GRTA Xpress

Creation of regional bus service in Atlanta began in 1999, when the Atlanta Regional Commission created a new transportation network plan to bring metro Atlanta back into compliance with the U.S. Clean Air Act and regain federal road construction funding.{{Cite news |last=McCosh |first=John |date=October 19, 1999 |title=TOWARD 2025: 25-year road map to clean air |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=A1 |via=NewsBank}} The bus system began serious development in 2001 after then-Governor Roy Barnes announced that the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) would issue $8.5 billion in bonds, of which 55% was for mass transit.{{Cite news |last=Ledford |first=Joey |date=July 16, 2001 |title=State finally ready to give $8.5 billion to transit projects |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=C3 |via=NewsBank}}

In January 2002, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) offered 13 metro-Atlanta counties funding for road projects if they agreed to pay to operate the regional bus system for five years.{{Cite news |last=Feagans |first=Brian |date=February 1, 2002 |title=Road funds offered -- with buses attached - Transit board deal criticized |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=J1 |via=NewsBank}} Only Fayette and Cherokee counties refused the deal.{{Cite news |last=Yoo |first=Charles |date=April 10, 2002 |title=Fulton gets on board with buses |work=The Atlanta-Journal Constitution |pages=A1 |via=NewsBank}} Funding for the system faced issues in September after a 20-year SRTA bond was challenged in court by a group opposing the construction of the Northern Arc, which argued that the bond program violated the state constitution by bypassing the General Assembly.{{Cite news |last=Hairston |first=Julie |date=September 2, 2002 |title=Suit puts bonds' payment at risk |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=C1 |via=NewsBank}}{{Cite news |last=Stanford |first=Duane |date=May 14, 2003 |title=Barnes' road, transit plan will be killed - Perdue won't give approval to $822 million in bonds |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=B1 |via=NewsBank}} The bond program ended up being cancelled by the following governor, Sonny Perdue, who opted to rely on loans from the state legislature.

In June 2003, the GRTA authorized the purchase of 58 buses for the system.{{Cite news |last=Hairston |first=Julie |date=June 12, 2003 |title=Express buses get green light - Bond funds to target bottlenecks |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=D1 |via=NewsBank}} In months leading up to service, GRTA faced pushback from Central Atlanta Progress and Midtown Alliance, who argued that the presence of large coach buses would undermine efforts to improve pedestrian experience on Peachtree Street and that buses should be routed along adjacent one-way streets.{{Cite news |last=Saporta |first=Maria |date=May 24, 2004 |title=GRTA Xpress bus route fuels battle of Peachtree |url= |access-date= |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=E4 |via=NewsBank}} Service began on June 7, 2004 and was met with protests from pedestrian activists.{{Cite news |last=Campbell |first=Colin |date=June 8, 2004 |title=Xpress buses overcrowd already busy Peachtree |url= |access-date= |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=B2 |via=NewsBank}} A month after service started, activists and GRTA agreed on a plan to move buses from Peachtree Street onto West Peachtree Street.{{Cite news |last=Hairston |first=Julie |date=August 19, 2005 |title=Big buses off Peachtree - Plan would reroute commuters |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=D3 |via=NewsBank}}

Xpress saw severe overcrowding on some routes during a period of record high gas prices in 2008.{{Cite news |last=Reid |first=S. A. |date=April 18, 2008 |title=Local commuters fill up buses, not gas tanks, as prices soar |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=A1 |via=NewsBank}} But in 2010, the system saw its first budget crisis, raising pass prices and fares for routes over 25 miles to try to make up the difference.{{Cite news |last=Hart |first=Ariel |date=August 13, 2010 |title=Xpress service going broke - With no new money, system may collapse. - GRTA's Miller says end could come for buses in next fiscal year. |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |pages=B1 |via=NewsBank}} In 2015, GRTA approved the first major redesign of the system, adjusting departure times and stops on all routes, cutting one route, and adding three cross-suburb routes terminating at Perimeter Center.{{Cite news |last=Simmons |first=Andria |date=August 12, 2015 |title=Major changes to Xpress bus service approved |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |via=NewsBank}}

On July 1, 2020, Xpress operations were transferred from GRTA to the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL), as legally mandated by the legislation creating ATL.{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Pamela |date=July 10, 2020 |title=Xpress transit services transfers to Atlanta-Region Transit Link |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |via=NewsBank}}

File:GRTA Xpress in Cobb County, April 2017.jpg]]As of April 2025, {{Update after|2025|06|16|Category:Bus|reason=Service update, several routes being cut.|text=the Xpress network includes 27 routes.}}{{Cite web |title=All Routes |url=https://xpressga.com/routes/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Xpress |language=en-US}}

• 400 Cumming to Downtown Atlanta
• 401 Cumming to Perimeter Center
• 410 Sugarloaf Mills to Lindbergh MARTA{{Efn|Route is operated by, and as a part of, Gwinnett County Transit {{Citation needed |date= April 2025}}|name=Gwinnett}}
• 411 Hamilton Mill/Mall of Georgia to Midtown Atlanta{{Efn|Route is operated by American Coach|name=American}}
• 412 Sugarloaf Mills to Midtown Atlanta{{Efn|name=Gwinnett}}
• 413 Hamilton Mill to Downtown Atlanta{{Efn|name=American}}
• 416 Dacula to Downtown Atlanta{{Efn|name=American}}
• 417 Sugarloaf Mills to Perimeter Center
• 419 Snellville/Stone Mountain to Downtown Atlanta*
• 423 East Conyers/Panola Road to Midtown Atlanta
• 426 East Conyers to Downtown Atlanta
• 428 Panola Road to Perimeter Center
• 430 McDonough to Downtown
• 431 Stockbridge to Midtown Atlanta
• 432 Stockbridge to Downtown Atlanta
• 440 Hampton/Jonesboro to Midtown and Downtown Atlanta
• 441 Jonesboro to Midtown and Downtown Atlanta
• 442 Riverdale to Downtown Atlanta
• 453 Newnan/Union City to Midtown and Downtown Atlanta
• 463 Douglasville/West Douglasville to Midtown and Downtown Atlanta
• 476 Hiram/Powder Springs to Midtown and Downtown Atlanta{{Efn|Route is operated by CobbLinc{{Cite web |title=CobbLinc Route: SRTA Xpress Routes |url=https://www.cobbcounty.org/transportation/cobblinc/routes-and-schedules/SRTA-Xpress |access-date=2025-04-19 |website= Cobb County Georgia}}|name=Cobb}}
• 480 Acworth to Downtown Atlanta{{Efn|name=Cobb}}
• 483 Woodstock/Town Center to Midtown Atlanta
• 484 Hickory Grove to Midtown Atlanta
• 485 Hickory Grove to Downtown Atlanta
• 490 Woodstock to Downtown Atlanta{{Efn|Route is operated by, and as a part of, Cherokee Area Transportation System (CATS)|name=Cherokee}}

{{Notelist}}

Prior to transfer of operations to Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority, Xpress was operated as a partnership between the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) and Clayton, Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale counties.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}} Operators of Xpress were contracted through Professional Transit Management and American Coach.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}} In Cobb and Gwinnett Counties Cobb Community Transit or Gwinnett County Transit provided Xpress service in addition to their own express services.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Xpress charges fares based on distance travelled. As of April 2025, adult one-way fares from Green Zone park and rides to Atlanta are $3.00 and fares from Blue Zone park-and-rides to Atlanta are $4.00. Round-trip, 10-trip, and 31-day passes are available using a Breeze card or the Breeze 2.0 app.{{Cite web |title=Fares |url=https://xpressga.com/fares/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Xpress |language=en-US}}

In June 2025, Xpress will Implement its Redefining the Ride plan, which will cut 12 lines and service to seven park and rides.{{Cite web |title=Redefining the Ride – Xpress 2.0 |url=https://xpressga.com/redefining-the-ride-xpress-2-0/ |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Xpress |language=en-US}}

• [https://atltransit.ga.gov/ ATL website]
• [http://www.xpressga.com/ Xpress website]
• [http://www.itsmarta.com/ MARTA website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090221190303/http://www.cobbdot.org/cct.htm CCT website]
• [http://www.gctransit.com/ GCT website]
• [http://www.cherokeega.com/Transportation/ CATS website]

{{Reflist}}

Category:Bus transportation in Georgia (U.S. state)

Transportation Regional