MARTA tells DeKalb commissioners of next‑gen bus redesign, South DeKalb and Stonecrest transit hubs and timelines

Good morning: MARTA officials updated the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 4 about the agency’s quarterly performance, a draft “next‑gen” bus network and a slate of capital projects in DeKalb County, including arterial rapid transit projects on Buford Highway and Candler Road and future transit hubs at South DeKalb and Stonecrest.

The agency’s chief capital officer, Carrie Rocha, told commissioners that “the state of MARTA is strong” as the authority moves forward on fleet upgrades, station rehabilitation and a bus network redesign intended to move more people to more destinations in less time. MARTA’s presentation emphasized a shift from a coverage model toward a ridership‑focused approach that would increase frequent service on high‑demand corridors, expand access to jobs and pair service changes with capital work such as new transit hubs.

Why it matters: The projects discussed would reshape bus service and station infrastructure across DeKalb County and carry long lead times, federal coordination and real‑estate work. Commissioners asked detailed questions about how projects would affect local districts, project schedules, costs and opportunities for transit‑oriented development and community amenities.

MARTA’s proposals and schedules MARTA said ridership is recovering slowly and that system improvements aim to sustain that trend. The authority is moving a set of capital projects that were memorialized in what Rocha described as the fifteenth amendment to the rapid transit contract and assistance agreement and funded in part by the core penny sales tax levied by county jurisdictions.

Safe Routes to Transit: MARTA identified a first wave of 38 pedestrian improvement sites in DeKalb that will be delivered through a design‑build procurement. The work may include high‑visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, refuge islands and pedestrian beacons to improve walkability for…