But the instructions don’t say “take train going to North Springs” or “take train going to Doraville.” They say “take Red Train” or “take Gold Train.” My recommendation is to put the train identifier (its color) in the electric signs on the sides of the trains. You have to look, pay attention, and KNOW as to whether the train you’re boarding is going to North Springs or Doraville. Going back north, however, is another story. Going south to Five Points is not a concern, as there is no way to find yourself at the wrong destination. On your apps and Google Maps, riders are referred to ride (for example) the Red Train or the Gold Train.

Totally way less stress (as dealing with all that crap is the bus driver’s job), and the trip is often comparable in time with taking your own car, sometimes even shorter (as the interstate is sometimes gridlocked and the trains zip along at, estimating here, 80 miles an hour without a hitch). Better than dealing with Atlanta traffic, working to find a parking place, and then having to pay for parking in most areas of Atlanta. Why? Only a couple of drawbacks, but a heck of a lot of perks. Would I recommend it to a friend? Already did. Sad, that it is.įinal Call: Would I use MARTA again? Shoot, yeah. Note: while I was there, I did encounter two men working to replace their urine detection system in one of the elevators – yes, that’s a real thing evidently. In a wheelchair, however, you haven’t got any options about it. If you are ambulatory, unless you’re pushing a baby carriage or tugging around luggage, you won’t really have to encounter this funk as most people use the stairs (or escalators, where available). Some smelled distinctly like urinals, others smelled distinctly like fresh, not-yet-used port-a-potties. The elevators, however, were a mixed-bag. The trains and buses (I was there for a week and used MARTA six of the seven days there) did not smell like urine. What about the stench? Many people have this belief that public transit smells like urine. However, having used the Breeze card, the transfer didn’t cost me anything, and I was able to ride to and from the Zoo for only $5 instead ($2.50 to the Zoo, $2.50 from the Zoo). To get there without the Breeze card would have cost me $5 ($2.50 for the train and then $2.50 for the bus). For instance, I got on the Red Train at the Dunwoody Station in Sandy Springs, road it to the Five Points Station in downtown Atlanta, and transferred to a bus to go to Zoo Atlanta for the day. They can also be charged on the computer or smart phone.) Also, if you have to transfer trains or buses, you don’t have to pay a separate fare each time within the 3-hour window of the first leg of your trip, and at $2.50 per, that adds up quickly. (Purchasing trips on the card can be done with cash at these vending-machine-things with as much as a $20-bill, and you will get real change back. It has a one-time $2 up-front cost, but rechargeable, so you don’t have to carry around with you exact change, etc. Using the MARTA Breeze Card: I totally recommend that you get and use the Breeze Card. In my case, it was assistance – got my wheelchair caught in their gates, the doors all tangled up in my armrests I didn’t know you had to go through so fast. However, if you need help, they did have in-house phones located throughout that could be used to ask for information and/or assistance. I rarely saw MARTA employees except at Five Points Station. Staff: The YouTube videos suggest that MARTA employees were virtually everywhere and very accessible. I also enjoyed the fact that MARTA buses run 12:30 and trains run to 1 am! – I didn’t feel like I had to keep steady watch of the time, allowing me to enjoy myself.

During the weekend, it did confuse me a little, when I had to change trains to go to downtown Atlanta from Sandy Springs (transferred trains at the Lindbergh Station) as MARTA provides only half-services on weekends – 20 minutes between trains and 30 minutes most buses, 1 hr between other buses.

I only wish they had more informative videos on how to use the system in a wheelchair, not just the trains, but the buses too.įrequency and Hours of Service: Most buses and trains run every 15 minutes (some buses only every 30 minutes) during the week. Fortunately, I had the notion of watching some informative videos on YouTube about how to use their system before leaving for Atlanta. Especially if you come from a small city, like I do, where the mass transit is barely functioning and an often-neglected part of the infrastructure. MARTA is Atlanta area’s mass transit, or public transportation system.

Marta atlanta airport to north springs