microtransit PILOT PROJECT

Shift On Demand, a service of ATL Airport CIDs, is a Microtransit service for employees in the ATL airport area. This free two-year pilot program provides flexible, free, on-demand rides for over 157,000 workers in the ATL airport area. Using technology provided by Via, the two-year pilot will allow the AACIDs to evaluate the service’s effectiveness and potential for expansion throughout the South Metro Atlanta region.

Microtransit is a flexible, on-demand public transportation service that uses small vehicles, like vans or shuttles, to pick up and drop off passengers based on their specific needs, instead of fixed routes and schedules. It’s kind of like a shared Uber for shirt trips in a local area. 

  A 2019 transit feasibility study identified the ATL airport area as a 24/7 district where both travelers and workers need transportation at all hours. The study highlighted two critical gaps in existing transit service that Microtransit is uniquely positioned to address.

First, traditional transit options do not operate around the clock, leaving limited mobility during overnight and early-morning hours. Microtransit fills this gap by providing flexible, on-demand service when other options are unavailable. 

Second, several key employment and activity centers lack direct access to fixed-route transit. Microtransit bridges this “last-mile” gap by connecting riders to existing transit services or by providing direct service between local neighborhoods and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and South Cargo.