Atlanta Beltline, Inc. could bring autonomous vehicles to the West End with a proposed 12-month pilot program aimed at connecting MARTA to the Southwest Trail and Atlanta University Center.
The people-moving project aims to add four driverless shuttles to the city by January 2025, in time for the city to host eight FIFA World Cup matches in 2026 and the thousands of visitors that come with it. But the proposal needs $3 million in funding.
On May 12, 2025, Beltline leaders presented the pilot project to the Atlanta Transit Link Authority to receive funding. The transit agency has just over $2 million in Georgia Transit Trust Funds left over from 2024, but the dollars must be used on a transit project by 2027.
If funding is approved at the June 5 meeting, the authority will give about $1.75 million to the shuttle project — over half the required funds.
The Beltline project won’t be eligible for federal funds due to the rapid completion timeline. Instead, it will have to look at non-federal transit dollars.
If funded, Atlanta Beltline, Inc. and autonomous shuttle company Beep will jump into the project with a route that connects the West End MARTA station to the Atlanta University Center, Lee & White Entertainment Complex and Beltline Southwest Trail.
“The goal is that connectivity, the goal is to promote tourism, and the goal is to make sure the AU center can link up to the Beltline as well,” Beltline Principal Engineer Shaun Green said.
Green said the project will require four shuttles that will run about two miles end-to-end at 15-minute intervals. The service will be available 10 hours a day.
“The idea is basically that MARTA does that long haul, which it does really well, and Beep can be that first and last mile of connectivity over the Beltline,” Green said.
Beep has worked with Beltline leaders for about two years to develop the proposal to “showcase the Beltline” for the World Cup visitors. The autonomous shuttle company has already been deployed in 40 projects across nine states, including several locations in Florida and California. The “micro-transit” service tackles campuses, airports, and various communities.
If the project gets funding, Beep will handle the vehicles and service management platform. A Beep representative described it as a “turnkey” operation with the company’s resources.
Beltline authorities will also run “socialization” and get community input on how it’s implemented. The project is only set to last 12 months, but Green said the future use will depend on how the initial launch goes.
Atlanta Beltline, Inc. CEO Clyde Higgs said the project is something the organization wants to “experiment” with as it works to connect locals and tourists alike through a 22-mile trail.
“Transit is a part of our whole DNA when it comes to the Beltline,” Higgs said. “It’s going to require lots of different modes and options.”
The Atlanta Transit Link Authority will vote on the $1.75 million in funds at a June 5 meeting.
Wasting millions on unproven vaporware garbage solely for the benefit of tourists. These will never be a scalable solution outside of extremely niche use cases, and even then they’re not cost effective.
Where are the real transit solutions? Where is the real leadership?
What’s really not cost effective is rail!