of GRTA routes. Service in Downtown Atlanta and Midtown is expected to decrease in traffic flow and passenger travel time.
