  This paper reports on the results of the six-month pilot MARTA Reach, which
aimed to demonstrate the potential value of On-Demand Multimodal Transit
Systems (ODMTS) in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. ODMTS take a transit-centric
view by integrating on-demand services and traditional fixed routes in order to
address the first/last mile problem. ODMTS combine fixed routes and on-demand
shuttle services by design (not as an after-thought) into a transit system that
offers a door-to-door multimodal service with fully integrated operations and
fare structure. The paper fills a knowledge gap, i.e., the understanding of the
impact, benefits, and challenges of deploying ODMTS in a city as complex as
Atlanta, Georgia. The pilot was deployed in four different zones with limited
transit options, and used on-demand shuttles integrated with the overall
transit system to address the first/last mile problem. The paper describes the
design and operations of the pilot, and presents the results in terms of
ridership, quality of service, trip purposes, alternative modes of
transportation, multimodal nature of trips, challenges encountered, and cost
estimates. The main findings of the pilot are that Reach offered a highly
valued service that performed a large number of trips that would have otherwise
been served by ride-hailing companies, taxis, or personal cars. Moreover, the
wide majority of Reach trips were multimodal, with connections to rail being
most prominent.
