Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL) Rolls Out Unified Regional Transit System Brand

Regional Transit Providers Meet Legislative Deadline of January 1, 2023

ATLANTA – Today, the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL) announced that all transit operators within the jurisdiction of the authority are in compliance with the January 1,2023 statutory deadline that requires transit operators in the ATL’s 13-county region to feature ATL branding on their transit assets such as buses, trains, paratransit, shuttles, and vans.

When the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL) was created by state leaders in 2018, one of the main objectives of the General Assembly was to bring about a more seamless customer experience for transit users in metro Atlanta. One of the mechanisms for this objective — designated in the ATL’s statute and later revised during the 2020 session was a statutory requirement for transit operators in the ATL’s 13-county region to feature ATL branding on their vehicles. Specifically, O.C.G.A. § 50-39-12(d) states that the ATL’s Regional Transit Plan “shall include the creation of a unified logo and brand to encompass all transit service providers within the jurisdiction of the authority which shall include the jurisdiction of the authority and shall utilize such logo and brand as a prominent feature upon any property used for the purpose of transit.”

Since that time two years ago, the ATL has been working extensively and collaboratively with all transit service providers in the Atlanta region to meet this statutory requirement. Current operating partners include Cherokee Area Transportation System (CATS), CobbLinc, Connect Douglas, Coweta Transit, Forsyth County Dial-A-Ride, Gwinnett County Transit, Henry County Transit, MARTA, Paulding Transit, and Xpress. In the spirit of cooperation and collaboration, all transit operators were actively engaged in branding discussions with the understanding that the ATL branding is designed to make it easier for transit customers to use and recognize each transit partner as part of a regional network of transit services and operators.

“Rolling out the ATL brand across our operating partners is an important step for all of us,” said Heather Aquino, Deputy Executive Director the ATL. “When riders see the ATL logo, it means their operator is committed to providing reliable, sustainable, efficient, and affordable travel throughout the Atlanta region.”

“With connectivity as the foundation for the ATL Brand, this initiative aims to visually unite the regional providers who connect transit riders to their neighborhoods where they work, study, and play,” stated ATL Board Chair, Charlie Sutlive. “This is significantly important as the region expects to add an additional 2.5 million residents creating a greater demand for a seamless transit network.”

The Marketing and Communications Committee of the ATL Board approved the ATL Branding Architecture plan at its meeting on January 6, 2022 and the full ATL Board adopted the plan at its meeting on February 3, 2022. The ATL Branding Architecture plan is comprised of two primary elements: 1) for transit operators, to incorporate each transit operator’s preferred color palette into a co-branding design for use on their transit vehicle assets and 2) for common regional assets, to incorporate the ATL “kaleidoscope compass” logo on common regional assets such as the ATL Rides app (currently under development), Breeze fare media, and signage.

“It has truly been a collaborative process to work with county officials, their transit leaders, and communications professionals across our region to make this happen,” stated Ericka Davis, Chief Communications Officer for the ATL. “We could not have done this without their active engagement, spirit of cooperation, and commitment to providing quality services to all of the citizens that we collectively serve.”

About the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority

The ATL was created by the Georgia General Assembly during the 2018 legislative session to provide coordinated transit planning and funding for the metro Atlanta region. The ATL is responsible for developing the ATL Regional Transit Plan, as well as identifying and prioritizing the projects and initiatives required to develop region-wide transit. The ATL is also charged with creating a unified regional transit system brand. Effective July 1, 2020, the ATL was legislatively authorized to oversee the state’s Xpress regional commuter transit system and the Atlanta region’s vanpool system. The population of metro Atlanta is growing rapidly and projected to add an additional 2.5 million residents by 2040. The ATL is a critical step towards more efficient and effective transit and mobility in the region. For more information on Xpress and the ATL, visit https://atltransit.ga.gov/ and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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