During a four-day period, there were about 1.1 million total rail passenger boardings on the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA); about 500,000 more than on average days when no such events are taking place.

In addition to the college basketball tournament, MARTA was also the transportation choice for thousands of others who flocked into the city to attend free concerts and watch the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks who were playing home games. In preparation for the crowds, MARTA added extra buses and trains as well as redeployed police officers and station attendants.

Due to the extraordinary number of customers on the system, however, there were reports of long lines at some stations and unexpectedly long waits, indicating there’s room for improvement.

“We did a good job getting customers where they were going safely,” said MARTA’s GM/CEO Keith T. Parker. “These are the kinds of large-scale events that really test our mettle and, most important, help us find ways we can do a better job of serving all of our customers every single day.” 

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