ATLANTA — Dozens of MARTA bus routes are up and running again. On Saturday, the agency reinstated service to dozens of routes, after suspending them due to reduced ridership during the pandemic.
About 70 routes were affected. MARTA gradually resumed service for 12 routes, but officials said riders can expect full restoration of service with changes.
Heather Alhadeff, assistant general manager of planning for MARTA, said vaccinations, federal mask mandates and updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention factored into fully restoring the bus routes.
“To have to cut it back was a serious undertaking, and not something we wanted to do, but it was the only way to ensure people’s safety," Alhadeff said. “People were complaining about having to pay to use Uber or Lyft to get to work. Obviously, that was hitting their pocketbooks for the month.”
Alhadeff said every bus is now outfitted with bipolar ionization air filtration systems, likening the updates to the technology hospitals use. She said the air filtration systems clean the air every 75 seconds.
During the pandemic, MARTA handed out masks at stations and on buses, posted signage, and transmitted protocols on bus speakers. Shields for drivers were also installed, as the transit system temporarily suspended fare in an attempt to protect drivers and riders.
Kiwi Mclaughlin is looking forward to getting her original bus route service back. While working at her last job, she felt the pain of losing a route critical to her transportation.
“I had to take one of the buses to the rail and walk probably a mile from when I got to the station to my actual job, because they shut down a bus," Mclaughlin said. "It was frustrating, especially when it moved to the winter months, when it was very cold. It would be extremely dark and I would be walking on this road in the dark and cold by myself, because half the buses were shut down. I guess it tells us the pandemic is starting to be over, people have just stopped caring or both.”
There will still be capacity limits on MARTA buses. Alhadeff said no passenger can stand on a bus. Route frequency has also changed, accounting for the overall reduction in ridership and demand.
Alhadeff said MARTA would have extra buses on standby to run on-demand if a route should necessitate them. She noted ridership during the evening peak was coming back, but morning ridership was still inconsistent as many riders continue to work from home.
Over the next several months, MARTA will monitor routes as more people take vaccines and COVID restrictions are lifted.