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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2026

   MARTA CELEBRATES 2026 KING HOLIDAY WITH COMMEMORATIVE BUS WRAP

ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), in partnership with The King Center, celebrates the 2026 King Holiday with the launch of a commemorative bus honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. This year’s observance carries the theme: “Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way.”

Public transit has long been intertwined with the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King described urban public transportation as “a genuine civil rights issue,” recognizing its essential role in connecting people to education, jobs, healthcare, and community life.

“MARTA is proud to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King,” said Jonathan Hunt, Interim General Manager and CEO of MARTA. “Public transit is more than a way to get from place to place. It is a connector of communities, an enabler of opportunity, and a platform for building unity. This commemorative bus represents transit's power to shape a better future and make communities more equitable and inclusive.”

The Dr. King and Coretta Scott King commemorative bus will operate on Route 3, traveling along MLK Drive from the King Center through Sweet Auburn and the Atlanta University Center to H.E. Holmes Station. The route highlights neighborhoods central to Dr. King’s legacy and MARTA’s ongoing mission to connect communities.

In addition, MARTA is displaying its restored historical 1955 bus across from Dr. King’s Birth Home today, serving as a poignant reminder of Rosa Parks’ courageous stand that ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

The partnership between MARTA and The King Center spans more than a decade, reflecting a shared commitment to celebrating Dr. King’s legacy through community engagement and public service.

For more information about the 2026 King Holiday Observance, visitThe King Center’s website.

 

king bus

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