Caption
The shuttle stops in front of the Lee + White food hall to pick up more passengers on June 5, 2026.
Credit: Amanda Andrews/GPB News
Section Branding
Header Content
First Beltline transit pilot takes Atlanta residents from train to trail in self-driving shuttles
Primary Content
LISTEN: Funded by a $1.75 million grant, self-driving shuttles are connecting people in Southwest Atlanta to the Beltline trail for free. The pilot program will run for 12 months and is free for all riders. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports.
Self-driving shuttles are connecting people in Southwest Atlanta to the Beltline trail for free. ATL Spoke is funded by a $1.75 million grant from the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority. The yearlong pilot program has four shuttle stops including the West End MARTA train station and the Lee + White food hall.
Joe Iacobucci is the vice president of transit innovation for the Beltline. He said the autonomous shuttles will help people reach the Beltline without a car.
“The MARTA Red and Gold Line, which is near, it's close, but it's not there,” he said “A lot of folks won't walk the mile in the summertime, right, or especially if you have limitations, physical limitations. So for us, and what people have told us is that they want more options to get to the Beltline.”
The electric shuttles will operate for 10 hours a day starting at noon every day. It can carry up to 12 passengers.
An onboard attendant will be on each trip. Iacobucci said they add another layer of safety.
“We have that human element, so if there is a small challenge, that attendant can take over the vehicle,” he said. “And so that's important as ensuring that somebody is not late for work or for their doctor's appointment to ensure that the transit works to something much larger than that as well.”
Operating hours will expand to 16 hours a day during the World Cup. The Beltline plans to expand autonomous shuttle services to the Atlanta University Center when the fall semester begins.
Secondary Content
Author
Bottom Content
