Atlanta to debut autonomous Glydways transit system near airport
Atlanta is about to become home to a new kind of autonomous transportation.
By the end of this year, metro Atlanta is expected to debut the world's first Glydways system — an on-demand, electric transit network designed to move passengers along dedicated roadways near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the region's largest job centers.
Project leaders say the system aims to provide a more affordable, flexible alternative to traditional transit — especially for South Fulton, where public transportation options are limited.
"This isn't a train, and it's not a bus," said Gerald McDowell, executive director of the ATL Airport Community Improvement District. "What it does is provide an Uber-like service to public transportation at the price of public transportation."
Unlike rail-based systems, Glydways uses small, self-driving electric vehicles that travel on specially built roadways. Riders request trips on demand, similar to a rideshare, and travel directly to their destination without intermediate stops.
"You don't have to stop at someone else's stop by stop along the way," said Chris Riley, chief commercial officer of Glydways. "You basically accelerate once, and then you decelerate once when you arrive at your destination."
The system's infrastructure is designed to be highly adaptable, according to Steve DeWitt, CEO of ACS Infrastructure, which is overseeing construction.
"It's incredibly expandable," DeWitt said. "We don't have tracks like a transit line would. We can actually build a roadway section, if you will, with asphalt or whatever. And it can ride along those, so it's quite expandable."
The first Glydways route will connect South Fulton communities to the airport area — a 24/7 employment hub — where leaders say the lack of affordable transit has limited job access and economic growth.
"One of the biggest challenges that we've had with other options is the affordability," McDowell said. "We cannot afford to expand heavy rail throughout South Metro."
McDowell said a lower-cost system could be transformative for the area.
"We could deploy a solution that was affordable by the communities in South Metro, and by deploying that solution, it would attract economic development throughout South Metro," he said.
Planning for the project has been underway for nearly eight years, with officials working alongside MARTA to explore how the technology could eventually integrate with or expand across the region's transit network.
The timeline for launch is unusually fast, according to DeWitt.
"We're not talking about years," he said. "We're talking about by the end of this year. It should be up and running."
When Glydways launches later this year, the system is expected to operate five days a week, eight hours a day — marking a global first for autonomous, on-demand public transportation, with Atlanta serving as the testing ground.
