Atlanta City Leaders Call on MARTA to Expand Weekend Service

The city is set to host multiple major sporting events in the next several years, prompting calls for expanded transit service on weekends and to popular areas.

2 minute read

November 28, 2024, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


MARTA subway train at platform in Atlanta, Georgia.

HOUExplorer / Adobe Stock

Atlanta transit advocates are calling on the  Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) to restore consistent and frequent weekend service, arguing that cuts to weekend transit are having a detrimental impact on  cultural events and the local economy. The city is hosting major sporting events in the coming years, which will require the agency to move hundreds of thousands of attendees.

According to an article by Alex Ip, “An investigation by The Xylom shows that tracking-related service cuts have slowed down the frequency of trains on the north-south route for almost 80% of weekends since October 2023, according to our weekend service cancellation dashboard created using publicly available data from MARTA.”

The agency took almost 5,500 weekend trains out of service last year, Ip adds. “Since the pandemic began, MARTA has ramped up single-tracking — which means it runs trains on one track instead of the usual two — and has experienced operator shortages, all of which disrupt rail service and necessitate ‘special schedules.’” This has amounted to long wait times and packed trains during major weekend events, concerts, and to and from Atlanta’s international airport. 

Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman said MARTA should consider expanding services to accommodate the anticipated spike in ridership. “While building out new rail transit infrastructure will take time, restoring consistent weekend service is low-hanging fruit for MARTA to bring back more riders.”

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Floor-to-ceiling rotating gates at Fairmount subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems

SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.

April 28 - Mass Transit

South LA Wetlands Park in Los Angeles, California.

How South LA Green Spaces Power Community Health and Hope

Green spaces like South L.A. Wetlands Park are helping South Los Angeles residents promote healthy lifestyles, build community, and advocate for improvements that reflect local needs in historically underserved neighborhoods.

April 28 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Intersection in downtown Sacramento, California with neoclassical building with columns on left.

Sacramento Plans ‘Quick-Build’ Road Safety Projects

The city wants to accelerate small-scale safety improvements that use low-cost equipment to make an impact at dangerous intersections.

April 28 - The Sacramento Bee