‘Don’t just drop them off’: Airport shuttle program raises concerns in Atlanta neighborhood

People who are removed from MARTA trains at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport overnight are being offered rides on an Atlanta police shuttle and dropped off miles away near Metropolitan Parkway.

A viewer who works in the area told Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers the drop-offs can happen two to three times a night near the Kroger on Metropolitan Parkway, sometimes with busloads of people.

She asked not to be identified because of her job, but shared video of the drop-offs with Channel 2.

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The viewer said she began noticing the buses around the time of the World Cup and has seen them arrive nightly since then.

“It gets hectic,” she said. “Some of them try to break in the stores. Some of them are just sick, cold and hungry.”

The airport told Rogers the initiative is called the Hope Shuttle and described it as a partnership involving Atlanta police and MARTA. However, MARTA said they are not involved.

A person familiar with the initiative told Rogers that around 1:30 to 2 a.m. each morning, people are taken off trains at the airport and offered transportation on the buses.

“It’s not just homeless people,” the viewer said. “It’s hardworking people who may just make a mistake and fall asleep on the train.”

The Atlanta Police Department released the following statement:

The area near Cleveland Avenue and Metropolitan Parkway is the closest well-lit location within the City of Atlanta to the airport and is located near a MARTA bus stop.

Individuals are offered support services and free transportation to this location via the Atlanta Police Department Airport Section shuttle. This designated drop-off location provides individuals with access to public transportation through MARTA.

As a reminder, section 22-73 of the City of Atlanta Code of Ordinances, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is closed to the general public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Access to the airport is restricted to ticketed airline passengers, individuals meeting, accompanying, or assisting ticketed passengers, and badged airport personnel whose employment requires their presence.

However, people who work near the Metropolitan Parkway drop-off location question whether the program is simply moving a problem from the airport to another Atlanta neighborhood.

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“At the end of the day, it’s tainting and corrupting a whole other neighborhood that needs help in itself,” the viewer said.

They say they’ve seen homeless encampments grow in the area and believe people being transported from the airport need more resources.

“Take them somewhere, get them some help,” they said. “Don’t just drop them off.”

Rogers also posted about the investigation on social media. A person identifying themselves as a train operator commented that when they start work around 4 a.m., train cars can still be filled with people sleeping.

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