Atlanta’s transit system ‘trains’ for 1996 Olympics

On July 19, 1996, Atlanta will host the Olympic Games and the 2 million-plus spectators, athletes and media expected at the 17-day event. To prepare, the city is borrowing buses, tearing out seats, faking crashes and installing new software.

Much like the 10,000 athletes who are preparing for competition in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, Atlanta — the southern host and international master of ceremonies for the 2 million or so spectators and dignitaries expected during the 17-day event — is getting its own workout as it develops, implements and begins operating what some say is the largest mass transit operation in history.

Trial runs at previous city events (such as Super Bowl XXVIII, the Piedmont Park Arts Festival, the World Series (go Braves!) and trade shows like The Super Show and Comdex Exposition) have allowed Atlanta to test its performance as host, chaeffeur and tourist guide.

The results so far have been promising. More than 50 transit professionals from around the country arrived in the city in May for a two-day Transit Forum, giving both the city and its transit authority a nod of approval.

Sponsored by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG), attendees were briefed on the overall transportation plan and given a tour of the Olympic Ring, a three-mile diameter area that includes downtown Atlanta and most of the Olympic Games venues.

Operations and maintenance personnel from agencies in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and New York provided recommendations for improvements in the plan.

“They gave us high marks for where we are in our transportation planning at this stage of the game,” says Bill Callier, MARTA’s Olympic program manager. “They also alerted us to many issues we need to address, like

recreational vehicles using park-and-ride lots, bus shuttle alternatives in case of rail system shut down and a variety of other operational and maintenance issues. The forum was extremely helpful, and we’re taking their advice into account now in our planning.”

MARTA also recently conducted a disaster preparedness exercise to help gauge the experience of rescue workers and to better prepare for any possible transit emergencies that might happen during the Games.

Under the supervision of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FFA, the drill took place at the Bankhead station where a train “hit” a bus, pushing it on its side.

Firefighters also got into the act at the end of the drill when the bus was “caught” on fire.

Federal and MARTA officials say they are “pleased with the cooperation demonstrated by the agencies involved and the efficiency with which the exercise was handled” and gave the rescuers generally high marks. Although informational transit forums and mock disaster drills are helping MARTA prepare for the crowds, “We’ve got a lot to do between now and the Games,” says Rick Simonetta, MARTA general manager. “Along with operating our system, we’ll have more than 1,000 additional buses carrying spectators to the Games.

“We’re responsible for scheduling the routes, when the buses will be serviced, handling communications and customer service — and these are just a few of the issues that we are grappling with now,” he says.

MASS TRANSIT ASSISTANCE

At the request of the FTA, transit agencies from across the United States are helping to provide transportation assistance to ACOG, the non-profit corporation organizing the Games, which will take place from July 19, 1996, through Aug. 4, 1996.

ACOG anticipates using 2,000 buses borrowed from various transit agencies across the nation to handle the transportation needs of attendees during the Games and 500 buses for the Paralympics, which will take place directly afterward.

“The response from these transit authorities is gratifying,” says FTA Administrator Gordon Linton, “as have been the earlier contributions by other transit authorities.”

He is referring to the boards of directors of the Rochester-Genessee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester, N.Y.; the Tidewater Transit District Commission (TTDC), Norfolk, Va.; and the Transit Authority of River City (TARC), Louisville, Ky., who were among the first to offer assistance in mass transit.

Of the 2,000 add-on buses, some 1,400 will be used to operate the Olympic Games Spectator Transportation System, which is being designed to serve all 1996 Olympic Games venues in the immediate Atlanta area.

Based on a projected 11 million tickets sold for the Games, MARTA, with a current weekday ridership of 475,000, expects to transport more than 800,000 patrons each day during the Games.

ACOG has been charged with securing make-shift terminals, says Ron Whittington, MARTA Olympic information official. These will be used in addition to MARTA’s new Perry Boulevard Facility, which will have compressed natural gas (CNG) capabilities, to store and maintain all uses arriving for the Games.

“Currently, planners expect to use eight to nine terminals — located in the downtown area and outlying areas — to service both spectator buses and the fleet of Olympic Family vehicles used to carry athletes, officials and attendants,” Whittington says.

With extremely limited spectator parking at the majority of the Olympic venues and ACOG’s restrictive traffic circulation plan (some off-ramps and downtown streets will be open only to the Olympic Transportation System), MARTA and the add-on bus system will be the only viable way for visitors to get to the Games.

Some downtown routes will be redirected to rail stations to help alleviate traffic congestion within the Olympic Ring.

TRANSIT DEMAND STRATEGIES

In addition to mass transit, pedestrian corridors are being constructed to encourage more walking between the venues in downtown Atlanta, and Transportation Demand Management strategies, like carpooling, flex-time and telecommuting during the off-peak hours, are being introduced to major downtown employers to keep traffic manageable.

Several express parking lots located outside I-285, the 60-plus-mile perimeter highway that circles the city, will provide service to the Olympic Center and the Olympic Stadium area. Outside venues, such as Stone Mountain, Conyers and Atlanta Beach in Clayton County, will benefit from express service, which some MARTA rail stations will offer.

“The more we can intercept traffic outside the perimeter, the better our chances of keeping the buses and other vehicles moving within the Olympic Ring area and along the I-75 and I-85 interstate highways that lead to Atlanta,” says ACOG Transportation Director Joel Stone. “It’s also going to make it more convenient for spectators coming in from around the region and from the suburbs to get to their destinations.”

THE MARTA SYSTEM

Current plans call for 36 stations on MARTA’s 39-mile rail system — now operating in Fulton and DeKalb counties — when the Olympic Games begin. The system is made up of two rail lines: North-South and East-West, which intersect at the Five Points Station in downtown Atlanta.

A new rail spur will be opening in June 1996, with three new stations open on the North Line — Buckhead, Medical Center and Dunwoody Station — adding another seven miles of service to the system.

To increase the capacity of the rail system, MARTA expects to operate 200 cars during the Games and expand to 24-hour service throughout the 17 days of the Games. (Currently, MARTA uses about 158 cars during rush hours, and regular service operates from 5:45 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

The trains will run every four minutes to six minutes, and 12 seats are being removed from the cars, decreasing seat capacity from 64 to 48 and increasing standing capacity from 160 to 184. The seats will be reinstalled after the Games.

FUNDING IMPROVEMENTS

Opening and operating the three new stations, in addition to making various other improvements and enhancements to the MARTA system, will require extra funding above and beyond normal operating expenses. MARTA’s focus now is to boost ridership and offset cuts in federal subsidies.

Already declared the safest large bus system in the United States (17 times in 18 competitions), the authority’s energy is directed toward expansion of its police force and the addition of federally mandated vans and station modifications for disabled riders.

Estimating $30 million over the next two years in order to cover the improvements, MARTA management earlier this year sought and won a fare increase of $.25 per ride, bringing the cost to $1.50 — compared to $.90 for San Francisco’s BART, $.85 for Boston’s MBTA and $1.60 for Philadelphia’s SEPTA.

In addition to the fare increase MARTA’s board approved advertisements on some buses to help raise necessary funds.

MAINTAINING THE SYSTEM

The mid-life overhaul of 40 MARTA rail cars is progressing on schedule, according to Director of Rail System Maintenance Irwin Cohen. “We’ve received 10 rail cars back from overhaul, and we’re running four of them in revenue service.”

Throughout the 17 days of the Games, time for maintenance will definitely be limited. “Having extras on stand-by will help us keep all available cars on the tracks for spectator service,” Cohen says. “We plan to purchase 10 spare trucks, which will allow maintenance employees to replace a truck rather than having to wait on the repair time to get it operational again.”

Seventy-three elevator cars located at rail stations throughout the system will be replaced, and new hand-rail drive systems are being installed on 121 Westinghouse escalators located inside the stations.

In addition, Cohen says, an automated public address system will announce stops to riders in the trains. “Every operator has a different voice and a different style in announcing station stops. We believe this new system will make it easier for riders to hear the station name and the offices and locations served by each station.”

SHOWCASING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

More than 500,000 national and international Olympic visitors are expected in Atlanta each day, providing an excellent opportunity to showcase transit products and services to a large audience, such as alternative fuels, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Automatic Vehicle Locators (AVLs).

Alternative Fuels. Transit buses fueled with natural gas (NGVs) boast lower emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates than diesel-fueled buses.

Other alternative fuels include methanol, ethanol, propane (liquefied petroleum gas) and electricity.

Atlanta bears the distinction as the first “Clean Cities” program participant two years ago; as such, MARTA is incorporating alternative fuel vehicles into the structure of public transportation for the Games and will have approximately 80 NGV buses in use next year.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) recently approved MARTA’s plan of rolling out a fleet of natural gas-burning buses before the Games in an effort to cut down on pollution and help improve Atlanta’s air quality. (The city currently is ranked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] as one of the worst in terms of air quality.

The cost of the new buses is estimated to be about $10 million more than an equal number of diesel-burning buses. Within the transit bus program, coordinated by the FFA, NGVs will account for 10 percent of the transportation fleet during the Games.

Atlanta Gas Light, the local natural gas utility and a member of the “Clean Air Team” (see chart, p. 34), has participated in forming the coalition of fuel providers automobile manufacturers air quality officials, public transit officers and health care organizations dedicated to showcasing the benefits of natural gas and other alternative fuels during the Olympic Games.

While not every member of the Clean Air Team will be sending natural gas vehicles to Atlanta, some are helping to support the program by participating in a merchandise program designed to help raise funds to cover expenses.

The American Gas Association (AGA), Arlington, Va., has pledged to provide the natural gas to fuel 300 of the add-on transit buses on loan from various transit agencies nationwide. (The association also is providing a fleet of 250 natural gas light-duty and passenger vehicles.

A 10-station NGV fueling infrastructure already exists in the Atlanta metropolitan area. It grew, in part, through the coordination provided by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program. Supplemental fueling needs will be accommodated by Hurricane Compressors of Franklin, Ill., a member of the Clean Air Team.

An average of 60 transit buses will refuel with natural gas each night, a number comparable to the fueling needs of a medium-sized bus yard. Approximately two-thirds of these vehicles will be fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG); the remaining third will be fueled with liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Natural gas-powered shuttle buses will transport spectators and other visitors to Olympic venues. The light-duty vehicles, such as pickup trucks, will help haul equipment and other bulk items. And natural gas passenger cars will be used to transport dignitaries and others within the Olympic Ring.

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) are now being implemented by MARTA to help improve transit operations for all riders before and after the Games.

MARTA planners “currently are mapping 10,000 bus stops and 2,500 designated landmarks in Fulton and Dekalb Counties with the help of a Global Positioning Satellite system,” Whittington says. “Once the information is correlated with all Atlanta roadways for computerized mapping, MARTA telephone operators will be able to handle requests for route and schedule information more quickly and efficiently.”

The same computer maps will be displayed on an estimated 200 information kiosks being installed by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) at visitor centers, rail stations and other locations in Atlanta and throughout the state, he says.

Software created by Graphic Data Systems (GDS), Denver, has been selected to provide real-time mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) capabilities for both MARTA’s ITS system and the Atlanta Regional Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS).

The company is building a digital base map of the MARTA service area and the ATMS that will be used by both MARTA and GDOT to satisfy their map-based information needs. The software will provide a real-time dynamic display of road conditions measured by field detection devices and a digital map of public transportation routes and favorite tourist locations.

The ATMS service area alone will include more than 60 miles of freeway and 25 miles of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, managing traffic flow in five metropolitan counties.

The field detection devices, such as the Autoscope video detection system, using 494 closed-circuit TVs (CCTV), will record lane-by-lane occupancy, volume and speed.

Ramp meters will be installed at the entrance of five major on-ramps to analyze the amount of traffic entering the highway, and 41 changeable message signs will transmit suggestions of alternate routes, accidents, construction and delays in traffic.

With the help of a digital base map, MARTA will be able to better man, age the thousands of visitors who are expected during the Games.