With venues opening in Georgia on April 27, MARTA will deal with a new challenge

Officials in Atlanta could be talking about contracting new projects once the pandemic is over.

MARTA

On the eve of Georgia’s grand re-opening, the one the entire nation is talking about, MARTA has an incredible task on its hands.

Last week the transit agency had its first COVID-19-related death, and at least 25 employees have been diagnosed with the virus and more than 150 employees have been quarantined.

On April 27, restaurants will be allowed to resume limited dine-in service in Georgia, and movie theaters and other entertainment venues will be open. That could create a surge in ridership for MARTA. Rail ridership has been down 80 percent, so social distancing, at least in the beginning, should be easy to enforce. However, MARTA is already reporting overcrowding on its buses, and will use police to make sure enough room is being maintained on the transit choice.

As reported in Railway Track & Structures magazine, MARTA has a plan in place where it will be able to adjust its train lineup almost instantaneously. Trains with operators will be on standby ready to jump into action if platforms are getting too crowded. CCTV’s will help monitor capacities.

Georgia will serve as a litmus test for the rest of the country, as other states will look to lift shelter-at-home orders in the coming weeks. Ready or not, MARTA will be in the spotlight to see if social distancing can still be executed when more riders are using public transit since COVID-19 arrived in the U.S. earlier in the year.

RT&S will offer updates as they happen.

For the latest news, go to www.rtands.com.

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