MARTA Board Votes to Modify Routes, Restore Braves Shuttle Service

 The MARTA Board of Directors voted unanimously last week to make customer-focused improvements to four existing bus routes and to reinstate a scaled-down version of the popular Braves shuttle service.

The 10-0 vote by the Board came after a series of public hearings held last week in the City of Atlanta, DeKalb and Fulton counties during which more than 240 people expressed their opinions about the proposed service modifications and possible restoration of the Braves shuttle. The vast majority of speakers voiced support for restoring the shuttle, including fans, neighborhood advocates, business owners and not-for-profit concessionaires. 

The Board also approved a plan to increase the frequency of service, or the number of vehicles available on routes 2, 87, 99 and 181 in response to concerns about overcrowding and safety. The modifications to those four routes will go into effect on June 18, 2011.

“MARTA works diligently every day to provide high-quality transit service to as many customers as possible,” said Jim Durrett, chairman of the MARTA Board. “Whether our customers are going to work, to school, to see their doctors or to root for the Braves, our goal is to ensure they reach their destinations, safely, conveniently and affordably.”

The Braves shuttle transported about 170,000 customers from the Five Points Station at Underground Atlanta to Turner Field last year and has been the transit choice for millions of fans, visitors and workers since the service began in 1996. However, MARTA eliminated the Braves shuttle in 2010 because of a sharp downturn in the national economy and a decrease in sales tax revenues that are used to fund the transit system.

After appeals by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and the Braves organization, MARTA has worked collaboratively with stakeholders to restore the shuttle service in a cost-effective way while serving the same number of customers.  Unlike previous years, the modified Braves shuttles will depart only when buses are full instead of every five minutes. In addition, fewer buses will be used for the shuttle and service will start 90 minutes before the first pitch.

MARTA plans to continue running shuttle service for at least two hours after the final out of each game in an effort to accommodate businesses in, and around Turner Field whose employees have no other reliable transportation on game days. About 11 percent of the trips taken on the Braves shuttle are work-related.

After the vote, Mike Plant, Executive Vice-President for the Atlanta Braves, said he was pleased by the Board’s decision. “I think this demonstrates the level of commitment and the quality of the partnership between the Braves, MARTA and the City of Atlanta. This is truly a win for us all.” 

Information contributed by the MARTA Communications Office.