Massive news for public transit in South Metro Atlanta (and the world as a whole), Glydways, a leading global Automated Transit Network (ATN), has officially broke ground on its first-ever publicly-accessible transit system, and it’s right here in South Metro Atlanta. Keep scrolling for all the details on this incredible advancement in public transportation.
What is Glydways?
Glydways is a global Automated Transit Network (ATN) that was founded in 2016. By using autonomous, cost-effective transit systems, Glydways aims to get people to their destinations in the fastest, most effective way possible. Sounds like a great deal for a city like Atlanta, always full of traffic!
According to Business Wire, Chris Riley, Chief Commercial Officer of Glydways says,
Congestion is a global problem, and cities everywhere are searching for solutions that are scalable, sustainable, and deliver a better service for their communities. What begins in South Metro Atlanta is designed for the world. This pilot demonstrates how an innovative new form of public transit can expand access, improve reliability, and help cities move more people without expanding roads or relying on legacy systems.
So… wait. Is an autonomous train system coming to Atlanta?
Yes! This month, the team officially broke ground on their first-ever fully autonomous, on-demand transit system in South Metro Atlanta.
Business Wire reports,
The South Metro Atlanta pilot, jointly developed by Glydways and ACS Infra, will initially connect the ATL SkyTrain at the Georgia International Convention Center to the Gateway Center Arena along a dedicated 0.5-mile guideway.
But of course, this project has been a long-time in the making.
This amazing Automated Transit Network pilot project originated from a recommendation of a Feasibility Study from the ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts (AACIDs) in 2018.
From there, the AACIDs team put out a Request for Proposal, and the Atlanta Personal Rapid Transit Solutions (APRTS) team, led by Glydways and ACS Infra was awarded this project.
Of course, a project this large definitely isn’t cheap, either. The whole pilot program cost approximately $23M, with $13M coming from AACIDs by way of MARTA and the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority.
The AACIDs says,
The ATN demonstration pilot is a test project to show how an ATN system can work in real-life using Glydways technology. It will demonstrate the user experience of the ATN and illustrate how the system can grow over time, in real-world environments.
When will the autonomous vehicles open to the public?
With things like this, we’re used to waiting years and years for them to be ready for the public. Not this time. This new ATN system is expected to open to the public in December 2026, according to reports. From there, the pilot project will run for two years.
The ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts reports,
The ATN will operate five autonomous vehicles operating along a 0.49-mile long dedicated guideway, running four days a week for up to eight hours per day. With an average trip time of 2.5 minutes, the system can accommodate more than 400 rides per hour.
The goal is to eventually provide an alternative to Atlanta traffic, giving passengers a transit system that doesn’t clog up the roads, runs quickly and efficiently, and is always available!
You can learn more about the pilot project coming to Atlanta on their website, right here!
We’re always excited to learn more about public transit coming to the ATL, and this ATN system is no different!