Metro of Atlanta

Metros in the United States: MARTA (The Atlanta Metro)

The city of Atlanta is the capital of the state of Georgia in the United States. With a population of around 450,000 inhabitants, this is the most populated city of Georgia. Atlanta has a strong economy, which puts it in the top 10 cities in the United States with the highest GDP. Atlanta’s airport is the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. This airport has the highest number of passengers in the world.

Public transportation in Atlanta consists of buses, a tramway, an interstate railroad service, and the metro. The interstate railroad service is provided by Amtrak National Railroad. The metro service, as well as a bus line, is operated by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).

History

The Metro was proposed as a way to give transportation to the original five counties of Atlanta. The MARTA association was created on 1965 in order to build the metro. The process of obtaining the funds and the political support to create MARTA took over six years. Afterwards, the construction of the metro began on 1975.

The Atlanta Metro was inaugurated on June 30th, 1979. It took over $790 million to build it. The first line to be inaugurated was the Blue Line. The Red, Gold, and Green lines were inaugurated on 1996, 1981, and 1992 respectively.

There were some stations that were in the original plan that had to be discarded. Some of the stations that could not be built were going to be in the regions of Hopeville, West Highlands, North Druid Hills, Emory University, among others.

Lines and stations

The MARTA has four lines and 38 stations. The lines are: the Red Line, the Blue Line, the Gold Line, and the Green Line.

- Red Line: It has the following 19 stations:

1) North Springs: It is located at 7010 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30328. There are over 2300 parking spots. The buses available at this station are: 85, 87, 140, 141, 143, and 185. It has one island platform. This is one of the terminals of the Red Line.

2) Dunwoody: It is located at 1200 Hammond Drive, 30328. There are over 1000 parking spots in this station. The buses from Xpress and buses 5, 87, and 150 from MARTA are available. It was inaugurated on June 8th, 1996. It has over 3500 passengers per day.

3) Sandy Springs: It is located at 1101 Mount Vernon Highway, 30338. There are around 1040 parking spots. You can transfer to bus 148. It was inaugurated on December 16, 2000. There are 10 spots where you can park your bike. This station is located underground.

4) Buckhead: Located at 3360 Peachtree Road, Northeast, 30326. You can transfer to buses from Buckhead Uptown and bus 110 from MARTA. Parking services are not offered. It was inaugurated on June 8th, 1996. Over 2000 passengers per day use this station.

5) Medical Center: Located at 5711 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, Northeast, 30342. There are over 250 parking spots. However, you cannot park your car for more than 24 hours. You can transfer to bus 25. It has two side platforms. There are six spots where you can park your bike.

6) Arts Center: It is located at 1255 West Peachtree Street, 30309. There are around 30 parking spots. There are connections available to buses from Atlantic Station, Amtrak, Xpress, CobbLINC, GCT, and MARTA buses 37 and 110.

7) Lindbergh Center: Located at 2424 Piedmont Road, Northeast, 30324. Bicycle repairing facilities are nearby. Here, you can make transfers to buses from Xpress and buses 5, 6, 27, 30, and 39 from MARTA. There are over 2500 parking spots.

8) North Avenue: Located at 713 West Peachtree Street, Northwest, 30308. There is no parking available. You can repair your bicycle at the nearby repairing facilities. It offers connections to the following buses: 1, 2, 26, 99, 102, and buses from Xpress, GCT, and CobbLINC.

9) Midtown: Located at 41 Tenth Street Northeast, 30309. There is parking available, but only in a few spots. It offers connections to buses from GCT, CobbLINC, GT Trolley, and Xpress, as well as MARTA buses 12, 27, 36, and 109. It has two side platforms.

10) Civic Center: Located at 435 West Peachtree Street, Northwest. There is no parking available. It offers connections to buses from Emory Shuttle, CobbLINC, Megabus, Xpress, and GCT. It has two side platforms.

11) Five Points: Located at 30 Alabama Street, Southwest, 30303. You will find bicycle repairing facilities nearby. You can make connections to buses from CobbLINC, Xpress, and GCT, as well as buses 3, 13, 32, 42, 49, 51, 74, and 155 from MARTA.

12) Peachtree Center: Located at 216 Peachtree Street, Northeast, 30303. This station is underground. There is no parking nor buses available. It was inaugurated on September 11, 1982. Some scenes from the movie “The Heavenly Kid” were filmed here.

13) West End: It is located at 680 Lee Street, Southwest, 30310. It has over 450 parking spots. Bicycle repairing facilities are available. You can transfer to the following buses: 67, 68, 71, 81, and 95. It has two side platforms.

14) Garnett: It is located at 225 Peachtree Street, Southwest, 30303. There is no parking available. Although there are no MARTA buses available, there is a nearby Greyhound bus station. It was inaugurated on December 4, 1981. Over 1500 people per day use this station.

15) Lakewood/Fort McPherson: Located at 2020 Lee Street, Southwest, 30310. It has around 1000 parking spots. You can transfer to the following buses: 42, 178, and 183. It was inaugurated on December 15th, 1984. It has around 2000 passengers per day.

16) Oakland City: It is located at 1400 Lee Street, Southwest, 30310. It has over 400 parking spots. You can make connections to the following buses: 79, 83, 162, and 172. It has a daily ridership of around 4000 people.

17) College Park: Located at 3800 Main Street, 30337. It has over 2000 parking spots. It makes connections to the following buses: 82, 89, 172, 180, 181, 189, 195, and 196. The southern end of this platform is wider than its northern end.

18) East Point: Located at 2848 East Main Street, East Point, 30344. It has over 1000 parking spots. Here you will find facilities to repair your bicycle. It offers connections to the following buses: 78, 79, 84, 93, 193, and 194.

19) Airport: Located at 6000 South Terminal Parkway, 30337. It was inaugurated on June 18th, 1988. It has one island platform. It makes connections to bus 191. This station is above ground. It has a weekly ridership of around 9000 passengers.

- Blue Line: This line has the following 15 stations:

1) Hamilton E. Holmes: This is one of the terminals of the Blue Line.

2) Ashby: It is located at 65 Joseph E Lowery Boulevard, 30314.

3) West Lake: It is located at 80 Anderson Avenue, Southwest, 30314.

4) Dome-GWCC-Philip Arena-CNN Station: It is located at 100 Centennial Olympic Park, 30303.

5) Vine City: It is located at 502 Rhodes Street, Northwest, 30314.

6) Georgia State: It is located at 170 Piedmont Avenue, 30303.

7) Five Points:**

8) Inman Park/Reynoldstown: It is located at 1055 DeKalb Avenue, Northeast, 30307.

9) King Memorial: It is located at 377 Decatur Street, Southeast, 30312.

10) East Lake: It is located at 2260 College Avenue, 30307. There are around 1100 parking spots.

11) Edgewood/Candler Park: It is located at 1475 DeKalb Avenue, Northeast, 30307.

12) Avondale: It is located at 915 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, 30030. There are around 700 parking spots available. It offers transfers to buses 75, 114, 120, and 125. One place of interest nearby is Toco-Hills Shopping Plaza.

13) Decatur: It is located at 400 Church Street, 30030. There is no parking available.

14) Kensington: It is located at 3350 Kensington Road, 30032. There are around 1900 parking spots. You can transfer to buses 8, 21, 86, 107, 117, 119, 121, and 221 from MARTA. It was inaugurated on June 26th, 1993.

15) Indian Creek: It is located at 3901 Durham Park Road, 30083. It is one of the terminals of the Blue Line. It offers over 2300 parking spots. You can transfer to buses 24, 111, 115, 116, and 119.

- Gold Line: It has the following 18 stations:

1) Doraville: It is located at 6000 New Peachtree Road, 30340. It has over 1250 parking spots. You can transfer to buses from Xpress and GCT, as well as buses 25, 39, 104, and 124 from MARTA. It is one of the terminals of the Gold Line.

2) Brookhaven/Oglethorpe: It is located at 4047 Peachtree Road, Northeast, 30319. It has over 1400 parking spots. It offers connections to buses 8, 25, and 47. It is located above ground. This station was previously called Brookhaven.

3) Chamblee: It is located at 5200 New Peachtree Road, 30341. It has over 1100 parking spots available. It makes connections to the following buses: 19, 33, 47, 103, 126, and 132. It was inaugurated on December 19, 1987.

4) Lindbergh Center:**

5) Lenox: It is located at 955 East Paces Ferry Road, Northeast, 30326. There are around 530 parking spots. You can make connections to buses 25, 33, and 110. It was inaugurated on December 15, 1984. The station code for this station is NE7, but it previously was N7.

6) Midtown :**

7) Arts Center:**

8) Civic Center:**

9) North Avenue:**

10) Five Points:**

11) Peachtree Center:**

12) West End:**

13) Garnett:**

14) Oakland City:**

15) Lakewood/Fort McPherson:**

16) College Park:**

17) East Point:**

18) Airport:**

- Green Line: It has the following 9 stations:

1) Bankhead: It is located at 1335 Donald Hollowell Parkway, 30318. It has around 10 parking spots. It offers connections to the following buses: 26, 50, and 58. Its name may be changed to “Donald Lee Hollowell” station.

2) Vine City:**

3) Ashby:**

4) Five Points:**

5) Dome/Philips Arena:**

6) Georgia State:**

7) Inman Park/Reynoldstown:**

8) King Memorial:**

9) Edgewood/Candler Park.:**

** Read above.

MARTA connections

The metro makes connections to many bus services, which offer transportation outside of Atlanta. The metro makes connections to the following buses:

• 1) MARTA’s own bus line.
• 2) GCT from Gwinnett County.
• 3) Conn LINC from Cobb County.
• 4) Xpress from GRTA.
• 5) Emory University Shuttles from Emory University.
• 6) BUC from Buckhead Uptown Connection.
• 7) CATS from Cherokee County.
• 8) Stinger Shuttles from Georgia Tech.
• 9) Atlantic Station Free Ride from Atlantic Station.

Connection to the airport

The metro goes directly to the airport. Airport station, the station from Red and Gold line, is located at the southern terminus of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Schedule, calendar, and timetables

- Frequencies of departure:
• 1) 6:00 am to 9:00 am: 10 minutes.
• 2) 9:00 am to 3:00 pm: 12 minutes.
• 3) 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm = 10 minutes.
• 4) 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm = 12 to 15 minutes.
• 5) 8:00 pm until the rest of the day: 20 minutes.

- Opening and closing times: The opening and closing times for each station are the following:
• North Springs: 5:38 am – 2:08 am.
• Dunwoody: 5:34 am – 2:04 am.
• Sandy Springs: 5:36 am – 2:06 am.
• Buckhead: 5:27 am – 1:57 am.
• Medical Center: 5:32 am – 2:02 am.
• Arts Center: 5:19 am – 8:54 pm.
• Lindbergh Center: 5:23 am – 1:53 am.
• North Avenue: 5:16 am – 8:51 pm.
• Midtown: 5:17 am – 8:52 pm.
• Civic Center: 5:14 am – 8:49 pm.
• Five Points Station: 5:12 am – 8:47 pm.
• Peachtree Center: 5:13 am – 8:48 pm.
• West End: 5:07 am – 8:42 pm
• Garnett: 5:09 am – 8:44 pm.
• Lakewood/Fort McPherson: 5:03 am – 8:38 pm.
• Oakland City: 5:05 am – 8:40 pm.
• College Park: 4:57 am – 8:32 pm.
• East Point: 5:00 am – 8:35 pm.
• Airport: 4:55 am – 8:30 pm.

Prices, tickets, and cards

- Tickets:

• 1) Single Ride = $2.50.
• 2) Seniors, people with Medicare card and people with disabilities: $1.
• 3) MARTA Mobility.
• 4) MARTA Passes: 1 Day ($9), 2 Days ($14), 3 Days ($16), Four Days ($19), 7 Days ($23.75), 10 Trips ($25), 20 Trips ($42.50), and 30 Days ($95).
• 5) University Pass Programs: $68.50 or $83.80, depending on the program bought.
• 6) Breeze Tickets: $1.

Note: Children below 47 inches of height travel for free.

- Cards: The card for the metro is known as the Breeze card, which costs $2. You can load as much cash as you want on it.

Tips in MARTA

You can make transfers from the metro to MARTA’s buses or from the buses to the metro. To transfer from a bus to the metro, pay the bus with the Breeze Card. Then, exit the bus and board the metro, and pay for the ride with the same card. However, if you paid for the bus ride with cash instead of the Breeze Card, you will also need to tap the Breeze Card in the bus. This way, you will be able to still get your free transfer once you exit the bus and board the metro.

Learn the metro’s schedule beforehand, since waiting for a train can take longer than in most metro services in the United States.

The metro does not offer rides to most stations from the airport after 8:30 pm. You will only be able to go to Lindbergh Center station at this hour, which offers rides to the following stations: Medical Center station, Buckhead station, Sandy Springs station, Dunwoody station, and North Springs station. If you wish to travel to any other station at 8:30 pm from Lindbergh Center station, first, go to North Springs station. Then, go to any station that you wish.

Rules

• 1) Toilets at stations are open from 6:00 am until 7:00 pm. The toilet in Five Points Station is open from 6:00 am until 10:00 pm.
• 2) You are only allowed to eat at stations.
• 3) You shall not drink any beverages from a container without a lid.
• 4) You can only bring guns to the metro if you have a license to carry guns.
• 5) You can listen to music as long as you use earphones or if you listen to it at a low volume.
• 6) Littering is prohibited.
• 7) The only animals that you can bring to the metro are small animals inside cages, police dogs, and guide dogs.
• 8) Smoking is not allowed within the metro’s facilities.
• 9) It is illegal to write graffiti anywhere near the metro’s facilities.
• 10) Begging is prohibited.

A Rookie's Guide to Riding the MARTA Train

Fun facts

• 1) The metro gets its electricity (over 700 volts) from a third rail.
• 2) All trains have air conditioning.
• 3) The metro’s railway is 1.44 meters wide.
• 4) Peachtree Center Station has the most creative architectural design of all the MARTA stations.
• 5) Old rail cars make one beeping sound when their doors open and close. Meanwhile, the newer rail cars make four beeping sounds when the metro’s doors open and close.
• 6) There is a museum with a collection of old trains from the metro at a museum called the Southeastern Railway Museum. It is located at 3595 Buford Highway, Duluth, Georgia, 30096. It costs $8 to enter the museum.

Future expansions

All the stations in the future will have speakers that announce on real time whenever a train arrives or departs. New customer service offices will be built at the following stations: Doraville, Bankhead, Airport, and Indian Creek.

Nearby attractions

Five Points Station and Dome-GWCC-Philips Arena-CNN Station will be used as reference points. Some of the touristic attractions near these two metro stations are the following:

1) Atlanta History Center: The trip lasts 10 minutes. From Five Points Station, board the metro in the Gold Line, and travel towards Doraville Station during five minutes. Get off at Midtown Station. Then, walk 450 feet from 10th Street towards the east. Finally, from Crescent Avenue Northeast, walk 170 feet towards 990 Peachtree Street Northeast.

2) Piedmont Park: The trip lasts 20 minutes. From Five Points Station, board the metro in the Gold Line, and head towards Doraville Station during five minutes. Get off at Midtown station. Finally, from 10th Street Northeast, walk 0.5 miles to Piedmont Avenue Northeast.

3) The Fox Theater: The trip lasts 12 minutes. From Five Points Station, board the metro in the Red Line, and travel towards North Springs station during five minutes. Get off at North Avenue Station. Walk from West Peachtree Street Northwest to Ponce de Leon Avenue Northeast. Finally, walk to 660 Peachtree Street Northeast.

4) Oakland Cemetery: The trip lasts 15 minutes. From Dome-GWCC-Philip Arena-CNN Station, board the metro in the Green Line, and travel towards Candler Park Station during five minutes. Get off at King Memorial Station. Walk from Service Road to Grant Street Southeast, and then to Biggers Street Southeast. Next, walk to George Street Southeast, and then to Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southeast. Finally, walk towards 248 Oakland Avenue.

5) Michael C Carlos Museum: The trip lasts 30 minutes. From Dome-GWCC-Philips Arena-CNN station, board the metro’s Blue Line, and head towards Indian Creek Station during 8 minutes. Get off at Inman Park-Reynoldstown station. Next, walk to Inman Park-Reynoldstown Station-North Loop. Board bus 6 at Emory, and head towards Route 6-Lindbergh station during 15 minutes. Get off at North Decatur Road North East at South Oxford Road Northeast. Next, from North Decatur Road, walk to Dowman Drive. Finally, walk to South Kilgo Circle.