MARTA debuted its first double-decker bus Monday morning.
The double-decker bus made its inaugural route at 5 a.m. on Route 191 out of the Hamilton Garage. It is currently the only one of its kind.
MARTA is using the bus as a pilot to determine whether double-deckers are a feasible option for bus riders. The bus, which cost an estimated $850,000, will be in use until mid-August.
“As MARTA continues to look into ways to provide excellent service for riders, we are looking into different kinds of buses,” spokeswoman Alisa Jackson said. “We are trying to see which options might work the best for your routes,” Jackson said.
The double-decker bus carries 100 people, nearly twice what a standard MARTA bus can accommodate. It also has standing room for about 14 people on the lower deck.
Jackson said that the double-decker bus would not be a widely used option in Atlanta, noting the city’s many low bridges. The bus is 13 feet, 6 inches tall. Some of Atlanta’s overpasses have a clearance height as low as 10 feet.
“We are looking at ridership for which route is best,” Jackson said.
MARTA also recently had a ribbon-cutting ceremony to introduce its articulated buses. The new “bendy” buses introduced in late May have a “distinctive, accordion-like feature” and seat 53 people.
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