The Atlanta Beltline announced Wednesday that it is expanding the ATL Spoke autonomous transit shuttle service to include the Atlanta University Center.
The expanded route provides an additional connection to the already established service between the West End MARTA Station, the Atlanta Beltline Southwest Trail, and the Lee + White commercial district.
According to a press release, the expanded route creates a new connection for AUC students and faculty, as well as residents and visitors, ahead of the fall semester at Spelman, Morehouse, and Clark-Atlanta.
The shuttle service launched just before the FIFA World Cup matches began in Atlanta as part of a year-long pilot study on the use of autonomous transit to connect with the Beltline trails.
“ATL Spoke is an example of how we can bring together transit, trails, institutions, businesses and neighborhoods to make our communities more connected and accessible. As we think about the future of equitable urban development, we have to focus on how we connect people to opportunity,” Atlanta Beltline CEO & President Clyde Higgs said in a statement.
ATL Spoke rides are free and open to the public, with service operating seven days a week from noon to 10 p.m. and shuttles arriving every 12 to 15 minutes.
Each ATL Spoke shuttle is staffed by an onboard attendant trained to answer questions, ensure a smooth experience, and manually operate the vehicle if necessary. All four vehicles in the fleet are ADA accessible and carry up to 12 passengers.
