DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — MARTA has been awarded a $25 million grant for a South DeKalb Transit Hub, the transit authority announced Tuesday.
The grant, sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Buses and Bus Facilities Program, will help construct the 2500-square-foot multimodal hub. It will serve four high-ridership bus routes bordering Georgia’s 4th and 5th Congressional Districts: Route 15 (Candler Road), Route 186 (Rainbow Way), Route 74 (Flat Shoals), and Route 9 (Boulevard/Tilson Road).
The hub will be located adjacent to the Gallery at South DeKalb on Candler Road. With park-and-ride availability, it will provide a safe, sheltered space to catch or transfer buses and purchase fares. It will also feature real-time service information and SMART restrooms, which use technology to keep the facilities safe and maintained.
“We are thrilled to be awarded the full grant amount requested and are grateful to the FTA for recognizing the need for this important transit hub,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood. “This grant covers almost 70 percent of the funding for this project and supports the improvement of bus facilities and amenities and workforce development in DeKalb.”
Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff says the new hub will assist the working class in DeKalb County and provide vital upgrades to the state's existing infrastructure.
“Senator Warnock and I are delivering this new Federal grant to help families get around DeKalb County and connect more people with health care, jobs, education, and more,” Senator Ossoff said. “Our bipartisan infrastructure law will deliver long-overdue upgrades to Georgia’s infrastructure for years to come.”
The South DeKalb Transit Hub was identified in the DeKalb County Transit Master Plan and memorialized in the Rapid Transit Contract and Assistance Agreement 15th Amendment. The total project investment is approximately $37.5 million, with the remaining funding coming from MARTA’s Capital budget.
"I am proud to support this $25 million federal investment in safety and accessibility for MARTA riders in South DeKalb," Congresswoman Nikema Williams said. This funding, made possible by President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, underscores our commitment to advancing transit equity. In partnership with our transit leaders, we will continue building stronger connections to jobs and economic opportunity for everyone—no matter your ZIP Code, no matter your bank account."
The transit hub is scheduled to open in 2026.
