MARTA Reach: Piloting an On-Demand Multimodal Transit System in Atlanta

TL;DR

The MARTA Reach pilot in Atlanta demonstrated that an integrated on-demand multimodal transit system can effectively address first/last mile issues, providing valuable, multimodal door-to-door service that competes with ride-hailing and taxis.

Contribution

This study presents the design, deployment, and evaluation of a city-scale ODMTS pilot, highlighting its operational benefits, user preferences, and challenges in a complex urban environment.

Findings

High ridership with many trips replacing ride-hailing and taxis

Majority of trips were multimodal, often connecting to rail

System effectively addressed first/last mile problems

Abstract

This paper reports on the results of the six-month pilot MARTA Reach, which aimed to demonstrate the potential value of On-Demand Multimodal Transit Systems (ODMTS) in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. ODMTS take a transit-centric view by integrating on-demand services and traditional fixed routes in order to address the first/last mile problem. ODMTS combine fixed routes and on-demand shuttle services by design (not as an after-thought) into a transit system that offers a door-to-door multimodal service with fully integrated operations and fare structure. The paper fills a knowledge gap, i.e., the understanding of the impact, benefits, and challenges of deploying ODMTS in a city as complex as Atlanta, Georgia. The pilot was deployed in four different zones with limited transit options, and used on-demand shuttles integrated with the overall transit system to address the first/last mile problem. The paper describes the design and operations of the pilot, and presents the results in terms of ridership, quality of service, trip purposes, alternative modes of transportation, multimodal nature of trips, challenges encountered, and cost estimates. The main findings of the pilot are that Reach offered a highly valued service that performed a large number of trips that would have otherwise been served by ride-hailing companies, taxis, or personal cars. Moreover, the wide majority of Reach trips were multimodal, with connections to rail being most prominent.