Atlanta is known as one of the most highly congested cities in America. Why? Because a huge portion of people living in surrounding communities work in Atlanta but only a fraction actually live in the city. How do I know this? I was just there last week for the Association of Commuter Transportation (ACT) Conference. While I spent time with the international congregation of Rideshare goo-roos, and local Antlantans, my head was filled with ideas on how to share the ride and improve the way we get around in San Luis Obispo--- without our cars.
Although Atlanta has a bad reputation for traffic, I fell in love with their train system. The MARTA is like most underground rail systems in major cities. It follows the direct of path freeway and has split-offs that serve major neighborhoods. Determined not to set foot in a car or taxi during my week stay, I used the MARTA. Despite its misconceptions, the MARTA was clean, frequent, and easy to use and I meet several nice people during my rides. While I was waiting five minutes for my train, and traveling at high speeds to my destination, those driving alone were waiting twice as long, grid locked in traffic. Therefore, the myth that driving alone is more convenient was definitely proven wrong here. So, cheers to public transportation. Atlanta, you don’t have it so bad after all.
-Morgen