atlanta information

Getting Around

Subway

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)

MARTA, the city's main public transit system, has always been unpopular because it is expensive ($1.75), inefficient and covers only a tiny portion of the metropolitan area. (A major track-renovation programme is underway until 2007, assuming the system does not run out of money.)

But MARTA is useful for getting to and from the airport. A ride from the Five Points station, in downtown, to the airport, takes only about 25 minutes. The city can be explored (albeit slowly) by MARTA, since Buckhead and Decatur both have stations. Buses are infrequent and irregular.

Taxis

There is no one set of licensed cabs; a variety of companies all charge similar prices: about $20 from downtown to the airport, about $25 from Midtown, and $30-40 from Buckhead. Sadly, there is no guarantee that your driver will know where to take you, so come armed with a good set of directions. Not all cab companies go to all parts of the city. Hotels and bars will generally be happy to call a cab for you.
Atlanta Checker Cab Company: +1 (404) 367-9762
Atlanta Lenox Taxi: +1 (404) 872-2600
Atlanta Midtown Yellow Cab: +1 (404) 881-0134
Courtesy Cab: +1 (404) 681-2282
Peach Cab Company: +1 (404) 881-1715
Yellow Cab of Georgia: +1 (404) 522-0200

Driving

Driving is the easiest and most efficient way to get around the city, especially if travelling beyond the city limits, and the best way to experience Atlanta as the locals do. The major rental car companies (Hertz, Enterprise, Alamo and Dollar) all have offices at the airport.

Standard American driving rules apply: right turns at a red light and left turns at a green light are permitted unless a sign says otherwise. Traffic generally runs 10 miles faster than the posted speed limit except in residential areas and in front of schools. On the interstates, stay to the rightmost lane unless you're willing to go 65 mph or faster; anything over 75 might attract police attention. Lanes marked with diamonds are high-occupancy vehicle lanes, and require at least two people in the car to drive in them.

The Georgia Department of Transportation offers a website with real-time traffic maps. Rush hour lasts from about 7am-9am and 3.30pm-6.30pm. The only toll road, Georgia-400, runs north from the city centre, charges $.50 for an ordinary car, and does not require exact change. If you break down on the interstate, call *368 from a mobile phone; a Highway Emergency Response Operator (naffly acronymed HERO) will help you get to the side of the road and call a tow truck.

posted by none @ 7:37 AM