8/2/2023 0 Comments Marta bus accident![]() Atlanta even has a distinguished record at the national bus rodeo, a competition that is precisely what you think it is. MARTA’s Bus Communications Center has a tracker on each bus and can help the driver find a different way the bus, of course, still has to arrive, on time, at every stop on the route.ĭespite those challenges-or perhaps because of them-MARTA operators are known in the transportation industry for their safety and skill. Operators know to look for the yellow signs with black text that signal filming in the area and may require a reroute. Harris encourages novice drivers to ride the route with a more experienced operator before their shift: “You can drive it in a car,” he said, “but you won’t know the inconsistencies of that route, like a tree in front of a sign, or no sign at all.” Another occasional roadblock: film sets, which disrupt traffic flows and turn whole blocks into unrecognizable foreign landscapes. Instead, operators use turn-by-turns, special maps that show them their route. You also have to know where to go: MARTA plans to install GPS systems but hasn’t yet. Tight turns aren’t Atlanta traffic’s only headache, of course. ![]() At MARTA, touching a curb with a tire must be reported as an accident afterward, drivers are sent to retraining, where they’ll review the incident and practice their maneuvers. On a demonstration drive around Decatur, Harris pointed to a curb blackened with tire marks, the victim of poorly executed L-turns. The vehicles are designed to help: The wheel axles are set deep under the bus, leaving considerable space at the front and back, and the carriage is built high enough to pass over curbs when a corner is tight. “But if you do the same process every time, you’ll be able make it.” “Every street you go on is different,” he said. To execute it, Harris explained, you line up your shoulder with the spot where you want the bus to end up. One crucial tool in the driver’s toolbox: the L-turn, in which the operator turns the bus at an exact 90-degree angle. Harris, who previously trained bus drivers in Dallas, credits experienced MARTA operators with helping him demystify Atlanta’s roadways, which range from dizzyingly wide megalanes to perilously tight one-way corridors-often along the same route. “We’re going to build up some trust first.” “I’m not going to put you in a million-dollar bus on your first day,” Harris said, pointing to a gleaming New Flyer Excelsior, a fully electric model MARTA introduced in 2022. After classroom instruction, trainees start driving by dodging cones in the parking lot behind the training center-usually in an old Gillig bus retired from the fleet. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a clean driving record, and pass a fitness test. ![]() MARTA’s program-which covers everything from engine mechanics to passenger de-escalation-takes 12 weeks for drivers who enter with a regular driver’s license, or eight for those with a commercial license.
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