MARTA will soon begin construction on its first arterial rapid transit (ART) corridor along Cleveland Avenue and Metropolitan Parkway.
Construction will begin in both the City of Atlanta and the City of East Point on Oct. 26, 2026, with crews moving along the corridor in phases.
According to MARTA, the ART line will offer enhanced bus shelters, improved customer experience, and reduced travel time through fewer stops and transit signal priority. Transit officials say the Cleveland and Metropolitan are two of MARTA’s highest-traveled corridors.
Unlike full bus rapid transit (BRT), which relies heavily on exclusive, dedicated bus lanes, such as the recently opened Summerhill line, ART buses typically operate in mixed traffic with regular cars and trucks.
Buses use transponders that communicate with traffic lights to green-light approaches or shorten red lights, minimizing delays at intersections, MARTA officials said. Special short lanes allow ART buses to bypass congested traffic queues at major red lights.
The Cleveland Avenue ART will follow most of MARTA’s current Route 78 (Cleveland Avenue) from East Point Station to Jonesboro Road, providing a more direct path by removing the existing loop around Browns Mill Golf Course.
The Metropolitan Parkway ART will enhance service along the highest-ridership segment of current Route 95 (Metropolitan Parkway), connecting West End Station to Cleveland Avenue and finishing near the Walmart on Springdale Road.
In the City of Atlanta, construction will begin on Metropolitan Parkway at St. Johns Avenue SW (northbound, in front of the Dollar Tree) and at the north entrance for Atlanta Technical College (northbound).
In the City of East Point, construction will begin on Cleveland Avenue at Bayard Street and progress east along the Cleveland corridor.
As work progresses, there will be intermittent sidewalk closures, temporary bus stop relocations, and short-term traffic impacts. MARTA said it will provide advance notice of impacts caused by this project ahead of the construction schedule.
Access to homes and businesses will be maintained throughout the project, the agency said.
