The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) resumed front door boarding on Monday, September 7, requiring all customers to begin paying fares for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, all customers are required to wear a mask.
“At the onset of this health crisis, MARTA implemented operational adjustments such as rear door boarding to limit contact between operators and customers,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker.
“Our most recent safety measures, installing bus operator shields and air filters, allow us to return to front door boarding and onboard fare collection. We are grateful to our customers for continuing to mask up and social distance, and we remain committed to making MARTA a clean, safe place for everyone who relies on essential transit service.”
MARTA invested approximately $250,000 in bus safety features to further protect the health of employees and customers. The organization outfitted its entire fleet of 539 buses with polycarbonate shields around bus operator cabs, antimicrobial air filters that clean the air onboard, and mask dispensers.
Every MARTA bus now has antimicrobial air filters that remove viruses and other airborne pathogens from the circulated air onboard and a tissue-like mask dispenser mounted near the front door.
For additional customer convenience, MARTA Transit Ambassadors continue to distribute masks at rail stations and bus bays throughout the system. To date, MARTA has handed out 459,000 masks.
