ATLANTA — With the city bracing for the arrival of a huge number of visitors for Super Bowl week, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority is anticipating anywhere from 30,000 to 90,000 additional daily riders, expanding schedules to accommodate the influx.
Numerous road closures will make driving to the game a poor choice. “Please, please, please take MARTA,” says Atlanta police chief Erika Shields. Rail service will begin one hour earlier starting Tuesday, Jan. 29, with trains running around the clock from 4:00 a.m. Friday to 2:00 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5. The Atlanta streetcar will operate on a normal schedule, with extended hours, and some bus lines will also add service as well.
To assist riders, MARTA is putting administrative staff in the field to act as transit ambassadors at rail stations. Additional staff and police officers will be on hand for crowd control and to help load and unload trains.
The transit agency is sprucing up facilities, updating information signs and announcements, and increasing parking capacity at high-volume stations. It also offers a commemorative Super Bowl Breeze card, which can be used on all MARTA trains and buses.
The city of Atlanta created a dedicated Super Bowl website with helpful information for first-time visitors. MARTA’s website and social media channels also provide service information, with updates posted to Twitter and the MARTA app.
In preparation for game week, MARTA says it held security exercises at the Dome station on the Blue Line, which serves the stadium and all other event venues. Added police and K-9 officers will patrol stations and ride trains and streetcars, wearing neon-yellow shirts for visibility. Security personal will monitor more than 10,000 security cameras.
Due to the expected volume of riders, MARTA suggests allowing extra travel time.
The Super Bowl, between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, is Sunday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m. EST.
