MARTA cancels bus service because of winter storm

MARTA has canceled all bus and paratransit service today to ensure the safety of customers, employees and the general public, the agency said.

MARTA’s rail system will continue to operate on a weekend schedule.

Rail service will begin at 4:35 a.m. with trains running approximately every 15 minutes on all lines until about 2 a.m. on Thursday. MARTA is asking rail customers to exercise patience and plan extra time to complete their trips. Depending on prevailing conditions, MARTA’s rail schedule is also subject to change.

“Safety will always be our first and foremost priority,” Keith T. Parker, MARTA’s GM/CEO, said in a statement. “Until weather conditions improve, we’ll continue to provide as much rail service as we possibly can and restore bus and Mobility service as soon as it’s feasible.”

MARTA’s decision regarding bus service is consistent with the directive issued by Gov. Nathan Deal who has instructed most vehicles to stay off the highways in order to facilitate treatment of road surfaces by salt and sand trucks.

Although MARTA buses will not be operating on their regularly scheduled routes, some will be deployed as “warming stations” to provide comfort and shelter at various locations for motorists, truckers and others.

In advance of this latest winter storm, MARTA had previously activated its 24-hour Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Edgewood-Candler Park rail station. MARTA’s EOC serves as the central hub to coordinate the transit system’s internal preparedness activities with external partners including the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency and other transit providers in the metro Atlanta region.

For the latest information about MARTA and any service updates, visit itsmarta.com.