MARTA adds trains, buses to prepare for weekend crush
A busy weekend in Atlanta is nothing new, but downtown promises diverse crowds with the student-led March For Our Lives march and rally at the Center for Civil and Human Rights and Liberty Plaza that will coincide with the Elite Eight games in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Organizers for both events are suggesting participants and spectators use MARTA.
But the transportation agency said it will be ready.
Weekend service will be supplemented with additional trains, buses, and staff to accommodate the large crowds.
“The additional service provided this weekend includes extra station agents at Five Points and Philips Arena Stations to help load the train cars and prevent overcrowding on the train platforms,” said MARTA spokeswoman Stephany Fisher.
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Just a few weekends ago, downtown crowds swelled when Atlanta United's home opener drew a record 72,035 spectators. According to MLS.com that's the fifth highest attendance in the world for a soccer game that week.
The march organizers are expecting at least 50,000 attendees, while Atlanta police believe that less than 10,000 may show up. With the weather forecasted for warm temperatures and partly-cloudy skies, that number may be higher.
Although the South Regional Final game is expected at 6 p.m. at the earliest, last year’s event in Memphis drew near-capacity crowds at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. That venue holds about 18,000 attendees for basketball. This year’s game will be played at Philips Arena that holds about the same number of spectators.
One factor that may have an impact on crowd size is whether University of Kentucky makes it to the Regional Finals.
As one sports reporter put it, “Catlanta may just become a ghost town.”
Information on MARTA schedules: itsmarta.com
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A Midwesterner by birth, but a Southerner by heritage, Arlinda Smith Broady has a combination of solid values, easy-going charm and unrelenting thirst for knowledge that makes her a not only a dedicated journalist, but a compassionate community member. She seeks truth and justice, but is just as eager to spread good news and share a witty story.
