Atlanta is planning to build ‘BRT lite,’ a version of bus service that offers signal priority and fewer stops but keeps buses in mixed-traffic lanes.
Along with several new bus rapid transit (BRT) projects, The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) plans to build what it’s calling ‘arterial rapid transit’ lines along Buford Highway, or what David Wickert, writing in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, calls “BRT lite.”
According to Wickert, “MARTA is seeking public input on plans for an arterial rapid transit line along Buford Highway between its Doraville and Lindbergh stations. If all goes well, the line could open by the end of 2024.”
Arterial rapid transit, which will use buses, promises less frequent stops and prioritized traffic signals than regular bus service, as well as the ability to ‘jump the queue’ in front of other vehicles. But Wickert points out “they typically operate in mixed traffic,” one of the major contributors to unreliable service.
FULL STORY: MARTA plans to build ‘arterial rapid transit’ lines – what are they?
Atlanta Gaining Two New ‘Arterial Rapid Transit’ Lines
MARTA will begin construction on two new bus lines this year, which will share lanes with other vehicles but use other tools to speed up service.
MARTA To Add BRT Connection to Airport
A new rapid bus line in Atlanta will link residents to one of the nation’s busiest airports.
MARTA to Increase Service Frequency, Reduce Routes
Atlanta transit users will likely have to trade higher frequency for fewer routes based on a new plan approved by a planning committee last week.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years
The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service