Horizon 1 Service Plan

Transcription

Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
Horizon 1
Service Plan
August 2015
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Table of Contents
Page
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... i
1
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1-1
2
Inputs For Recommendations .......................................................................................... 2-1
3
Recommendation Development ...................................................................................... 3-1
4
Xpress Recommendation Themes..................................................................................... 4-1
5
Downtown Alignments ................................................................................................... 5-1
6
Detailed Description of Proposed Changes ..................................................................... 6-1
7
Passenger Amenities....................................................................................................... 7-1
Appendix A ..................................................................................................................................
Table of Figures
Page
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Existing GRTA Services ........................................................................................................ 1-2
Existing and Proposed Downtown Alignment for I-20 East Corridor Routes ............ 5-3
Proposed North and Northeast Corridor Route Recommendations ............................ 6-2
Proposed East Corridor Route Recommendations ........................................................ 6-14
Proposed South Corridor Route Recommendations ...................................................... 6-21
Proposed West Corridor Route Recommendations ...................................................... 6-28
Recommended Weekday Span, Frequency, and Trips............................................... 6-33
HORIZON 1 SERVICE PLAN
Direct Xpress | Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Direct Xpress is an 18-month, comprehensive analysis of the Georgia Regional Transportation
Authority’s (GRTA) Xpress regional commuter coach service. This study is designed to maximize
the productivity and effectiveness of the service and increase ridership through improvements
across all aspects of operations. Direct Xpress also explores current and future market trends and
commuting patterns to ensure the Xpress service is best positioned to meet the needs of metro
Atlanta’s commuters and businesses.
The results of Direct Xpress are categorized into three implementation time periods, or horizons.
The recommendations proposed in Horizon 1 are intended to be near-term, budget-neutral
improvements to the effectiveness and reliability of existing service with a goal of increasing total
ridership.
Using findings from existing conditions analysis, market analysis, travel demand analysis, and
focus group discussions, preliminary options for each Xpress route were developed in conjunction
with GRTA staff. All routes had a recommended change as part of Horizon 1. Draft
recommendations were presented to the public, and updates to recommendations have been
made as a result of public feedback. The anticipated timeframe for implementation of these
recommendations is FY 2016. Major benefits of the Horizon 1 recommendations for Direct
Xpress include:
Improved Access to Major Employment Areas

Eighteen park-and-ride lots will have increased access to Downtown and Midtown in
terms of number of trips

Three park-and-ride lots without previous Midtown access will have new service

Eleven park-and-ride lots will have new, earlier, or later service to Downtown

Seventeen park-and-ride lots will have new, earlier, or later service to Midtown

Three new routes will be added directly to Perimeter Center from Cobb County, Gwinnett
County, and Forsyth County, providing a major increase in the availability of commuter
transit service to one of the top employment destinations in metro Atlanta
More Efficient, Reliable, and Easier-to-Understand Service

All routes will have a consistent, streamlined stop pattern through Downtown and
Midtown designed to make it easier for customers to know where to get on/off the bus
and to help keep buses running reliably on time

Fifteen park-and-ride lots will have 15-minute or better service during the busiest
commute times

Service will be reallocated from corridors with buses that are underutilized to corridors
with stronger demand for additional service
Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. | i

In some corridors routes will be renumbered or combined with other routes and parkand-ride stops in order to increase the overall amount of service as well as make it easier
for customers to know which bus to take to get to their destination
Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. | ii
1 INTRODUCTION
For the past several decades, Atlanta has maintained its position as one of the country’s fastest
growing cities largely in part to its culture, affordable cost of living, ample supply of good jobs,
and a steadily growing economy. At the same time, this growth and expansion has come with
significant traffic congestion and long commutes. Traffic-induced uncertainty and lost
productivity are certainly contributing factors to why the Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of
Commerce once noted that traffic congestion was the “greatest threat to Atlanta’s continued
economic prosperity.” For these reasons, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority’s
(GRTA) Xpress services are a critical component to the region and should be seen as an efficient
and indispensible tool for improving Atlanta’s commutes and relieving congestion.
GRTA provides commuter transit and vanpool service in the Greater Atlanta area. Xpress
commuter services operate throughout the region, focusing most of its service on destinations
within the Atlanta urban core (see Figure 1).
Xpress’s positive organizational momentum, trajectory of growth, and continued economic
expansion within the Atlanta region justify the need and importance of the Direct Xpress
Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) to support both operational goals as well as providing
a strategic foundation for the system’s growth. Previous analysis conducted as part of the COA
included an overview of the existing system, current and past ridership and operating statistics, a
review of existing regional plans and documents, an analysis of the service area’s population and
demographic characteristics, and a market analysis describing prominent travel patterns in the
region.
This report describes and analyzes short-term recommendations associated with Xpress service.
The recommendations included in this report consist of a series of opportunities and options to
better match service with demand, develop options for serving new markets, leverage existing
services and connections, and adjust service levels. The timeframe for these recommendations is
defined as “Horizon 1”, which recommends implementation in FY 2015/2016. The Horizon 1
recommendations focus specifically on cost-effectiveness as well as designing service to increase
ridership and provide existing services more efficiently. These alternatives are intended to be cost
neutral. This report briefly describes the inputs used to develop a series of options for improved
Xpress services, the themes of each option, and then a route-by-route description of each option.
Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. | 1-1
Figure 1
Existing GRTA Services
Source: GRTA
2 INPUTS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
A ridership count for all Xpress trips operated was conducted in Spring 2014 to provide observed
stop-level ridership data for the entire GRTA system. This data was used in the Baseline
Assessment to identify a number of operating characteristics that were in turn used to develop
Horizon 1 alternatives. Key data inputs used to develop Horizon 1 recommendations include
ridership and productivity, service speed, and on-time performance.
Ridership and Productivity
Average daily boardings, daily revenue hours, daily trips, boardings per revenue hour, and
boardings per trip for each weekday route were determined based on data collected during the
ridership count. On a typical weekday, the system carries just fewer than 9,000 boardings.
Passenger boardings per trip is a common productivity indicator for peak-based, commuter
express service with few stops and longer-distance travel. It can also summarize vehicle capacity
utilization. Xpress service averages approximately 24.2 passenger boardings per peak trip.
Service Speed
Reviewing speed is useful to identify both operating delays (particularly along regularly congested
freeways) and opportunities to improve running times. Improved running times will provide a
more attractive service to customers while potentially reducing resources required for operation,
thereby allowing for reinvestment elsewhere in the system. Overall, the length of the surface
street alignment and the number of park-and-rides served by a route correlates to overall route
speed. Speeds are generally similar in the North, East, and South Corridors, all very similar to the
system average. Service along the Northeast Corridor experiences the highest speeds, while the
West Corridor is the slowest, where all routes in that corridor operate below average speeds.
On-Time Performance
On-time performance data was also collected during the ridership count. On-time departures are
those that occurred within 0 and 5 minutes after the scheduled time. All departures before the
scheduled time were considered early except for those that benefit the customer on board without
inconveniencing customers trying to catch the bus (for example, an early departure at a park-andride in the afternoon in the outbound direction is not considered early, but an early departure in
Downtown on the same trip is considered early). Late departures are those that occurred more
than five minutes after the scheduled time.
Systemwide Xpress services have an average on time percentage of 64%. On-time performance
varies by freeway corridor for routes that serve Downtown and Midtown. Specifically, routes that
operate on I-85 north into Downtown or Midtown experience better on time performance than
routes on other corridors, with 74% of trips operating on time compared to the system average of
64%.
3 RECOMMENDATION DEVELOPMENT
Using findings from the existing conditions analysis, market analysis, travel demand analysis, and
stakeholder and customer outreach, preliminary options for each route were developed in
conjunction with GRTA staff. Goals of Direct Xpress short-term recommendations include
improving efficiency and productivity, addressing operational issues, and positioning Xpress for
further ridership growth. The options were refined into initial short-term recommendations that
were presented to the public in January and February 2015.
Every route operated by GRTA had a recommended change. Most changes consisted of
modifications to existing route alignments, changes to scheduled headways, modification of span
of service, matching the number of trips to meet demand, and updating schedules to reflect traffic
conditions. All changes were designed to position GRTA for the future and encourage ridership
growth.
Stakeholder Outreach
Stakeholders were engaged throughout the Direct Xpress process to inform the development of a
service plan for Xpress service. Stakeholder outreach inputs included monthly GRTA Board of
Directors briefings, a customer on-board survey conducted during the early data collection phase
of the project, Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings to provide detailed input into the
Direct Xpress process, and partner agency outreach to gather input on travel needs and identify
new markets to serve.
Public Outreach
Specific steps and activities were conducted to reach GRTA’s number one stakeholder group—
Xpress customers. An online survey of initial recommendations was provided for customer input
in January and February 2015. The main goal of the survey effort was to see how existing
customers felt about the proposed short-term recommendations. The online survey received more
than 4,500 responses and more than 8,000 written comments. Every route received comments—
both positive and negative.
Most respondents were existing riders with defined trip routines—few responses were received
from non-riders. Several themes emerged from the survey, including positive responses to
improved frequency and increased span of service. However, respondents were sensitive to
changes in travel time, were hesitant to walk further in Downtown due to both distance and safety
concerns and had perceptions of potential capacity problems on some routes.
More than half the recommended route changes were adjusted to reflect survey responses.
In May 2015, additional public outreach was held. Public meetings describing the revised
recommendations were conducted in Midtown, North Downtown and South Downtown. More
than 200 people attended the meetings and over 600 additional customer comments were
collected. Approximately 150 people also attended a fourth public meeting at the Federal
buildings. Comments received at the public meetings were generally consistent with those
received in the online survey.
4 XPRESS RECOMMENDATION THEMES
Provide a Consistent, Streamlined Downtown and Midtown
Alignment
The fewer directional changes a route makes, the easier it is to
understand—circuitous alignments are disorienting and difficult
to remember. With this principle in mind, streamlined and
easier to understand service is proposed for Downtown and
Midtown Atlanta.
From an operational perspective, each additional turn in
Downtown and Midtown increases exposure to traffic delays,
which adds to customer travel times. An example of how
downtown alignments can influence travel time is illustrated by
Route 416. In the afternoon, the travel times through
Downtown can vary by 18 minutes – i.e. depending on when the
trip takes place, it can take 18 minutes longer due to traffic
conditions. As a result, customers may wait at bus stops for 18
minutes hoping a bus will arrive and riders on the bus have an
18 minute longer trip.
A straighter alignment that avoids known traffic bottlenecks will
improve service reliability and increase the efficiency of service
delivery in Downtown and Midtown.
The Benefit: Reliable, Predictable, and Understandable
Service
Current Downtown routing creates confusion
for customers. This map shows Downtown
alignments for routes originating in the I-20
West corridor.
The revised Downtown alignment connects the major ridership
points in Downtown more directly, faster, and more reliably.
Buses spend less time on Downtown streets and cause less traffic impacts as the number of turns
is reduced. Passenger travel time through Downtown and Midtown will be reduced as well.
The new alignments will also provide circulation that is easier for customers to understand and
will attract new customers as a result.
Improved service reliability and easier to understand routes improves customer satisfaction and
attracts new riders.
Adjust Number of Trips to Match Demand
High ridership, including close to or at-capacity conditions,
occurs during both the morning and afternoon peak. At the
same time, a number of Xpress trips are underutilized. The
number of trips on each route have been evaluated and
adjusted according to existing and projected utilization.
The Benefit: More Efficient Use of Resources &
Increased Ridership
Resources saved by removing unproductive trips will be used
to improve service on other routes with higher ridership
potential. By adjusting the number of trips to match demand,
periods of high demand will be augmented by providing
additional trips when services are close to or above capacity.
Many routes have a varying level of demand.
Extend Downtown Trips to Serve Midtown
Select routes from the South and West corridors are proposed to run through Downtown and
continue through to Midtown. These routes would follow a streamlined alignment in Downtown
to improve travel times and continue to Midtown to enhance access throughout the business core
and in turn, increase ridership. Successful examples of this approach already exist. Route 477
carries more passengers per trip than Route 470. Both routes serve the Hiram and Powder
Springs Park-and-Rides and Downtown, but Route 477 also serves Midtown.
The Benefit: More Choices for Riders & Increased Ridership
Downtown riders from the South and West corridors benefit by having additional trips on a
consistent alignment in Downtown during peak times. Midtown riders benefit by having more
trips to Midtown, even though their travel time is slightly longer. Providing greater frequency to
Midtown and Downtown will increase the opportunity for greater utilization and productivity.
Add Additional Park-and-Ride Lots to Existing Routes
Several routes are not operating close to capacity. To improve
passenger utilization and improve market access, routes with
low ridership should stop at additional park-and-rides. In
some cases, this can lead to improved frequency of service
between major park-and-rides and Atlanta.
The Benefit: Added Frequency and Span of Service &
Increased Ridership
While some passengers will have slightly increased travel
times due to stopping at an additional park-and-ride lot, most Passengers will benefit from improved
will benefit from added frequency and span of service.
frequency and span of service on routes
National experience has shown that improved frequency, even serving an additional park-and-ride lot.
when combined with increased travel time, leads to increased
ridership. Stakeholder outreach also suggests that enhancing the span of service is a way to attract
additional ridership by providing passengers with more travel options.
5 DOWNTOWN ALIGNMENTS
Downtown alignments will be combined and streamlined as part of short-term recommendations
implementation. In keeping with the premium nature of Xpress service, the main purpose of
updating the alignments is to make service in Downtown faster and meet customer expectations.
In turn, service will be more reliable, wait times and uncertainty will be less, and customer
satisfaction will increase as a result. Routes are proposed to operate primarily along two parallel
streets in Downtown—Peachtree Center Avenue and Courtland Street.
Several best practices for route design were considered when creating recommendations for new
Xpress alignments in Downtown Atlanta. While a single service type cannot necessarily meet the
competing mobility needs of all transit users, there are certain principles that can be applied to
nearly all transit services to improve the overall passenger experience. These principles offer a
foundation for updated and streamlined alignments in Downtown:

Service should be simple and easy to understand. First and foremost, transit
service should be designed so that it is easy to use and intuitive to understand. This
applies not only to the routing and scheduling of service, but also to the information
presented to customers at the stop and on passenger information materials.

Routes should operate along a direct path. The fewer directional changes a route
makes, the easier it is to understand. Conversely, circuitous alignments are disorienting
and difficult to remember. Routes should not deviate from the most direct alignment
unless there is a compelling reason. In such cases, the benefits of operating the route off
of the main route must be weighed against the inconvenience caused to passengers
already on board.

Route deviations should be minimized. As described above, service should be as
direct as possible. Consistent with this idea, the use of route deviations—traveling off the
most direct route—should be minimized.
However, there are instances when the deviation of service from the most direct route is
appropriate—for example, to avoid a bottleneck or provide service to major shopping
centers, employment sites, schools, etc. In these cases, the benefits of the deviation must
be weighed against the inconvenience caused to passengers already on board.

Routes should be symmetrical. Routes should operate along the same alignment in
both directions to make it easy for riders to know how to get back to where they came
from. In cases where such operation is not possible due to one-way streets or turn
restrictions, routes should be designed so that the opposite directions parallel each other
as closely as possible.

Service should be consistent. Routes should operate along consistent alignments and
at regular intervals (headways). People can easily remember repeating patterns but have
difficulty remembering irregular ones. For example, routes that provide four trips an hour
should depart from their terminals every 15 minutes. Limited exceptions can be made in
cases where demand spikes during a short period in order to eliminate or reduce
crowding on individual trips.
Recommendations for Downtown Service
To simplify service, improve speed and reliability, and to improve overall system understanding,
all Xpress routes should operate a consistent alignment through Downtown. Peachtree Center
and the government employment areas along MLK should be connected via Courtland Street and
Peachtree Center Avenue. This alignment removes service from Centennial Olympic Park Drive,
Spring Street, Marietta Street, and Forsyth Street north of MLK. While these segments do have
some existing ridership, the Courtland Street and Peachtree Center Avenue alignment serves
more existing and future employment areas than the Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Spring
Street alignment. Also, particularly in the southbound direction, these segments are the most
congested areas in Downtown Atlanta, with bus speeds often not much faster than walking
speeds.
The combined number of buses per peak hour operated by Xpress on northbound Peachtree
Center Avenue will increase to 39 buses per hour in the morning and nine buses per hour in the
afternoon. On southbound Courtland Street, the service plan calls for 37 buses per hour in the
morning and nine buses per hour in the afternoon. The bus volumes require that all bus stops in
the Downtown core can accommodate two buses at a time, which most zones currently do.
Each corridor will have a consistent alignment through Downtown. For instance, as shown in
Figure 2, all routes from I-20 East, which includes service from DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Rockdale
Counties, would have an identical Downtown stop pattern.
The Downtown alignments, potential benefits, and number of impacted riders are discussed in
the route-level recommendations included in Chapter 6.
Connections to Employment Centers Will be Maintained
Currently, approximately 16% of existing Xpress customers transfer to or from another transit
provider, with most transfers happening to/from MARTA rail services. Xpress riders are also
currently using employer shuttles to access their final destination.
The Horizon 1 recommended changes will require ongoing coordination with partner agencies
such as MARTA, the Atlanta Streetcar, and employer shuttles to provide convenient access to
employers beyond the core areas served by Xpress. In Downtown and Midtown, all Xpress routes
will continue to connect to a MARTA rail station. In addition, Xpress routes will continue to have
connections to MARTA bus routes that traverse Downtown and Midtown. The Centennial
Olympic Park Drive area and the Fairlie-Poplar neighborhood will have access to all Xpress routes
via a connection on the Atlanta Streetcar. Employer shuttles would continue to offer connections
to Coca-Cola at Peachtree Center and Civic Center MARTA station, Georgia Tech at North
Avenue, as well as other locations.
Figure 2
Existing and Proposed Downtown Alignment for I-20 East Corridor Routes
Existing Service for I-20 East Service
Proposed Alignment for I-20 East Service
Several results are anticipated through implementation of the new Downtown alignments:

Travel in Downtown Will Be Faster. Currently, congestion and construction in
Downtown Atlanta cause delays daily. The updated alignment means that buses will
spend less time circulating within Downtown Atlanta. By spending less time on
Downtown streets and reducing the number of turns the bus makes, routes will encounter
fewer traffic impacts. The revised Downtown alignment will connect the major ridership
points in Downtown more directly, faster, and more reliably.

Trips will be more reliable. The current variation in how long it takes to travel
through Downtown can be 15 minutes or more. By spending less time circulating within
Downtown, it will be easier for buses to stay on time. More reliable service will improve
customer satisfaction and, in turn, attract more riders.

Routes Will Maximize HOV Access Lanes. Routes will take advantage of HOV
highway exits in Downtown to make service faster and help buses stay on schedule.

There Will Be Less Confusion about Where Buses Go in Downtown.
Streamlining the Downtown alignment will greatly improve passenger understanding.
Currently, there are more than a dozen variations in Downtown routing. By providing
circulation that is easier for customers to understand, ridership will increase—passengers
are more likely to use service if they understand where the bus is going.

Major Employers in Downtown Will Be Served, Though Some Riders Will
Have a Longer Walk. Most major employers in Downtown will be directly served by
the new alignment. In some cases, riders will have a two or three block walk to reach their
destination, but their buses will be more likely to arrive on time.
6 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF
PROPOSED CHANGES
North and Northeast Corridors
Xpress currently operates 11 routes in the North and Northeast corridors along I-75 and I-85,
which serve Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth, and Gwinnett Counties. All routes have a recommendation
to adjust service levels.
Specific highlights of the recommendations include:

Three new routes providing direct service into Perimeter Center

Midtown and Downtown route streamlining

New service between Town Center/Big Shanty Park-and-Ride and Downtown

Service levels adjustments that better reflect demand

Consolidated off-peak routes that serve multiple park-and-rides during periods of lower
demand
North Corridor and Northeast Corridor routes will minimally change the connectivity options.
The primary access point for MARTA rail service for Downtown routes will shift from Civic Center
to Peachtree Center Station. Midtown routes will continue to provide direct service to the Civic
Center Station. MARTA bus connections will continue to be available at Five Points and Civic
Center. Connections to the Centennial Olympic Park Drive area and the Fairlie-Poplar
neighborhood will be available via the Atlanta Streetcar. Connections to employer shuttles at
Peachtree Center will be available for all North and Northeast corridor routes.
In Perimeter Center, employer shuttles have a focal point at Dunwoody Station. New routes from
Cumming, Cobb County, and Gwinnett County focus on Dunwoody Station to connect to the
existing employee shuttle system.
Figure 3 shows the recommended route alignments.
Figure 3
Proposed North and Northeast Corridor Route Recommendations
Route 400 Cumming to Downtown Atlanta
Background
On the existing alignment, three trips operate to Downtown and three trips operate to North
Springs Station in the morning. In the afternoon, three trips operate from Downtown and four
trips operate from North Springs Station. Trips operating between Cumming and Downtown
demonstrate a stronger travel market. For example, each Cumming to Downtown trip in the
morning operates with approximately 30 or more passengers, while no Cumming to North
Springs Station trip had more than 25 passengers and four trips carried less than 15 passengers.
Recommendation
Route 400 should be broken into two separate routes to denote the markets served. A new route,
Route 401, should serve an alignment between Cumming and Perimeter Center, and Route 400
should operate from Cumming to Downtown only.
No changes to the Downtown routing and stop patterns are recommended at this time. In the
inbound direction, a more direct alignment, using Peachtree Street NE between North Avenue
and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard should be considered in the future.
Overall, Route 400 has fairly strong ridership given the limited level of existing service. The route
should be watched carefully to ascertain ridership trends—any increase in ridership should have a
fairly immediate response in terms of improving service to continue building the market.
Benefits and Impacts of Recommendations
Passenger understanding at Cumming regarding getting on the right bus will be a positive impact
of the changes proposed for Route 400—there will no longer be confusion about trip destination.
Additionally, the market assessment shows potential for an additional trip during both peak
periods—additional trips should be a priority as budget allows in the future.
New Service: Route 401 Cumming to Perimeter Center
Recommendation
Route 401 offers renamed and renumbered service that was previously provided by Route 400.
Ridership to North Springs Station is half as high as to Downtown, despite the travel demand
from Cumming to Perimeter Center being more than twice as high as to Downtown. This suggests
that asking passengers to transfer at North Springs Station to MARTA to reach Perimeter Center
is reducing ridership potential.
Route 401 should be configured to give a one-seat ride to major employers in Perimeter Center.
The southern terminus of Route 401 should be shifted from North Springs Station to the Medical
Center Station. The revised alignment would no longer stop at North Springs Station and instead
travel from GA 400 to Dunwoody Station via Abernathy Road and Perimeter Center W, and
Perimeter Center Parkway E. Route 401 would have a stop adjacent to the Sandy Springs Station,
but would not enter the bus loop. After serving Dunwoody Station, the route would continue to
Medical Center Station via Perimeter Parkway NE, Lake Hearn Drive, and Peachtree Dunwoody
Road. Three morning and three afternoon trips should be provided on this route.
Passenger understanding at Cumming regarding getting on the right bus will improve, as there
will no longer be confusion about which bus to board. Providing direct service to Perimeter Center
will help enhance regional mobility by improving access to the one of the largest regional
employment markets. Furthermore, if passengers prefer to reach Downtown or another
destination via MARTA, they can transfer at Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, or Medical Center Station
to reach their final destination.
GRTA should monitor ridership on this route closely and allocate additional resources—including
an increased number of trips—if ridership warrants additional service.
Route 408 Doraville MARTA/Johns Creek
Background
Service offered on Route 408 is somewhat distinct from service provided by other GRTA routes—
the commute direction is actually toward Johns Creek Parkway instead of Doraville Station, and
no highway or interstate corridor comprises the alignment.
There are four peak trips each in the morning and afternoon on Route 408. Reverse commute
service operates two morning and two afternoon trips. Overall, performance on this route is
relatively weak—three trips currently have less than 10 passengers, significantly less than the
systemwide average.
Recommendation
Due to low ridership, northbound morning and southbound afternoon service should be
consolidated from four trips to three trips in accordance with observed demand. Additional
running time has been added to trips in both the morning and afternoon to better reflect actual
running times.
Concurrently, in order to open a greater travel market, particularly to Emory Hospital, departure
and arrival times are adjusted to better reflect shift times. The first morning trip arrives at Emory
Hospital at 6:50 a.m. and approximately every hour thereafter. Return trips from Emory Hospital
leave slightly after 4:00 p.m., 5:oo p.m., and 6:00 p.m. The first traditional commute trip to
Doraville Station arrives at 8:00 a.m. In the afternoon, traditional commute trips leave Doraville
Station at 5:00 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. This extends the span of service for normal commuting
purposes and should be able to better accommodate hospital shift schedules.
Overall, passenger loads on this route are very low—only one trip has more than 20 passengers.
Stakeholder outreach suggests that adjusting the span of service was a way to attract additional
ridership. The proposed span better meets hospital shift workers as well as traditional shift
employees commuting into Atlanta. Consolidating service from four to three trips allows for
additional time to be added to the schedule to ensure that routes run on-time throughout the
peak, which will help enhance the customer experience.
Route 410 Sugarloaf Mills to Lindbergh MARTA
Background
There are five morning southbound trips to Lindbergh Station and seven northbound trips to
Sugarloaf Mills in the afternoon, including trips leaving Lindbergh at 12:45 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
These trips have very low demand, with less than five passengers per trip. Two additional
morning peak and afternoon peak trips carry less than 10 passengers per trip.
Recommendation
Route 410’s first southbound trip is the most utilized, which suggests demand for earlier service
in the morning. Accordingly, Route 410’s first trip should operate 15 minutes earlier, departing
from Sugarloaf Mills at 6:15 a.m. to reflect better spacing of trips. The number of southbound
morning trips should be consolidated from five to four to better match actual passenger demand.
The last trip to Midtown would leave Sugarloaf Mills at 8:00 a.m.
In the afternoon, the two existing midday trips should be deleted due to low ridership (less than 5
passengers per trip). The Indian Trails Park-and-Ride would no longer be served as a result. Due
to lower ridership, afternoon peak service should be consolidated from five trips to four trips,
resulting in an effective 45 minute frequency between 3:45 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
There are two park-and-rides at Sugarloaf Mills. One, closer to I-85, is served by GCT local and
commuter service. The other, closer to the mall, is served by Route 410. To improve access and
give both park-and-ride users a choice, Route 410 should serve both Sugarloaf Mills Park-and
Ride lots. Running times during both the morning and afternoon peak times should be adjusted
to better reflect actual running times—more time should be added during the late morning peak
and some time should be subtracted during part of the afternoon peak.
Adjusting the travel times to better reflect observed traffic levels will better meet passenger ontime performance expectations. An earlier trip on Route 410 will better serve the existing
ridership market. Approximately seven existing riders would be negatively affected by deleting
the 12:45 and 2:45 p.m. northbound trips. All existing riders during the peak times would have
their departure times shift as a result of trip consolidation, but virtually all existing patrons
during peak times would be accommodated by the recommendations.
Resources saved by these recommendations would be used to improve service on other routes
with higher ridership potential.
Route 411 Hamilton Mill/Mall of Georgia to Midtown Atlanta
Existing service on Route 411 provides six trips each in the morning and afternoon peak direction
and two reverse commute trips in the morning and afternoon. Route 411 is a well-utilized route,
with some trips approaching seated capacity. The first trip in the morning and final trip in the
afternoon have the lowest ridership during each of their respective peak time periods.
Recommendation
During periods of lower demand at the beginning of the morning peak and the beginning and end
of the afternoon peak, service between Mall of Georgia and Hamilton Mill should be served by a
new Route 414, which will provide “sweeper service” between Midtown, Sugarloaf Mills, Mall of
Georgia, and Hamilton Mill. Consolidating the earlier and last trips into a “sweeper” route results
in the last trip to Hamilton Mill leaving Civic Center Station at 6:55 p.m., later than existing
service. Consequently, the first morning trip, first afternoon trip, and last afternoon trip should be
served by the new Route 414 to provide service to all park-and-ride lots in the corridor.
Route 411’s running time should be progressively increased from 40 to 55 minutes during the
morning peak, due to existing traffic congestion. In addition, the running time analysis suggests
that there is more time in the schedule than necessary between Hamilton Mill and Mall of
Georgia. Accordingly, scheduled times should be reduced. During the afternoon, five minutes of
additional running time is recommended between Midtown and the Mall of Georgia, as the travel
time analysis suggests that the existing schedule does not reflect actual travel times.
High ridership, including close to or at-capacity conditions, occurs during both the morning and
afternoon peak. The frequency should be improved from 30 minute service to 20 minutes from
6:10 a.m. to 7:10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Adjusting the travel times to better reflect actual travel times will better meet passenger on-time
performance expectations. Adding one trip to Route 411 in the morning and afternoon peak times
will reduce crowding during peak times and improve trip options when passengers want it most.
Combining service with the new Route 414 on less-utilized trips will allow for a better balance of
available capacity on less utilized trips. The resources saved by consolidating select Route 411
into Route 414 are reinvested in the extra peak trips Route 411. Though travel times to or from
Hamilton Mills on Route 414 may be slightly longer for existing Route 411 passengers due to
stopping at Sugarloaf Mills, the span of service will be improved, with the last trip leaving Civic
Center Station at 6:55 p.m. Stakeholder outreach also suggests that enhancing the span of service
is a way to attract additional ridership by providing passengers with more travel options.
Route 412 Sugarloaf Mills to Midtown Atlanta
Background
Route 412 operates eight morning trips to Midtown and ten afternoon trips to Sugarloaf Mills
Park-and-Ride. Overall, there were about 16% fewer riders in the morning than the afternoon,
likely due to the fact that there are two more trips in the afternoon. Sugarloaf Mills is also served
by Route 410, which connects to the Lindbergh MARTA station. It is possible that riders are using
alternative travel patterns in the morning via MARTA and using Xpress in the afternoon. The
North Avenue Station stop had more than twice as many boardings in the afternoon than
alightings in the morning.
Recommendation
There are two park-and-rides at Sugarloaf Mills. One, closer to I-85, is served by GCT local and
commuter service. The other, closer to the mall, is served by Route 412. In order to broaden the
market and give existing and potential riders the choice of where they park, Route 412 should
serve both park-and-rides at Sugarloaf Mills.
In the afternoon, scheduled running times between Arts Center and Sugarloaf Mills progressively
increase through the peak. Actual running times, however, do not show this pattern and are up to
20 minutes faster than what is in the schedule. This may be due to the new managed lanes.
Adjusting running times during the p.m. peak allows the schedule to better reflect actual running
times. Route 412’s travel speed and reliability should be further enhanced by deleting the loop
into Arts Center MARTA station—there is a bus stop immediately adjacent to Arts Center.
To make better use of seat capacity during lower demand periods, the first and last two morning
trips as well as the first two and final two afternoon trips have been reassigned to a new Route
414. Route 414 should make the same stops as existing Route 412 at almost identical times, but
should extend to the Mall Of Georgia and Hamilton Mill after serving Sugarloaf Mills.
Trips between Midtown and Sugarloaf Mills will not change appreciably from existing conditions.
All trips currently served by Route 412 will be served either by Route 412 or the new Route 414.
Trip times between Midtown and Sugarloaf Mills will be slightly faster than existing conditions
because of removal of the Arts Center deviation. Improved service reliability will help to improve
customer satisfaction by making trip times more predictable.
Reallocating Route 412 trips to Route 414, which continues to Mall of Georgia and Hamilton
Mills, will improve seat utilization during lower demand time and improve system productivity.
Route 413 Hamilton Mill to Downtown Atlanta
Background
Route 413 currently operates six morning and seven afternoon peak direction trips. Existing
capacity exists on this route—only one trip has more than 25 passengers, and the first trip in the
morning and final trip in the afternoon both have fewer than 10 passengers.
Recommendation
The first morning trip carries less than 10 passengers, and should be deleted. For patrons wishing
to continue Downtown early, Route 414 from Hamilton Mill and Mall of Georgia would provide a
trip to Civic Center Station, arriving around 6:30 a.m. Likewise, the 6:15 p.m. northbound
departure carries less than 10 passengers and should be deleted. Patrons wishing to have later
evening service could catch the new Route 414 at Civic Center Station at either 6:10 p.m. or 6:55
p.m.
As mentioned previously, only one of the thirteen trips on Route 413 carries more than 25
passengers. To improve the route utilization, Route 413 should stop at the Mall of Georgia in
addition to Hamilton Mill. This is a trip pattern that Route 411 currently successfully uses.
Much like Route 412, travel time data suggests that travel times are significantly shorter than
scheduled in the afternoon peak. All trips needed at least 20 minutes less running time between
Williams Street and Hamilton Mill. Running times are adjusted to better reflect actual conditions.
As with all other routes serving Downtown, the alignment through Downtown should be
streamlined to improve service reliability and improve speeds through Downtown streets. This
will reduce afternoon northbound Downtown travel times by approximately four minutes. In the
southbound direction, travel time savings will be more pronounced, as all buses are spending
between 15 and 26 minutes travelling between Baker Street and MLK/Washington instead of the
scheduled 10 minutes. The simplified alignment should take approximately 15 minutes, and due
to less turns and a less congested alignment, should be more reliable.
Adding a stop at Mall of Georgia adds approximately 10 minutes of travel time to existing
Hamilton Mill patrons. This stop, however, would add significant ridership if the pattern on
Route 411 is any indicator. Better-utilized buses improve system productivity and ensure that
buses achieve their performance metrics.
The revised Downtown alignment connects the major ridership points in Downtown Atlanta more
directly, faster, and more reliably than the current alignment. Schedule variability in Downtown,
currently up to 11 minutes, will diminish. Service reliability will enhance customer satisfaction.
However, some existing patrons using stops on Spring and Centennial will have longer walks to
their destinations as a result of this recommendation.
New Service: Route 414 Hamilton Mill/Mall of Georgia/Sugarloaf Mills to Midtown
Atlanta
Recommendation
Route 414 is a new route that replaces select trips on Route 411 and 413 during lower demand
times on the “shoulders” of the peak. The route would serve Hamilton Mill, Mall of Georgia,
Sugarloaf Mills, and Midtown Atlanta. The Midtown Atlanta alignment is identical to Route 411’s,
where all service operates northbound on W. Peachtree. Route 414 would have three morning
trips departing Hamilton Mill at 5:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., and 8:30 a.m. Four afternoon trips would
depart from Civic Center Station at 3:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:10 p.m., and 6:55 p.m.
Combining the lower demand trips into one “sweeper” service to all park-and-ride lots is a better
use of equipment and resources than three separate bus trips. Utilization on Route 414’s trips will
be better than the individual trips it replaces. Transitioning to a Route 414 will allow for a later
6:55 p.m. departure from Civic Center Station, and the increased span will provide a net benefit
for passengers by providing later trip times and more travel options. Stakeholder outreach also
suggests that enhancing the span of service is a way to attract additional ridership by providing
passengers with more travel options.
Route 416 Dacula to Downtown Atlanta
Background
Route 416 operates six morning and six afternoon trips in the peak direction. Overall, there is
excess capacity on this route. Three trips have more than 30 passengers, but six others have less
than 20, indicating the opportunity to improve trip productivity.
Recommendation
Route 416 is a more recent addition to the Xpress route network. Route 416 averages 21
passengers per trip, with some trips carrying more than 30 passengers. Overall, there is
additional capacity on all buses operating on Route 416.
Customer comments indicated a desire for service to Midtown from Dacula. As available capacity
is available on the route, an additional stop in Midtown is recommended to boost ridership
potential
This recommendation adds approximately four to seven minutes of travel time in each direction.
Route 416 should use the North Avenue access in Midtown and serve Downtown on a streamlined
alignment similar to the existing Route 400’s alignment. Route 400’s alignment uses Courtland
Street and Peachtree Center Avenue, which is quicker and more reliable connecting north and
south Downtown.
Route 400, which connects Cumming and Downtown, has about one quarter of its riders using
the North Avenue stops. A comparable pattern may be expected from Dacula, and ridership on
Route 416 should increase. Overall, a few riders may stop riding Route 416 as a result of the
additional travel time making the North Avenue stop, but they are very likely to be replaced by
riders with a Midtown destination.
Adding the stop in Midtown will add approximately four to seven minutes of travel time in each
direction for existing Route 416 patrons, some of which be balanced by travel time savings on the
streamlined Downtown alignment.
directly, faster, and more reliably than the current alignment. Service reliability will enhance
customer satisfaction. Running time has been added to applicable trips based on observed travel
times.
New Service: Route 417 Sugarloaf Mills to Perimeter Center
Background
Market research and a travel demand analysis showed strong demand from Gwinnett County to
Perimeter Center. This market is currently not served by any transit provider.
Recommendation
A new Xpress route should be created to connect the second largest employment market in
metropolitan Atlanta with Gwinnett County. This new Route 417 should connect the Sugarloaf
Mills Park-and Ride to Perimeter Center via I-85 and I-285. Sugarloaf Mills is the appropriate
terminus in Gwinnett County as it has parking capacity and is also a hub for local GCT service. It
is also at the confluence of University Parkway and I-85, giving a large draw area. Stops in
Perimeter Center would include the Medical Center Station and the Dunwoody Station, as well as
locations in between. The route would end and stage at the Medical Center Station. Three trips
will be available in the morning and afternoon peak periods, with the last trip leaving Perimeter at
approximately 5:15 p.m.
The new Route 417 would serve the existing and growing demand between Gwinnett County and
the Perimeter area. It opens an entirely new market and responds to requests for service from
multiple stakeholders.
Ridership is anticipated to average more than 20 passengers per trip after a year of service, which
should match and exceed Route 428’s performance.
Route 480 Acworth to Downtown Atlanta
Background
Route 480 operates six morning and afternoon trips each in the peak commute direction. The
first two afternoon trips as well as the inbound midday trip serve Busbee Park-and-Ride in
addition to Acworth Park-and-Ride. The trips at 6:10 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. are well
utilized, all with more than 35 passengers. On the other hand, four morning trips and one
afternoon trip have less than 20 passengers. The midday trip has very low ridership, with less
than five passengers observed.
Recommendation
To improve the ridership market for Route 480, all trips should serve the Town Center/Big
Shanty Park-and-Ride. Route 480 should no longer serve the Busbee Park-and-Ride, as it is at
capacity.
Travel times on Route 480 should be adjusted in accordance with observed running times. Ontime performance on this route is generally poor; a more accurate schedule would increase
customer satisfaction by improving the reliability of service.
The 7:40 a.m. and 8:05 a.m. southbound departures should be consolidated into one trip leaving
Acworth at 7:50 a.m. The ridership on these two trips is 14 and 16 passengers, respectively
The midday trip should be deleted due to low ridership. The final trip of the day on Route 480
should be moved to 6:00 p.m. instead of 5:40 p.m. to provide a longer span of service for
passengers wishing to travel out of Downtown Atlanta in the afternoon.
The Downtown alignment should be streamlined by bypassing the Civic Center Station in both
directions. This will provide up to four minutes in time savings to the majority of customers.
Patrons wishing to transfer to MARTA can do so at the Peachtree Center Station with a block or
less walk. This recommendation affects 30 existing passengers. Additionally, Cobb Community
Transit (CCT) Route 102 offers service from Acworth to Midtown, and passengers specifically
needing to reach Civic Center Station or other locations in Midtown can use this option instead.
Not serving Civic Center Station allows Route 480 to use the Williams Street HOV lane access in
both the north and southbound directions, which would improve travel times particularly in the
afternoon peak, where the route does not use an HOV access.
The ridership potential of Route 480 will improve due to the additional access point at Town
Center/Big Shanty. Existing Acworth riders will have up to a five-minute slower trip as a result,
but the utilization of each trip will increase.
The adjusted travel times and full utilization of HOV access into and out of Downtown will lead to
greater service reliability and better customer satisfaction. A longer span of service in the
afternoon and a coordinated schedule at Town Center/Big Shanty will also increase options for
passengers traveling in this corridor.
New Service: Route 482 Kennesaw to Perimeter Center
Background
Market research and a travel demand analysis showed strong demand from Cobb County to the
Perimeter Center area. This market is currently not served by any transit provider.
Recommendation
A new GRTA route should be created to connect the second largest employment market in
metropolitan Atlanta with Cobb County. The new Route 482 should connect the Town Center/Big
Shanty Park-and-Ride to Perimeter Center via I-75 and I-285. Stops in Perimeter Center would
include Medical Center Station and Dunwoody Station, as well as locations in between. The route
would end and stage at Sandy Springs Station, as there is no capacity for staging at Dunwoody
Station. Four trips should be operated in the morning and afternoon peak periods, with the last
trip leaving Perimeter Center at approximately 5:30 p.m.
The new Route 482 would serve the existing and growing demand between Cobb County and the
Perimeter Center area. It opens an entirely new market and responds to requests for service from
multiple stakeholders. With the introduction of managed lanes in the future, faster travel times
will enhance the competitiveness of this route. An additional benefit of new Route 482 service is
that it will better connect Cobb County residents to the Buckhead area via a transfer to MARTA at
Medical Center Station.
Ridership is anticipated to average more than 20 passengers per trip after a year of service, which
should match and exceed Route 428’s performance.
Route 481 Town Center/Big Shanty to Midtown Atlanta
Route 491 Woodstock to Midtown Atlanta
New Route 483 Woodstock and Town Center/Big Shanty to Midtown Atlanta
Background
Route 481 has five trips each in the morning and afternoon in the peak direction. Only one trip on
Route 481 has more than 20 passengers.
On Route 491, five trips operate in the morning, and four trips operate in the afternoon in the
peak direction. All morning peak trips have approximately 25 passengers or less. The first trip in
the afternoon peak has the highest ridership, with more than 35 passengers. However, the final
trip of the day has less than 10 passengers.
Recommendation
Routes 481 and 491 should be consolidated into a Route 483 that serves Woodstock, Town
Center/Big Shanty, and Midtown Atlanta. Route 483’s morning alignment should use the
Williams Street HOV exit and travel north on West Peachtree Street. Route 483’s afternoon
alignment should start at Civic Center Station and travel north on West Peachtree Street to 17th
Street and the Northside Drive highway entrance to I-75.
The deviation to Peachtree Street that Route 481 currently makes would no longer be served,
which will require up to 24 existing passengers to walk up to two blocks. The reduction in
Midtown running times and the ability to reduce exposure to heavily congested Midtown areas
will improve reliability for all Woodstock and Town Center/Big Shanty passengers.
The combined route should have seven trips in the morning and afternoon, including earlier
morning and afternoon trips added to meet existing demand. Passengers at Town Center/Big
Shanty would benefit by having two additional trips in the morning and afternoon. After adjusting
travel times to reflect observed running times, passengers originating at Woodstock would have
approximately five minutes added to their overall travel time.
Route 483 should better balance available capacity to provide service more effectively in this
corridor. Midtown users would have an improved span of service to Town Center/Big Shanty as
well as additional trips to Woodstock. Both of these improvements should enhance ridership and
respond to requests for additional span of service.
Passenger understanding will be enhanced by having an alignment in Midtown that is consistent
with other routes—Xpress’s Midtown pickup area is on West Peachtree Street.
The revised, consolidated Route 483 alignment will have better on-time performance as the
amount of turns and time spent in Midtown is reduced. This should improve customer
satisfaction. Up to 24 existing customers would need to walk further to access Xpress service as a
result of this recommendation. The on-time performance and reliability improvements projected
for all passengers more than make up for the additional walk time for these patrons.
Route 490 Canton and Woodstock to Downtown Atlanta
Background
Route 490 has four trips each the morning and afternoon in the peak direction. One morning trip
and two afternoon trips have more than 30 passengers. There are also two morning trips and two
afternoon trips with less than 20 passengers.
Recommendation
In order to improve the ridership market for Route 490, all trips should serve the Town
Center/Big Shanty Park-and-Ride. Morning departures and afternoon arrivals at Big Shanty
should be coordinated with Route 480.
Service to Canton Park-and-Ride should be reduced to two trips in the morning and three in the
afternoon, including the final trip of the day to ensure passengers have a longer service span to
reach Canton. Canton ridership drops dramatically after the first two trips, which is the reason for
limiting Canton service to those times.
The Downtown alignment should be streamlined to provide faster service to the majority of
customers. Civic Center Station would no longer be served, which will save most riders more than
four minutes of travel time. Patrons wishing to transfer to MARTA can do so at Peachtree Center
Station with a block or less walk. This recommendation affects 30 existing passengers.
Running time should be added to the schedule to reflect traffic conditions. Additionally, not
serving Civic Center Station allows Route 490 to use the Williams Street HOV lane access in both
the north and southbound directions, which will significantly improve travel times, particularly in
the afternoon peak where the route does not use an HOV access.
The ridership potential of Route 490 will improve due to the additional access point at Town
Center/Big Shanty. Most existing Woodstock and Canton riders will have up to a five-minute
slower trip as a result, but the utilization of each trip will increase. Combined with Route 480
recommendations, frequent service will exist between Town Center/Big Shanty Park-and-Ride
and Downtown Atlanta, which will increase ridership.
The adjusted travel times and full utilization of HOV access into and out of Downtown will lead to
greater service reliability and better customer satisfaction. A longer span of service in the
afternoon and a coordinated schedule at Town Center/Big Shanty will also increase options for
passengers traveling in this corridor.
Service to Canton has been reduced to match demand, but a longer span of service (including
service on the final trip of the day) will ensure that passengers still have adequate options.
East Corridors
Xpress currently operates eight routes in the East corridor, which includes areas on I-20 to
DeKalb and Rockdale Counties as well as US-78 to Gwinnett County. All routes have a
recommendation to adjust service levels.

Downtown route streamlining

Increased frequency from all I-20 and US-78 park-and-rides to Downtown, but longer
rides for outlying park-and-rides at certain times

Improved span of service between Downtown and multiple park-and-rides

Consolidated off-peak routes that serve multiple park-and-rides during periods of lower
demand
The recommended East Corridor changes will minimally affect the connectivity options. Direct
access to MARTA rail service will be available for all routes at Civic Center Station. Access with a
short walk is also available at Five Points and at Peachtree Center. MARTA bus connections will
continue to be available at Five Points. Connections to the Centennial Olympic Park Drive area
and the Fairlie-Poplar neighborhood will be available via the Atlanta Streetcar. Connections to
employer shuttles at Peachtree Center and Civic Center will be available for all East corridor
routes.
In Perimeter Center, employer shuttles have a focal point at Dunwoody Station.
Recommendations speed service on to Dunwoody Station to connect to the existing employee
shuttle system.
Figure 4
Proposed East Corridor Route Recommendations
Route 418 Snellville/Hewatt to Downtown Atlanta
Route 424 Stone Mountain to Downtown Atlanta
New Service: Route 419 Snellville/Hewatt/Stone Mountain to Downtown Atlanta
Background
There are seven morning and seven afternoon trips in the peak direction on Route 418. The first
two morning and last two afternoon Route 418 trips serve the Snellville, Hewatt, and Stone
Mountain Park-and-Rides while the remaining trips serve only the Snellville and Hewatt Parkand-Rides. In Downtown Atlanta, Route 418 serves the eastern portion of Downtown, while Route
424 serves the western portion of Downtown. Route 424 serves only the Stone Mountain Parkand-Ride with five morning and five afternoon trips. In general, service when both Routes 424
and 418 are operating is every 30 minutes.
Recommendation
Route 418 and 424 should be combined into one route that provides greater frequency to all
patrons along the US-78 corridor. The new route should be renumbered as Route 419, which is
consistent with its early morning and late afternoon trip pattern.
Route 419 would have 15 or 20 minute frequency with departures from Snellville Park-and-Ride
between 5:15 a.m. and 7:55 a.m. Likewise, afternoon departures would start from Civic Center at
3:05 p.m. and operate every 15-20 minutes between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., with a final
departure at 6:10 p.m. During the busiest times, Route 419 would operate every 15 minutes, which
matches the bus capacity currently serving these park-and-rides. The resultant schedule would
give all patrons in the US-78 corridor ten peak directional trips instead of the current six or seven.
More frequent service will attract more riders on this route.
Route 418’s current Downtown alignment loops over itself in order to serve Downtown
destinations. This adds travel time to a significant number of existing riders. A simplified route
alignment is recommended for Route 419 that uses the Windsor Street exit on I-20. The
alignment would follow Spring, Trinity, Forsyth, Mitchell/MLK, and Courtland/Peachtree Center.
Route 419 would end at Civic Center Station. Passengers currently accessing Route 418 at North
Avenue Station would need to transfer to MARTA’s Gold line, Red line, or Route 110. The
Downtown alignment would be slightly faster than the existing alignment as there is less
backtracking. In addition, the proposed alignment for Route 419 would reduce the amount of
afternoon run time variability, as the Courtland alignment is more reliable than the Forsyth
alignment. Currently, the running time on Route 424 between Spring and Five Points Station
varies up to 13 minutes in the afternoon peak.
Running times are also adjusted to match observed times.
Frequency at all US-78 park-and-rides is improved with a minimal addition of running time for
some passengers. Many existing Route 418 riders to Hewatt and Snellville will have an additional
five minutes of travel time added to their trip as a result of stopping at Stone Mountain. National
experience has shown that the tradeoff of additional run time for three or four additional peak
directional trips and better frequency will attract additional ridership.
Passenger understanding is improved, as there is only one route number to remember for all
service in the US-78 corridor. With the recommended changes, passengers can board Route 419
and know that the bus will stop at all park-and-ride lots no matter what time they leave
Downtown.
One additional benefit is that anyone coming from the I-20 corridor, whether from the east or the
west, would have a consistent stop pattern in Downtown between Civic Center and I-20, which
makes explaining where buses go to potential patrons much easier. Passenger understanding will
especially improve for Stone Mountain Park-and-Ride users. Depending on where and when
passengers currently access service, they must choose to walk to either the east or west alignment.
The first two trips in the morning and last afternoon trips have a different stop pattern in
Downtown, which can be very confusing for new patrons.
Route 420 West Conyers to Downtown Atlanta /
Route 422 Panola to Downtown Atlanta /
Route 425 East Conyers to Downtown Atlanta /
New Service: Route 426 East Conyers/West Conyers/Panola Road to Downtown
Atlanta
Background
Route 420 currently operates six morning trips and six afternoon trips in the peak direction from
West Conyers to Downtown. Route 422 operates five morning and five afternoon trips in the peak
direction, with service to Panola Road Park-and-Ride. There are eight morning and eight
afternoon trips per day in the peak direction on Route 425, with service from East Conyers Parkand-Ride to Downtown. On Route 425, the last afternoon trip of the day serves the Panola Road
Park-and-Ride and the West Conyers Park-and-Ride in addition to the East Conyers Park-andRide.
Recommendation
The route numbers of Route 420, 422, and 425 should be consolidated into a new Route 426. This
new route should serve the East Conyers, West Conyers, and Panola Road Park-and-Ride lots.
However, due to high existing demand during the peak of the morning peak, service should
continue to run directly from specific park-and-ride lots to Downtown so that buses do not
become overcrowded.
During periods of lower demand in the morning, Route 426 should stop at all park-and-ride lots,
which allows for addition of a 5:00 a.m. trip to serve all park-and-ride locations in this corridor.
Travel time associated with stopping at all park-and-ride lots in the corridor is an additional 12
minutes for passengers originating from East Conyers and approximately four minutes for
passengers originating from West Conyers.
In the afternoon, all trips on these routes should be operated by Route 426, which will stop at all
park-and-ride lots on each trip. Service should operate every 10 minutes between 4:00 p.m. and
5:00 p.m., a significant increase in service quality for passengers. National experience has shown
that the tradeoff of additional run time for better frequency will lead to increased ridership.
This route should serve Downtown Atlanta with a consolidated and streamlined alignment. Each
route should travel via I-20 to the Windsor Street exit. The alignment would follow Spring,
Trinity, Forsyth, Mitchell/MLK, and Courtland/Peachtree Center, depending on direction of
travel. Each route would end at Civic Center Station.
The routes currently run on the west alignment in Downtown and were observed to have up to
seven minutes variation in how long a trip takes from the north end of Downtown to the south
end. The Spring Street viaduct has closed more recently, and conditions have deteriorated further.
Running trips on the Courtland/Peachtree Center paired alignment would have the most benefit
for riders by reducing variability in travel time.
Operating all routes in this corridor with one route number will greatly reduce customer
confusion. Having all afternoon trips in this corridor operate on Route 426 will increase ease of
use for passengers—frequencies will be every 10 minutes in the afternoon peak, and passengers
on this corridor can be sure that boarding Route 426 will get them to their correct destination.
The increased frequency should negate impacts associated with stopping at an additional parkand-ride lot for passengers traveling to East Conyers Park-and-Ride.
Additionally, 10-minute frequency in the afternoon peak will further enhance ease of use of the
service for customers by providing circulation that is easier for customers to understand and will
attract more customers as a result.
directly, faster, and more reliably than the current alignment. Schedule variability in Downtown,
currently up to seven minutes, will diminish. Service reliability will enhance customer
satisfaction. Running time has been added to applicable trips based on observed travel times.
Route 421 West Conyers to Midtown Atlanta
Route 423 East Conyers/Panola to Midtown Atlanta
New Service: Route 423 West Conyers/East Conyers/Panola Road to Midtown
Atlanta
Background
There are five morning trips and three afternoon trips in the peak direction on Route 421. All trips
provide service between West Conyers and Midtown, and the first afternoon trip extends service
to East Conyers as well. Route 421 has only one morning peak trip above 25 riders, demonstrating
the existence of excess capacity and the opportunity to make service more productive.
On Route 423, there are six morning and five afternoon trips in the peak direction. Each trip
serves both Panola Road and East Conyers. Additionally, the last two afternoon peak trips on
Route 423 serve West Conyers Park-and-Ride as well. Route 423 is a well-utilized route, with
three morning peak trips carrying more than 35 riders.
Recommendation
Route 421 and 423 should be combined into a new route that serves East Conyers, West Conyers,
and Panola Road Park-and-Ride lots with service to Midtown Atlanta. The consolidated route
should be called Route 423, which is consistent with existing trips that serve all three park-andrides. Using one route to serve all of the park-and-rides in this corridor will improve passenger
understanding, as there is only one route number to remember for all service in the I-20 East
corridor providing direct access to Midtown. This route would continue to serve Midtown Atlanta
directly and would not travel through Downtown. All existing Midtown stops would continue to
be served.
Combining services also would allow this route to operate every 15 minutes during the peak of the
peak hour times in the morning and afternoon, improving the level of service in the corridor. The
schedule would be adjusted to reflect actual running times between East Conyers, West Conyers,
and Panola Road. Overall, adjusted travel times would remain similar since some slack exists in
the current schedule.
Combining Route 421 and 423 allows passengers to benefit from increased frequencies during the
times with highest demand, which experience shows will compensate for the fact that some
passengers will have to stop at an additional park-and-ride lot during their trip—especially since
passengers on this route will not experience a notable difference in scheduled travel time.
Additionally, passenger understanding will be increased since the route will stop at all park-andride lots located in the corridor. Ridership should be monitored on this route after
implementation of recommendations, particularly in the afternoon peak to ensure there is not
overcrowding.
Route 428 West Conyers/Panola Road to Perimeter Center
Background
On the existing route, there are four peak direction morning trips to Perimeter Center and four
afternoon trips to Panola Road. Route 428 is below average in terms of productivity measures
such as passengers per trip.
Recommendation
Route 428 should continue to provide service from West Conyers and Panola Road Park-and-Ride
lots to Perimeter Center. However, the alignment in Perimeter Center should be modified to
provide faster and more streamlined service. Travel times in Perimeter Center vary significantly
due to congestion. Instead of circling around Perimeter Mall, Route 428 should travel via
Perimeter Center Parkway and Lake Hearn Drive between Dunwoody Station and Medical Center
Station. Running times should be adjusted to account for traffic conditions and the updated
alignment. Scheduled arrival and departure times from Perimeter Center would remain
consistent with today’s scheduled times.
The majority of existing passengers will enjoy a faster and more reliable trip as the loop around
the Mall is eliminated. This will negatively affect up to 16 existing riders who would have to walk
further or use connecting service to access Xpress.
South Corridors
Xpress currently operates nine routes in the South corridor, which include the I-85, US 41, and I75 corridors serving Coweta, Henry, Fulton, and Clayton Counties. All routes have a
recommendation to adjust service levels, and the overall recommendations result in seven routes
serving the South corridor.


Increased frequency from Stockbridge to Downtown

Improved frequency from all park-and-rides to Midtown, with more frequent trips offset
by longer trip times

Consolidated routes that serve multiple park-and-rides during periods of lower demand
Connections to the Centennial Olympic Park Drive area and the Fairlie-Poplar neighborhood will
be available via the Atlanta Streetcar. Connections to employer shuttles at Peachtree Center and
Civic Center will be available for all South corridor routes.
The new alignment proposed for the Downtown stops coming from the South calls for moving the
stops directly in front of the Federal buildings on Forsyth Street in order to provide a more
streamlined path through Downtown. This recommendation would impact a sizable number of
current riders, who would have to walk two to three blocks from the proposed stops in
comparison to where their current stop is in front of the MLK Federal Building. However, there is
also a large portion of existing riders who work in the northern part of Downtown who would
significantly benefit from the reduced travel time and increased reliability that will come from a
more direct alignment through the city. Further, the new alignment may also increase the value of
the service to potential new riders, who will be attracted to more frequent, easier-to-understand,
and reliable service.
Conversations with and survey responses from employees in and around the Federal buildings
have expressed concerns relating to safety and security, walking distance, and exposure to the
elements with the proposed relocated bus stops. While the recommendation maintains a
streamlined bus route through Downtown, GRTA has committed to a significant amount of
outreach and coordination with partners including Central Atlanta Progress, City of Atlanta,
Fulton County, and Homeland Security Federal Protective Services to identify and implement
solutions towards addressing Xpress customer concerns.
For those customers who cannot or prefer not to walk to their final destinations, an additional
option is to transfer to other transit services connecting the two locations. Xpress allows free
transfers to MARTA bus and rail service when using a Breeze card for fare payment, and all
Xpress routes under the new alignments will provide direct access to at least one MARTA Rail
station. Many of the stops also provide convenient access to MARTA bus service as well. Below
are some specific recommendations for transfers to services that pick up or drop off close to the
Federal buildings:

In the morning between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., there are 38 MARTA buses on Routes 32, 49,
55, and 155 between Central and Five Points, or on average, a bus every five minutes. In
addition, there are a total of 23 Xpress trips on Routes 400, 413, 416, 480, and 490
travelling on MLK between Central and Forsyth in the morning peak, or a bus every eight
minutes. All of these trips stop within a block of the Federal buildings, with many
stopping directly in front of the MLK building on Forsyth Street.

In the afternoon between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., there are 37 MARTA buses on Routes 32, 49,
55, and 155 that travel between Five Points and Pryor. There are also a total of 24 Xpress
trips on Routes 400, 413, 416, 480, and 490 travelling between Forsyth and Pryor in the
afternoon peak, or a bus every 7.5 minutes. All of these trips pick up within a block of the
Federal buildings.

Another option is to take Xpress to access the Peachtree Center or Civic Center MARTA
stations to ride the southbound train to the Five Points MARTA station, which is one
block away from the Federal buildings.
Additional transfer opportunities can be made to GCT and CCT routes that have a reverse
commute trip, but this may incur an additional fare.
Figure 5
Proposed South Corridor Route Recommendations
Route 430 McDonough to Downtown/Midtown
Background
During the morning and afternoon peak periods, Route 430 alternates between providing
Downtown-only trips and trips that serve both Downtown and Midtown. Three morning and
three afternoon trips serve Midtown. There are approximately 8 persons using the extension to
Midtown in the morning and in the afternoon, an average of 2.7 passengers per trip.
On Fridays, the first inbound (5:45 a.m.) trip and an afternoon outbound (4:15 p.m.) trip, do not
operate.
Recommendation
Route 430 should operate at 20-minute headways during the majority of the morning peak period
to match demand, which effectively removes one morning trip. In turn, an afternoon peak trip
should be added prior to 3:31 p.m.—that trip currently has 45 passengers, indicating demand for
earlier afternoon service. Headways should be rationalized to provide 20-minute service for the
majority of the afternoon peak. Additionally, the 6:00 p.m. departure should be removed. Route
432’s last trip leaves Downtown at 6:00 p.m. and will stop at McDonough after serving
Stockbridge.
All trips should run on every day of operation, not just Monday through Thursday, to provide
consistent and logical service for passengers.
Route 430 should operate on a streamlined alignment and will serve Downtown Atlanta only—no
trips will extend to Midtown. Passengers needing to reach Midtown directly can park at
Stockbridge or BrandsMart and use the more frequent and direct Route 431.
The revised Downtown alignment would no longer use the MLK/Mitchell loop. Instead, it should
use Central Avenue between the I-85 ramps and Peachtree Center in the northbound direction
and Courtland, MLK, and Pryor in the southbound direction. This change should reduce travel
time through Downtown by more than five minutes and as importantly, improve reliability.
Overall, trip times on this route are rationalized to better manage available capacity along with
accommodating trips with high passenger loads, including adding earlier afternoon service in
response to latent demand. Consistency is added to this route by having all trips operate Monday
through Friday, which should increase overall ridership.
Route 431 Stockbridge/BrandsMart to Midtown
Background
There are six trips each in the morning and afternoon in the peak direction and three reverse
commute trips during each time period. Route 431 is the most productive of all Xpress routes,
carrying 36.2 passengers per trip. This route is close to or at capacity for certain trips during the
afternoon peak period.
Recommendation
Route 431’s strong performance has led to capacity issues in the afternoon peak. Service should be
improved to 20-minute frequencies between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to relieve the current atcapacity trip at 4:30 p.m. An earlier morning trip, leaving BrandsMart at 5:30 a.m. should be
added to allow for earlier arrivals in Midtown.
Additionally, ridership growth on this route is capped due to parking capacity at Stockbridge.
Therefore, an additional stop should be added at BrandsMart Park-and-Ride on all trips to
provide parking capacity relief and increase options for passengers.
Additional running time should be added to afternoon Route 431 trips so that scheduled times
will better reflect actual traffic conditions.
Additional frequency during the afternoon peak will help to provide relief for trips that are nearly
full between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. An earlier departure in the morning will also add additional
options for potential riders. Ridership should increase as a result.
The addition of the BrandsMart stop will add some travel time during the afternoon peak for
existing riders. Trips will serve BrandsMart first in the morning and in the afternoon. Afternoon
passengers alighting at Stockbridge will have an additional five minutes of travel time because of
the stop at BrandsMart first. Improvements to park-and-ride capacity will attract additional
riders.
Increasing running times on Route 431 will improve customer expectations regarding on-time
performance.
Route 432 Stockbridge/BrandsMart to Downtown
Background
On Route 432, there are ten morning trips in the peak direction, one of which begins at the
McDonough Park-and-Ride on McDonough Hampton Road and then travels to the Stockbridge
Park-and-Ride. This route does not currently serve the BrandsMart Park-and-Ride. Route 432
carries the second most passengers daily and has above average productivity, with 29.4
passengers per trip.
Recommendation
On Route 432, trip times should be rationalized in the morning peak to meet demand—20-minute
service should be provided from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., and 15-minute service should continue to
be provided from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
There are currently very high passenger loads during several trips in the afternoon peak—more
than 50 riders on the 4:35 p.m. trip, for example. Frequency should be enhanced to 10 minutes
between 4:20 p.m. and 4:50 p.m. to accommodate high passenger loads on these trips.
Service is currently provided to McDonough Park-and-Ride on the 5:30 a.m. trip and the 4:35
p.m. trip. Since Route 430 duplicates this service, service to McDonough should be removed at
these two times. However, service to McDonough should remain on the final trip of the day to
provide “sweeper” service for passengers in this corridor. This trip leaves Downtown at 6:05 p.m.
and provides an additional option for passengers.
All trips should also serve the BrandsMart Park-and-Ride since Stockbridge is at capacity in terms
of parking availability. Adding the BrandsMart stop should give passengers more options and
increase the attractiveness of this route to riders deterred by lack of parking availability at
Stockbridge.
In Downtown Atlanta, the alignment should be streamlined and operated consistently with other
South corridor routes. The revised Downtown alignment would no longer use the western
Downtown alignment. Instead, it should use Central Avenue between the I-85 ramps and
Peachtree Center in the northbound direction and Courtland, MLK, and Pryor in the southbound
direction. This change should reduce travel time through Downtown by more than five minutes
and as importantly, improve reliability.
Additional running time is added to Route 432 trips so that scheduled times will better reflect
actual running times and improve on-time performance.
Providing service to BrandsMart Park-and-Ride in addition to Stockbridge Park-and-Ride will
allow for the opportunity for ridership growth on this route by providing more options for
passengers.
Civic Center Station, a very high usage stop, will have service from both Routes 431 and 432,
which ensures that convenient connections between Stockbridge and this MARTA station will be
enhanced.
Increasing running times on Route 432 will improve customer expectations regarding on-time
performance.
Route 440 Hampton/Jonesboro to Downtown/Midtown
Route 441 Jonesboro to Downtown/Midtown
Background
There are eight morning trips in the peak direction on Route 440, one of which does not serve
Hampton Park-and-Ride. There are eleven afternoon trips in the peak direction, one of which
does not operate on Fridays and four of which do not serve Hampton Park-and-Ride. There are
three morning and five afternoon reverse commute trips. One morning and two afternoon reverse
commute trips do not serve Hampton Park-and-Ride. Route 441 currently has five morning trips
and four afternoon trips, as well as two morning and one afternoon reverse commute trips.
Recommendation
Service on Routes 440 and 441 should be coordinated to provide frequent service between
Jonesboro, Downtown, and Midtown. All Route 440 and 441 trips should be extended into
Midtown to improve access to jobs. Route 440, which would serve the Hampton Park-and-Ride,
would operate every 30 minutes during peak hours and extend to Midtown. Route 441, which
would serve Jonesboro, Downtown, and Midtown, would also operate every 30 minutes during
peak hours. During times both Routes 440 and 441 operate, schedules would be offset to provide
15-minute service between Jonesboro and Atlanta.
The consolidated Downtown alignment would no longer use the western Downtown alignment.
Instead, it should use Central Avenue between the I-85 ramps and Peachtree Center in the
northbound direction and Courtland, MLK, and Pryor in the southbound direction. This change
should reduce travel time through Downtown by up to 25% and as importantly, improve
reliability, particularly in the afternoon.
Additional running time should be added to Route 440 and Route 441 trips so that scheduled
times will better reflect actual running times and improve on-time performance. Route 441’s first
trip should leave Jonesboro at 5:20 a.m., which provides earlier service to Downtown and allows
the first trip to Midtown to arrive at approximately the same time as it does today.
All trips should operate daily, which would greatly assist with passenger understanding since
several trips currently do not run on Friday. Both routes should continue to have reverse
commute and midday trips, much like today.
The frequency of service between Atlanta and Jonesboro would improve to every 15 minutes at
Jonesboro Park-and-Ride, increasing the number of morning peak trips by four trips and
afternoon trips by one.
The eastern Downtown alignment would be more reliable and have less variation on travel times
than the existing alignment. Existing travel times through Downtown vary between 11 and 21
minutes. Moreover, the increased frequency that this recommendation would bring allows peak
passengers not to consult a schedule anymore.
Given additional running time in the schedule, on-time performance will improve and better meet
customer expectations. Improved service reliability improves customer satisfaction and will also
help attract additional passengers.
Route 442 Riverdale to Downtown Atlanta
Background
Route 442 runs from the Riverdale Park-and-Ride to Downtown Atlanta, with six peak direction
trips each in the morning and the afternoon peak periods. Trips during the morning peak period
all have less than 25 passengers, and only one trip in the afternoon peak period has more than 30
riders, while the remainder have approximately 25 or less.
Recommendation
Due to low ridership, the number of trips in each direction should be consolidated from six trips
to five trips. The northbound 6:00 a.m. trip and the southbound 5:02 p.m. trip should be
consolidated into other trips, as they each carry approximately 10 passengers.
In Downtown Atlanta, the route should operate along a streamlined alignment that is consistent
with other routes in the South corridor. The revised Downtown alignment should no longer make
the MLK/Mitchell loop around the Capitol and to Forsyth. Instead, it should use Central Avenue
between the I-85 ramps and Peachtree Center in the northbound direction and Courtland, MLK,
and Pryor in the southbound direction.
Reducing the number of trips on this route will improve the productivity of the route and lead to
better utilization of the existing trips. Existing passengers using the consolidated trips would need
to leave earlier or later.
Route 450 Newnan to Downtown/Midtown Atlanta
Route 451/455 Newnan/Union City to Downtown/Midtown Atlanta
New Service: Route 453 Newnan/Union City to Downtown/Midtown Atlanta
Background
Currently, there are six peak direction trips each on Route 450. No trips on this route have more
than 30 riders.
There are four morning trips each on Route 451 and Route 455. In the afternoon, a consolidated
Route 451/455 route provides with seven peak direction trips. No morning peak trip on Route 451
or Route 455 has more than 25 riders, and two trips have very low ridership—eight riders and five
riders, respectively.
Recommendation
Route 450 and 451/455 should be consolidated into a new Route 453 serving Newnan, Union
City, Downtown Atlanta, and Midtown Atlanta on all trips. Excess capacity exists on all of these
routes, and combining them would allow for the opportunity to increase frequency at both parkand-ride locations while also opening up the Midtown travel market to all passengers in this
corridor.
The new combined route should operate every 15 minutes between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. and
every 20 minutes between 3:40 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., with 30 minute frequency otherwise. Due to
low existing ridership, the final two trips from Route 451/455 in the afternoon peak should be
consolidated into one trip leaving Civic Center Station at 6:00 p.m.
In Downtown and Midtown Atlanta, Route 453 should operate on a consistent, streamlined
alignment. The streamlined alignment should use Central Avenue between the I-85 ramps and
Peachtree Center in the northbound direction and Courtland, MLK, and Pryor in the southbound
direction.
All passengers originating at the Newnan Park-and-Ride would have a longer trip under this
recommendation. The stop on all trips to Union City adds approximately 5-8 minutes in the
northbound direction. Riders destined for Midtown would have longer trips as they would travel
through Downtown Atlanta first, which adds over 10 minutes in travel time.
The longer travel times would be offset by greater frequency of service. The number of Midtown
trips from Newnan to Midtown would double from four trips to eight trips, and frequency would
improve to 15 and 20-minute service during the highest demand time periods. The number
Downtown Atlanta trips from Newnan would increase from six trips to eight trips.
Likewise, the number of trips from Union City to Downtown Atlanta would increase from four to
eight trips, and service to Midtown would be added from Union City. Additional afternoon trips to
both Union City and Newnan would be added as well.
Route 453’s additional frequency and options for Downtown and Midtown Atlanta passengers
should attract more riders. While some riders may stop riding due to longer travel times and
longer walks, they will be offset by new riders from the additional frequency.
West Corridors
Xpress currently operates five routes in the West corridor serving Paulding, Douglas, and Cobb
County. These routes enter Downtown Atlanta on I-20. All routes have a recommendation to
adjust service levels, and the overall recommendations result in three routes serving the West
corridor.


Improved frequency from Paulding and Douglas Counties to Midtown

Consolidated routes that serve multiple park-and-rides

Service levels adjustments that better reflect demand

Elimination of Route 475
The recommended West Corridor changes will minimally affect the connectivity options. Direct
access to MARTA rail service will be available for all routes at Civic Center Station. Access with a
short walk is also available at Five Points and at Peachtree Center. MARTA bus connections will
continue to be available at Five Points. Connections to the Centennial Olympic Park Drive area
and the Fairlie Poplar neighborhood will be available via the Atlanta Streetcar. Connections to
employer shuttles at Peachtree Center and Civic Center will be available for all West corridor
routes.
Figure 6
Proposed West Corridor Route Recommendations
Route 460 Douglasville to Downtown Atlanta
Route 461/462 West Douglas to Downtown and Midtown Atlanta
New Service: Route 463 Douglas County to Downtown/Midtown Atlanta
Background
Route 460 operates eight peak direction trips in the morning, three of which do not operate on
Fridays. With the exception of the trip departing at 7:30 a.m. from Douglas Multi-Modal
Transportation Center (MMTC), no trips in the morning peak have more than 25 passengers. In
the afternoon, Route 460 operates ten peak direction trips, four of which do not operate on
Fridays. Trips at 3:10 p.m., 3:55 p.m., and 4:26 p.m. were observed to have more than 30
passengers. At the same time, trips at 4:55 p.m., 5:09 p.m., and 6:20 p.m. had very low ridership,
with five or fewer passengers.
Route 461/462 performs better overall than Route 460, with higher productivity trips in both the
morning and the afternoon. This route currently serves the West Douglas Park-and-Ride, the
Douglas MMTC, and Downtown and Midtown. Route 461/462 has six morning and five afternoon
trips in the peak direction.
Recommendation
Routes 460 and 461/462 should be consolidated into a new Route 463 that provides more
frequent service to all existing users. All trips on the new Route 463 should serve the West
Douglas Park-and-Ride, Douglas MMTC, Downtown Atlanta, and Midtown. This route would
serve the entire market from Douglas County more effectively, as all users have more frequent
service and have access to both Midtown and Downtown.
The stop at Arbor Place Mall should be deleted, as it serves only one rider in the morning and
three in the afternoon. There is sufficient park-and-ride capacity at the West Douglas Park-andRide and Douglas MMTC to accommodate any vehicles parking at the Arbor Place Mall.
Route 463 should serve the eastern Downtown alignment, removing the need for passengers to
choose whether they should catch a bus on the east or west side of Downtown. Route 463 would
use the Windsor Street exit from I-20 so that service will remain close to the Federal buildings
and out-of-direction travel on MLK and Mitchell is minimized. Almost all existing high ridership
stops would continue to be served by Route 463.
Route 463 should operate more frequently than current service during peak times. Between 6:00
a.m. and 7:00 a.m., departures should be every 12 minutes. Likewise, between 3:45 p.m. and 4:45
p.m., departures from Midtown should be every 12 minutes. Improved frequency should attract
more riders as a result.
Route 463’s running times between Downtown Atlanta and the Douglas MMTC should be
adjusted to better reflect actual running times. For many trips, additional time should be added to
the schedule.
Route 463 should operate an identical schedule five days per week, which would enhance
passenger understanding and improve the level of convenience offered by this route.
Consolidating the two routes into Route 463 will lead to more frequent and convenient service for
all Douglas County residents. Combining services will allow for better management of available
capacity, which will be better balanced with existing demand. Serving Downtown/Midtown on a
combined and streamlined routing will help improve passenger understanding as well as enhance
access throughout the business core and in turn, increase ridership.
The east Downtown alignment is more reliable than the west Downtown alignment. The existing
Route 461/462 travel times through Downtown on the west alignment vary between 16 and 36
minutes, whereas the Route 460’s travel time through Downtown on the east alignment varies
between 13 and 18 minutes. Additional running time between Downtown and the Douglas MMTC
will ensure that passenger on-time expectations are better met. Improved reliability and reduced
variability in running times will enhance the existing customer experience.
Moving away from the west Downtown alignment will negatively affect some riders. Transfers to
MARTA can still be made at Civic Center Station with a minimal walk or at Five Points Station
with a walk of several blocks. Other than at the Five Points Station, fewer than 20 riders on the
west side of Downtown would have a longer walk. The benefits of more frequent service on a
consistent corridor exceed the impacts on select customers walking further—ridership will
increase as a result of this recommendation.
Route 470 Hiram/Powder Springs to Downtown Atlanta
Route 477 Hiram/Powder Springs to Downtown and Midtown Atlanta
New Route 476 Hiram/Powder Springs to Downtown/Midtown Atlanta
Background
Route 470 and 477 currently serve both Hiram Park-and-Ride and Powder Springs Park-andRide. There are six peak direction trips each in the morning and afternoon on Route 470. All trips
have less than 30 passengers with the exception of the 7:30 a.m. inbound trip, with 34
passengers. In the afternoon, the final trip of the day has very low ridership, with only eight
passengers.
Route 477 operates four morning trips and five afternoon trips in the peak direction, and this
route is the third most productive systemwide.
Recommendation
Route 470 and 477 should be consolidated into a new Route 476 that serves Hiram, Powder
Springs, Downtown Atlanta, and Midtown on all trips. Riders at all park-and-rides would receive
enhanced service, since both routes stop at each park-and-ride lot on all trips. Service during peak
periods should be provided every 15 minutes. At times when ridership demand is lower, including
early in the morning and late in the afternoon, frequencies should be every 25 to 30 minutes. The
consolidated route should have nine trips in the morning and afternoon.
Additionally, travel times should be adjusted to allow for additional travel time between Powder
Springs and Hiram Park-and-Ride in accordance with observed running times with the goal of
improving on-time performance and enhancing customer satisfaction.
The alignment in Downtown and Midtown should follow the faster and more reliable east
Downtown alignment. Accordingly, Route 476 should use Courtland and Peachtree Center
between north and south Downtown. The alignment would be consistent with all routes coming
from I-20 West.
Consolidating the two routes into Route 476 should lead to more frequent and convenient service
for all Powder Springs and Hiram passengers using the service.
Combining services will allow for better management of available capacity, which will be better
balanced with existing demand. Serving Downtown/Midtown on a combined and streamlined
routing will help improve passenger understanding as well as enhance access throughout the
business core and in turn, increase ridership.
The east Downtown alignment is more reliable than the west Downtown alignment. The existing
Route 477 travel times through Downtown on the west alignment vary between 18 and 41
minutes, whereas the Route 470’s travel time through Downtown on the east alignment varies
between 10 and 26 minutes. Improved reliability and reduced variability in running times will
enhance the existing customer experience.
Moving away from the west Downtown alignment will negatively affect some riders. Transfers to
MARTA can still be made at Five Points Station with a several-block walk. Other than at the Five
Points Station, fewer than 20 riders on the west side of Downtown would have a longer walk. The
benefits of more frequent service on a consistent corridor exceed the impacts on select customers
walking further—ridership will increase as a result of this recommendation.
Route 475 Mableton to Downtown Atlanta
Background
Route 475 has four trips each in the morning and afternoon in the peak commute direction. Route
475 has the lowest daily ridership of all routes, with 82 passengers per day. The average
productivity of approximately 10 passengers per trip is less than half of the system average.
Current on-time performance is poor, especially during the afternoon peak period.
Recommendation
Route 475’s performance does not meet GRTA’s ridership performance standards. Due to low
ridership and productivity, Route 475 is proposed for elimination.
While the elimination of Route 475 will negatively affect existing riders, customers who need to
get to Downtown will still have transit options available. Patrons can continue to park at the
Mableton Park-and Ride and use CCT Route 30 for service to the Hamilton E. Holmes MARTA
Rail Station. Alternatively, because virtually all customers are driving to the lot, they can still
access Xpress from a different GRTA park-and-ride, such as Powder Springs, or drive directly to
the Hamilton E. Holmes MARTA Station parking lot for direct service into Downtown Atlanta.
CCT is also adding new service in South Cobb, which may allow Route 475 customers to have
additional connectivity to Downtown. GRTA will work collaboratively with CCT on any transition
options.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Figure 7 shows the recommended span, frequency, and number of trips developed as part of the
Horizon 1 recommendations. If all recommendations are implemented, Xpress would operate 25
routes instead of 33. The recommendations would result in better productivity, more reliable
service, and more passengers carried to Downtown, Midtown, and Perimeter Center. Individual
route maps showing short-term recommendations can be found in Appendix A.
Figure 7
Route
400
NEW 401
408
410
411
412
413
NEW 414
416
NEW 417
418
NEW 419
420
421
422
423
424
425
NEW 426
428
430
431
432
440
441
442
450
451/455
NEW 453
460
461/462
NEW 463
470
475
NEW 476
477
480
481
NEW 482
NEW 483
490
491
Total
Recommended Weekday Span, Frequency, and Trips
Existing Peak
Direction Revenue
Hours
12:18
10:35
7:54
14:42
18:24
16:54
15:48
Existing Peak
Direction Trips
Proposed Daily
Revenue Hours
Proposed Peak
Direction Trips
13
12
12
12
18
13
12
7:35
5:12
10:02
6:16
13:25
10:33
12:37
10:32
15:40
7:30
27:13
24:33
35:20
10:00
17:29
12:05
18:44
21:06
18:59
8:43
24:30
34:45
27:52
12:12
8:45
16:16
11:49
429:44
6
6
10
8
11
11
11
7
12
6
20
17
29
8
15
14
20
16
14
10
17
23
18
10
8
14
8
349
19:12
10:00
9:06
7:24
15:30
10:18
16:42
9:36
20:54
9:42
17:00
29:25
11:54
10:36
13:30
20:36
18:54
15:00
13:18
5:18
14
12
8
10
11
10
16
8
16
12
19
27
9
12
12
15
18
11
12
8
12:54
10:30
8:06
11:18
8:36
430:44
8
12
10
8
9
399
Source: GRTA
Note: Route 408 and 440 include reverse commute trips
7 PASSENGER AMENITIES
Waiting for the bus is a significant part of nearly every transit rider’s transit experience. If bus
stops provide a comfortable waiting environment, people traveling to and from that area will be
more likely to use transit. Conversely, if bus stops do not provide a comfortable environment,
people will be less likely to use transit. Research shows that “the quality of the customer
experience while waiting for transit vehicles is a crucial determinant of both overall satisfaction
and general community attitudes towards transit...[and] the cost of better amenities is often more
than offset by increased ridership.”1
Bus stop amenities are the infrastructure present at transit stops. They include physical
infrastructure such as seating, shelters, and lighting, and informational infrastructure such as
transit maps or real-time information. Bus stops with higher levels of activity typically have more
intensive infrastructure. Transit centers where many bus routes or other modes intersect may also
have commercial amenities such as a transit information booth, coffee kiosks, or convenience
stores.
The majority of Xpress’s park-and-rides have high quality amenities, with a consistent brand
across the region. In Downtown and Midtown, however, there are no passenger amenities for
Xpress passengers. With the exception of stops adjacent to MARTA stations, there is not a single
shelter or bench in Downtown or Midtown. Xpress passengers are fully exposed to the elements.
Moreover, existing bus stop signs are hard to see and do not have adequate information to market
Xpress services to potential customers.
Given the premium nature of Xpress service and the emphasis on facilities at the park-and-rides,
an equal emphasis should exist in Downtown and Midtown. With the consolidation of services
onto consistent corridors throughout Downtown and Midtown, each stop with high ridership
should be upgraded to include better passenger amenities.
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is working together with MARTA, GRTA, and the other
suburban bus providers on shared signage. These recommendations are meant to complement
ARC’s work.
At a minimum, the following bus stop amenities should be considered:

Bus Stop Signs. Bus stop signs should present a uniform look that identifies the stop,
route numbers, names, direction of the routes, and a single phone number to call for
additional information.

Shelters. Shelters help identify stop locations and offer refuge from the elements. Aside
from vehicles, shelters are the most visible elements of the transit system. As such, well
designed, attractive shelters can provide a strong positive image and brand for the transit
“The Role of Transit Amenities and Vehicle Characteristics in Building Transit Ridership: Amenities for Transit Handbook,”
Transportation Research Board, 1999.
1
system. While shelters with three-sided enclosures offer the most protection, they should
also have visually permeable walls so that waiting passengers are easily seen by
approaching vehicle drivers. Riders also prefer clear walls for security reasons. Any stop
with more than 50 daily boardings should be considered for a shelter.

Seating. Seating should be provided wherever possible. Benches are the most typical
type of seating, but alternatives such as low walls or bollards can also be used. Seating can
be an opportunity to incorporate public art into a stop, or generate advertising revenues
on benches. Any stop with more than 25 daily boardings should be considered for seating.

Paved and Accessible Waiting Areas. Stops should have a paved waiting area that is
ADA accessible where riders can sit or stand. In most cases, a sidewalk can serve this
purpose, although on busy streets a bus stop may have colored or stylized pavers to
differentiate the waiting area from the pedestrian through route. The waiting area should
be large enough so that a bus can extend its wheelchair lift.

Schedule Information. Providing schedule information can help reduce some of the
uncertainty associated with taking a bus. While many riders now have smart-phones,
many riders still rely on physical transit schedules. Information can be mounted in
shelters, on walls or through free-standing signs. Schedules will also offer another
marketing opportunity for pedestrians walking by Xpress stops

Lighting. During early morning and at night passengers will feel more comfortable
waiting at a bus stop if it is well-lit; this also help drivers see waiting passengers. Stops
can be lit from street lights or adjacent businesses or from lights within shelters.

Real-Time Passenger Information. Real time passenger information presents
information on when buses will actually arrive or depart from stations. This reduces
uncertainty and perceived waiting time for riders. Information can be presented via
variable message signs, through online trip planners, smart phone applications, or via
text message.

Horizon 1 Service Plan

Transcription

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