I caught the train thinking it would beat traffic but the trains are ALWAYS delayed and ALWAYS have technical issues. You will get to work faster driving in traffic. I have been riding Marta trains since a teenager. The fares have went up drastically but the customer service has significantly DECREASED in quality over the years. Whoever is responsible for the trains running efficiently need help. Everyday of the week there are technical issues and delays with the blue and red lines. read more

Riding MARTA is not bad, but make sure you do not load your breeze card online. It states when adding money to your card online, you will be able to use the breeze card in 3 hrs. When I tried to use it 9 1/2 hours later it showed I didn't have any money on the card. I attempted 33 1/2 hours later and it still didn't work. I called MARTA this morning and gave them my order number, the representative stated she couldn't find it. She stated it will take another 1-2 business days and someone will call me. However, the money was taken from my credit card immediately!! DO NOT ADD MONEY TO YOUR MARTA CARD ONLINE! It is such an inconvenience. read more

I hate marta they tell you to be early to the bus stop but they don't come on there either early or late the driver are rude and ive been stuck I don't know how many times because of marta read more

Unexpectedly stranded without a car (thankfully intown), I turned down my mom's offer to borrow hers and decided to thoroughly depend on the public transit system. I always use the train to get to the airport without incident--but how would would I fare taking the bus to the train and another bus to various destinations? It wasn't too bad, but was not without incident. I used the bus schedule to figure out when I needed to get to the stop, unfortunately the bus came a good 5 minutes early, and I just barely missed it. My advice would be to get there there early just in case. Now the next bus, which should have arrived 25 minutes later, was 8 minutes late. So there was about a 33 minute wait between arrivals, when it should have been 20 minutes. That's not too big of a deal when you consider Atlanta traffic, I figure it's hard to regulate, but worth noting. The train itself is fine, speedy, and the scrolling updates at the train stations informing you of your train's ETA are comforting. At some point I had a question about where to go to transfer to the No. 1 bus from the Five Points station. I asked an attendant and she was barely helpful. She proceeded to tersely explain where I needed to go, but because of a lack of eye contact and acknowledgment, I didn't even realize she was talking to me. So I sort of wandered around until I figured it out. That bus was around 20 minutes late. That night, I took the bus home from the North Avenue Station and an obviously thoroughly intoxicated man was stretched out on three seats in front of me. He took to making inappropriate comments to me that increased in frequency and volume as I ignored him. When he mentioned that he had a gun, and that he was about to take it out of his pocket, the driver pulled over and yelled at him to get off the bus. It was a scene, man. The guy across from me and I exchanged, "Well, this is awkward" looks and watched it go down. The homeless (I'd imagine) man, and the bus driver argued for a good while, and then the bus driver darted out of the bus saying that he'd get the police. The drunk man finally left the bus and stumbled down the street. Regrettably, the inappropriate comments didn't end with this man's expulsion, so if you're a woman, be prepared. The train gets a solid thumbs up, and the bus experience, a thumbs down, so I'll give MARTA 2.5 stars. read more

Marta Breeze card customer service department is a joke. I purchased a Cobb local 10 ride on the 15th of October 2019. I was able to use it for 1 trip, after that,I had issues. So i called customer service to have them look into the problem on the 18th. well on the 30th, i get a call informing me that they have issued me a cash value of $16.20. I wanted to know why they could not just transfer the remaining 9 trips onto my new card. They tell me some bull S&* about the card was broken. The breeze card is a scam, whenever you load funds onto your card it never is applied to where it is suppose to be applied: Example, i was traveling to H.E Holmes daily, and from Cobb to that location to board another bus is an automatic transfer. NOT, Marta bus drivers were requesting I pay $2.50, when in fact it should be a transfer, first issue. Second issue, I was told by Marta customer service that in order to get back from Atlanta to Marietta I would have to load $2.50 for the trip back and a transfer would be included, ok, did that. Well the issue is after loading the $7.50 for a weeks of returns back to Cobb, I noticed that in the morning at H.E. Holmes the breeze card did not decline me access, Why you nay ask? It was taking the $2.50 from my card instead of the automatic transfer. Had to call Marta customer service and complain about my cash being taken when in fact it should not have been. They investigated, had to refund me back my cash trips. Wake up Atlanta and pay careful attention to your balance, if not you are being ROBBED, the breeze card is a total scam. I don't give a crap about what Marta is recommending, I will never ever use the breeze card once my trips are finished. All cash. If you don't want to believe this review, start checking your Breeze balance and you will see exactly what I am sharing with you. Peace out! read more

It's old and rundown looking, but it got me where I needed to go. The entrance turnstiles were. . . broken? or something? So I paid $1.75 to go one way, but had to shell out $2.25 to go back. ?? The roaches made way for me on my way down the stairs (they were as big as the mice I saw on the street!), which I thought was kind of them. I almost laughed out loud when I saw my first. . . security guard? I don't know, but there are uniformed men that look like they're on a happiness safari. They wear white with goofy hats and wave and coo at children. I suppose if there was a problem they'd hug everyone until it was all calm again. I was totally entranced by how deep the escalators go (it's like the Tube in London!) and that the walls are naked rock. I had a brief moment of panic - a la The Descent (http://imdb.com/title/tt0435625/) but it passed and I was fine. It doesn't look like there are very many lines, and while I don't know the city very well, I can't imagine this is too helpful in getting around. read more

After reading the reviews it it clear...Ya'll Do Not Like MARTA. But I guess I have a different MARTA experience. I moved here from Los Angeles where public transportation is TRULY a joke! You are looking at a 2hr bus ride for a 10 mile trip. When I first relocated to Atlanta I lived in Dunwoody, I loved riding the MARTA to work (North Springs to Midtown) it gave me some time in the morning to check my blackberry and read the paper. I also love riding the MARTA to the Underground bars when I have every intention of getting a little buzzed. My best MARTA experience was New Years Eve...a MARTA train filled with drunk happy people, you can't get that in Los Angeles! I don't care what anyone says...MARTA really is smarter! read more

Okay, I feel like I am defending the "special" kid in class every time someone rails against MARTA. Sure, it has its problems (smells, hit or miss punctuality) but you all are missing the bigger picture. MARTA tries, the stations are IMMACULATE, the maps easy to read and use, bus schedules actually designed w/ traffic in mind. I love the extra 20 minutes on my commute to read, listen to my ipod, or work. We can't legitimately talk about easing traffic if we aren't all participating in the things we know that will make traffic better. The more people use MARTA the better it will get! More money in fares equals the things you say you all want for MARTA. It is the only major transit system that gets no money from the state. So be that pioneer! I challenge everyone on this board to take MARTA one day a week to their job. Every little bit helps and who wants to make fun of the "special" kid. read more

Marta train station and inside of the train needs to be clean due to bad smell.Marta bus services are good but not train. I am a daily communicator from winward Alpharetta read more

Absolutely love the Marta for trips to/from the airport! Convenient, safe, clean, and - most importantly, cheap $2.50 one-way vs the $45 cab ride/shuttle! When a newcomer to Atlanta, I listened to people say 'the MARTA isn't safe, you'll meet shady characters, etc.' One night, I flew into Atlanta Hartsfield at 9PM - and a cabdriver followed me, saying 'A young woman at the MARTA at this time?! Bad mistake!' I was approached by eight cab drivers at the airport close to the MARTA entrance. Most were aggressive and rough. I ended up hiring a cab - BAD MISTAKE - the driver was sleazy, creepy, and he had a God- complex - meaning the entire trip he told me he had been chosen by God to travel to the US from Nigeria to spread God's word through the Bible. He then went on and on about his concern for my soul, and how he can predict the future. He even told me about miracles he had performed - how he had saved so many souls, how is a godsend. I was frankly scared - I am not into thundering voices and other theatrics. When I finally got home, I gave him $40, and he said that because he is a chosen man of God I should tip him $5. I gave him $5 thinking he looked scary and now knew where I was staying. That was the last time I took a cab from the airport. I've been on the MARTA trains and buses as late as 11:30 PM - folks keep to themselves. The Train has been very convenient for me. I do suggest that you check schedules before making the trip - the MARTA trip planner is great so I only have a 5 minute wait between train and bus. Great service. read more

I like the concept of Public Transportation. I just wish Atlanta invested more into MARTA. As someone who commutes downtown regularly, MARTA is a great way to avoid traffic and parking fees. I can read, listen to music, avoid making eye contact with the crazies... not a bad experience, for the most part. Lately, though, wait times have increased. Fares have risen. MARTA doesn't go everywhere I need it to... the train, at least. I try to avoid the bus whenever possible, cuz it takes too darn long! So, as a frequent-but-not-daily MARTA commuter, I give it 2.75 stars. It could be lots better, but it ain't terrible. read more

Busses are always late and when you say something to the driver about it they want to stop the bus and get out they seat and try and fight you because you stated they were late when it's freezing outside or they tell you "get a car" . But overall Some MARTA bus drivers are real cool I always catch the 126 and the bus that was running late which was the 125 didn't want to stop or blow the horn to the other bus driver so I had to wave my hands and luckily the bus driver who bus I always board on the 126 saw me and stop the bus for me to board to make it to work on time. And when getting off the bus the driver from the 125 stated "go get a car" when I stated that he could have blew his horn when I asked so the bus could stop read more

I remember when regular ppl used to ride the Marta. I remember when Marta used to be an enjoyable ride. Now mostly homeless ppl ride the Marta train now. They bring their blankets on and take their shoes off. Every time I get on it it stinks to high Heaven. A lot of mentally ill ppl ride it as well. WiFi barely works. I didn't get a signal until I got to the end of my route 8 stops later. Oh and a woman was smoking crack on the train about a month ago. I was sitting behind her. She bent way down and I saw smoke come up with no smell. I got up and stood on the other end. The crack head got off when another woman and her kids got on and sat behind her. You have to go from machine to machine to load your fare card because they are raggedy. They closed the bathrooms in most of the stations nine years ago and most of us have had to piss on the elevator ever since. There's no place for paying customers to even use the bathroom except five points and at the end of the lines. Elevators are pissy everyday. I told my guests not to place their bags on the floor and don't lean on elevator walls. ALL PISSY. I even saw two big chunks of feces on the seat I almost sat down in one day - on both seats. Male riders disrespect you and get up in your face if you don't give them your phone number. Only poor ppl ride the Marta. They even cut my bus route 37 off for over a year leaving me to have to walk 10 blocks to the train station each day with osteoarthritis all up and down the right side of my body in all kinds of weather. And let's not mention the bad attitudes from the station attendants and drivers. They get away with treating us like shit because they know if we knock their asses clear across the seven seas that's a felony. We were trapped in a pissy elevator at Lakewood Ft Mcpherson in the HOT SUMMER of 2019. Marta couldn't let us out! We had to wait on Marta police who said "she'll be ok", no the fk I won't! I have asthma! THEY couldn't let us out either. They had to call the fire department. 30 minutes of not being able to breathe or sit down. Again I have osteoarthritis and can't stand for long. Needless to say, I haven't rode an elevator since. I am so fed up with Marta. I get my car in less than a month. I couldn't be happier! I'll gladly pay a car note, insurance, parking, emissions fees and hell I'll even risk paying a citation ticket! All of those things scared me at first, like where will I get the money for all of this? I only have to pay $2 round trip but as of lately anything is better than Marta! I'll never ride it again! read more

Ugh. Just, ugh. MARTA is an absolutely terrible transit system. I've ridden it for over ten years, so I've seen it change and evolve - for the worse. Prices continually go up, service gets continually cut back, and nothing ever seems to get any better. The Breeze system would be great, except it loses fares constantly...the cards bug out on you and lose your fares, the machines glitch out and lose your fares, the bus fare-purchase system screws up and you lose your fares. I have had to pay $4 or even $6 for ONE TRIP before because of this. And MARTA seems absolutely content with letting this happen. Once, I boarded a bus and told the driver I needed to add $5 to my card. Following his prompts, I tapped my card, inserted my bill, tapped again to add the money, then tapped again to take off one fare. Rode the bus to the station, tapped to get into the station, and...surprise! The gate told me there was no money on my card. Not even one dollar. I tried again, and it said the same thing. So I went back to the bus driver, who basically told me that I was shit outta luck, and that if I wanted any sort of refund I'd have to go down to Five Points, wait in a really long line, and hope that they'd believe me (since obviously the buses can't give receipts). He was nice enough to let me into the station for "free", and scribble a hasty note for me to hand to the ladies at the Five Points Ride Store. I was on my way to work so of course I couldn't go all the way down to Five Points to wait in a really long line that day. I went on my next day off, a few days later, and not only did the ladies there interrogate me about WHY I didn't come down there right when it happened (um, some people use MARTA because they have, you know, places to go?), but they also seemed extremely hesitant to give me ANY money back. As it was, I got only $3 back...but spent FOUR DOLLARS getting down there to GET my $3. Despite having called previously to make sure that my trip would be refunded. I never go down to Five Points. I never go further south than Lindbergh. This was An Inconvenience for me, and yet because I wanted the refund I had to lose an EXTRA dollar and several hours because THEIR SYSTEM messed up? I should have just eaten the three lost dollars and saved myself a trip down there - I'd have come out ahead. This isn't an isolated incident. I've had many similar experiences - during the snow storm back in January, Lenox Mall decided to open for just thirty minutes (a separate rant about poor business management!), and I was scheduled to open the store that day. So I go to the station, buy a round trip, MARTA up there, and open my store. Lenox management decides to shut the mall down only half an hour later, so I close my store and head back to MARTA, where - surprise! - the gate gives me an error message (could not read card, or something). I tap again to try to get into the station, and get the same error message. I call MARTA customer service, who assure me that an employee is on the way. Thirty minutes later, I call back because nobody has arrived. They tell me that the employee is at the station right now and is "probably walking up to me". Um, except not. I wait another fifteen minutes, at which point I'm wondering why I didn't take the homeless guy's offer to get me into the station for free, and FINALLY the MARTA employee shows up to tell me...that I have to just buy another trip. I show her my receipt, and she says, "Well you could have used that trip already". So in less than an hour, she thinks I've gone from Lindbergh, to somewhere else (where?? everything was closed because of the snow!), and then all the way back to Lenox? Yeah, no. What are receipts for, if they don't actually prevent the system from taking your money?! I feel like I've rambled on long enough about how much MARTA sucks, without even describing all of my horror stories. I haven't even touched on buses that just don't come, buses that DO come but breeze right on by you as you stand at the bus stop waving your arms desperately to flag the bus down, roaches on the buses, (human) creepers on the trains, vomit, urine, drunken hobos, etc. etc. Some of that stuff could be overlooked if the system actually WORKED, but it doesn't, so it's just adding insult to injury. This is NOT New York. This is NOT a mass transit city. Just go buy a car, please. It'll save you a lot of headaches. read more

We were bringing a group of Girl Scouts to see the CHOA Christmas Parade, we attempted to park our 15 passage bus at the Lakewood Station we were told by 2 of MARTA's finest(HA) that we were not able to park there they told us that they would fine us and we were willing to pay the small fine(anything not to drive the bus downtown) however they go on to say we might tow you if we feel like it. No were is it posted no bus parking, in the lot that had tons of empty parking spaces. Really MARTA!! I guess that fare from each of those girl scouts and adults doesn't mean that much to you. We take MARTA often to go from the southside to downtown hardly any problems with the system however the MARTA police is a different story, always rude and disrespectful. read more

I take Marta everyday to work and it's never reliable. I can't even count how many times I have been late to work because something wasn't right on Marta. Also the hand for the exit fell on my car and scratched the entire thing. If I had any other choice of getting to work I would use it. read more

I personally like MARTA. The other people that review MARTA and complain about the homeless are out of their minds! Are you serious about your bitching about the guy asking for change? You live in a city. Pure and simple you suburban drones. What don't you get? Try going to work packed like a sardine with a guy rapping in your ear, all the while grasping for a pole to grab because the conductor just called everyone on the train a bunch of assholes for holding the doors open and now he has decided to go mach 3 to the next stop... then slam on the brakes while complaining over the loudspeaker that his girlfriend didn't give him any booty this morning and that's the reason why we have pissed him off. You think I'm kidding? That's a true story. And there are many more like it. MARTA is clean, the attendant at my station says "Hi" to me every morning because he remembers me. There is actually zero to none homeless people comparatively. I just wish it was more accessible to the rest of the city other than just downtown and the airport. Sorry I swear in my reviews, i just think it adds a bit of "je ne sais quoi!" Plus, the conductor really did call us that. read more

MARTA (Moving Andrew Rapidly Through Atlanta). Because of the recent gasoline shortage and pricing ridiculousness, I had decided to begin giving MARTA a try. Now, I have been taking them from time to time to get to the airport from the Midtown station (10th and W. Peachtree), so I did know what I was getting myself into, with the train component. However, I tried out three of the bus routes to get myself around midtown, downtown, and then home to grant park. I had a mixed experience overall, so I will rate individual components separately. (out of 5 stars) **** Cost...a lot cheaper than many around the country ***** Payment method and transfer system. (the breeze card with auto transfer is near perfect). *** Navigating the website to plan bus route (pretty good, but should really connect with a system like nextbus.com so that the routes can get automatically updated (and checked while waiting at the platform). Also, one of the stops that was suggested was horrible! * Choice of some stops: I was told to get off at Mitchell and Peachtree to wait for the #9. I did this, and waited and waited and waited. I wasn't so bothered by the wait, but was completely bothered by the stop. It was getting dark, and I was starting to feel uncomfortable as groups of teens (some with Tats on their foreheads) were hanging around me (in front and back of me), and eyeing each other back and forth. I was uncomfortable. This was a bad stop! Then, when the bus came by, apparently I was at the wrong stand (kitty corner to the one that the bus was going to). Well, I didn't make it there in time so I walked home. This was from just south of the Underground, to east Grant Park. The only frightening part was that stop that I was starting at. It looks like the #9 also stops at 5pts, so in the future, I will wait there for the bus. ** Signage at stops. Most of the stops just show a bus stop sign, not denoting which buses stop there. If they were clearly marked my issue downtown (see above) could have been much better. However, I would have still been waiting in a much less than good neighborhood. read more

I have always wanted to see what it's like riding another subway system. It's not worth it unless you're going to/from the airport. Service is slow, especially on weekends. Get a Breeze Card if you are riding the buses. Cash is accepted, but you will not get a transfer. The $2.50 single ride is ridiculous for real. read more

The system of its size does not have a restroom available for passengers at each station. You rarely see officers on patrolling the train frequently. The only times i see police officers are during events, and they generally are on the north which is predominately a certain color. Although service to the airport is good. It want matter if basic service like being able to use the restroom at each station is implemented. Sometimes the small of other people urinated at the station could be solved if you had restrooms available. Also the stations signage needs a serious painting job. read more

I think we need to do a few things to improve our system. 1. Expand RAIL service add a few more stations on the WEST line at least to Fulton industrial Blvd & Six Flags Park. Create a NORTH WEST line up I-75 corridor at least to Cumberland Vinings perhaps Marietta area. NORTH EAST line up GA-400 corridor past North Springs to Mansell Rd in Alpharetta. EAST line to at least Stonecrest Mall along I-20 East corridor, NORTH EAST line past Doraville and extend at least to Norcross or Duluth area along I-85 corridor & SOUTH line past the airport to Fairburn Georgia along I-85 south corridor. Overall our transit system is wonderful but we need to support growth of our metropolitan area and minimize traffic. Its time for our transit system to spread its wings & upgrade tunnels & stations to include upgraded technology such as cell phone signal strength under the tunnels & wifi in some areas. Its time to advance to current times and also the system should run 24 hours 7 days a week under a skeleton crew so citizens can commute back and forth, other transit systems run 24 hours. I think it will be better for ALL of us. Atlanta is an international city and one of the main areas in the southeast, its time to make it happen. Thank you Brian S. read more

Now they're $2.50 per fare and have cut back on routes. Talk about scam, scam, scam. Yes they still suck.

If BART and MARTA were dating, I'd say BART was getting the better deal. For the city the size of Atlanta, I expected MARTA to be as dirty or dirtier than BART. Not so! In an attempt to catch an earlier flight back to the bay area, my colleague and I hopped on MARTA instead of sitting in traffic. The train was super clean, fast and cheap. Oh ya, and air conditioned! Since this was my only MARTA experience, I can't speak to the frequency of the tains except to say that but without planning ahead, we were able to catch a train in less than 5 minutes. read more

Very unprofessional staff who's extremely rude and extremely unconsistent service. You may often noticed train with the wrong destination listed on the signs and the constantly are experiencing delays. Five Points Station is beyond disgusting and don't get me started on the lack of radio etiquette. read more

Not only has MARTA cut even more routes but they are raising prices AGAIN to $2.50 per trip. Not to mention the transit system hasn't gotten any safer for riders; buses or trains. Avoid this system if possible...it isn't worth it. read more

MARTA is not cute, fancy, or clean...nor is it anywhere NEAR better than NYC or Philly (sorry deluded yelpers). While it does offer some form of transportation across the city to those that would otherwise be without, its access is limited, and schedules are not condusive to getting across town with minimal amount of time (unlike NYC). The trains almost always have an at least faint urine smell, and I'm almost always uncomfortable riding that thing read more

Marta routinely allows drivers to stop during peak periods (7am, 4pm, etc) to get dinner. they leave the bus running with doors open and are gone from 5-10minutes. How is this safe or customer friendly? My recent complaint to MARTA: MARTA customer service (no name provided) called my cell yesterday and told me (1) that my complaint for a month ago was reviewed and the driver was scolded, and (2) the driver did nothing wrong. Thus, I asked "why scold the driver if they did nothing wrong" and I asked for "an email explaining this with a copy of the driver policy that allows them to take lunch breaks during peak driving periods". At this point the person hung up the phone and did not provide any information and an email was not forthcoming.What kind of customer service is this? I wish (1) a full explanation on the policy that allows drivers to take lunch breaks during peak periods, and (2) why customer service misconstrues information received and provides faulty information. read more

I hear peopl complain about the MARTA, but it is nicer than the poor excuse for public transit that many cities have. If you disagree, try to get around Baton rouge using public transit. read more

Y'all have the best transit (train) system I have ever used. If you took the T in Boston you'd laugh. Quick, efficient and easy to navigate. I loved it..oh and it was cheap! read more

We use MARTA when we need to get to the ATL airport. Have never had an issue until 01/06/2010, And it pains me to say Car 312 smelled like the previous passengers were horses...honestly the car smelled like horse *&^%. OMG, it was the most horrible smell. Believe me, MARTA has been informed of this unfortunate experience. Thankfully a few days later when we used MARTA again to get back to midtown, this car was clean smelling. read more

What can I say about MARTA that hasn't already been said? I suppose it's better than nothing but it needs some major improvements. "Ride Team Members" and security guards are nowhere to be found on the trains or stations. The TVs they installed on the trains and buses was money wasted and they need to run more often during rush hour. They also need to explain to their bus drivers that it's not safe to talk on your cell phone while driving. One time the train inexplicably stopped for a full hour between stations. The operator made no announcements and did not answer calls from the passengers. Was he dead? Was the train sabotaged? Were we under attack from terrorists? Who knows? We never received an explanation. When we finally pulled in to the station we were told that the train was having "mechanical difficulties" and that we'd have to get out of the train and wait for the next one to come by. I ride MARTA because we have only one car and I have no choice. I expected better service from a public transportation system in a city as big as Atlanta. read more

Frequent delays and breakdowns. Unreliable if you have a flight or appointment. Allow lots of grace time!!

when i lived here, i loved marta. it was fast, reliable, and cheap. i would toss my bike on, go east, west, north, or south, and if it didn't drop me wherever i needed, i just hopped on my bike. this week i'm back to visit family and took the marta from the airport all the way north to the doraville station. the best thing about marta is you don't have to hassle with traffic. while soccer moms mock you for taking marta (sometimes called "murta", why i don't know as i've never heard of anyone getting murdered on marta), i am relaxing at my brothers home while they are stuck in the relentless atlanta traffic. you know, tempe just completed a light rail system and i think it's great. what i always find annoying are the suburbanites and helicopter moms (my brother and his wife included) who are so deathly afraid of public transportation. everytime i ride, they ask..."were you scared? there are some crazy people on that thing". meanwhile, i'm at greater risk of being run over by a mom in her giant escalade speeding through the trader joe's shopping plaza than i am of being harmed on public trasit. however, my red-state loving brother (bless his heart) carries a legally concealed weapon with him EVERYWHERE he goes....does suburbia do that to you? in any case, marta (or any mass transit) is always the way to go. don't be so scared people!!!!!! read more

Great system, user friendly, reasonable, clean. Great way to get to and from the airport as well as about town.

I rode MARTA all the time. But tonight, after coming back from ATL Pride, my car was stolen. I think I will never ride it again. :'(

Absolutely the BEST if you are visiting the city and staying downtown. We visited ATL over a 4 day period and got around the city entirely on MARTA. Taking public transportation on a vacation is an absolutely first and with the exception of the trip to the zoo - 40 minute bus ride..not my idea of a vacation - the subway systems is awesome. Wish PHX had gone this route. read more

Praise the Lord!!!! I have been looking for a way to vent my disguss with marta (I refuse to dignify the company by capitalizing the first letter of the name) for over a year since I got back from spending the last 10 years in Seattle. I have tried going through marta's website with my complaints but whatever the problem, marta's cus sev reps always come up with creative, albeit, irrational, ways to justify the situation. It's like having to report the sighting of a wolf in the barnyard to another wolf that's in the same barnyard for goodness sake!. What's the use? I recently had the misfortune of riding on the #186 Rainbow dr with a black woman driver who was caught up trying to explain to a couple of foreigners something or other. The foreigners continued to distract her with whatever by standing right near her and getting her to point out to them on a map some distination they were seeking. Not only were they being disrespectful to others on the bus but they were putting their lives, and the lives of others at risk. Incredibly they persisted while the driver was on I-20 doing about 70mph, and no one on the bus seemed to notice anything out of order but me. I was looking at the driver's eyes to see how long she was taking them off the road. When I realized she was blattently neglegent I decided to take action. But by the grace of God we managed to avoid an accident, and it had nothing to do with her driving ability. I was horrified that this was happening and immediately jumped up and moved just behind the driver's head and whispered, " I think maybe you should be paying more attention to the road." Then, all hell broke loose. She loudly directed her indignance at me and said, " you need to mind your #$$@&* business! If you needed help you would want me to help you. I haven't had an accident yet, have I? You need to just sit back there and shut up!" I thought to myself, " Duh, I would have never asked you for help by totally distracting you from your driving." I saw there was no getting through to her so I shut up, not for fear of her but because I was not going to give her the benefit of reducing me to her level. The sad thing about all this is that the passengers found her remarks amusing and burst out into laughter. I was incredulous. I quickly wrote down the bus number (a must if you want to report a driver) and noted the time of day. I was content to let her have the last laugh for now but I would have it later, I hoped. Yes, I would definitely report her. When I departed from the bus another departing passenger finally found the courage to agree with me. I found it interesting that he had nothing to say on the bus to support me. We both agreed we would report her and that was that. As fate would have it, the piece of paper I wrote the bus info on somehow disappeared. I was crushed! How could this happen? Are the gods also in on Marta's ambition to terrifiy and hold hostage anyone that's unfortunate enough to partronize her? The drivers are intimidating and disrespectful. The marta police are suspicious and overzelous in their duty and are there solely to look out for marta's best interest. They are Barney Fife incarnate, and are ready to lock you up, particularly if you happen to be black, at the least bit of righteous indignation. The marta administration is insensitive to any inappropriate behavior reported about their drivers by the public, which further breeds the arrogance and indifference displayed by the drivers who tend to think the buses are their own private pimpmobiles and they are doing you a favor by letting you ride. And then there are the poor black passengers who have been systematically beat down and conditioned to accept anything that marta wants to wash their faces in, whether it be manure or egg. This explained the behavior of the guy who departed the bus with me. Don't get me wrong, this is not a racist babbling by some non-black person. I myself am a black man, born and raised here. from the wrong side of the tracks. However, right is right and wrong is wrong. It has nothing to do with color or class. I think the only thing that can make marta more responsible is a boycott. Yes, I said boycott, and as soon as someone gets the nerve to put it together I will be right with them every chance I get. Is there anyone out there willing to take that lead? I know that most people choose to boycott marta by refusing to ride, which is what I choose to do also whenever possible. However, I don't always have that option. I don't have all the answers but I sure would welcome them. This has to stop, and it has to stop now! read more

I moved here long ago from a small Georgia town that still thinks public transit is a novelty. I could not have survived at times without MARTA. I am very pro-public/mass transit and a big fan of MARTA. I am most disappointed with MARTA when I return from a place with better public transit: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Chicago, Madrid, Philadelphia, New York City, Washington, D.C.. All of these places have public transit options that make a person long for real, grown-up public transit options in metro Atlanta. In conclusion, use it as much as possible, support MARTA, vote for MARTA funding, and be a squeaky wheel for MARTA expansion, but don't settle for it as is. read more

For my first-ever experience with the MARTA service in Atlanta, I can't say that I had a bad experience like previous reviewers have discussed. To make things more interesting, I used the MARTA on the day of a Thursday night football game where you know things had a possibility of getting hectic. Since I was going to be going to the Georgia Dome and back via the rail train, I got an all-round trip ticket from the self serve machine. Price was $4 for a ticket ($2 for single fare). Rail came on time and made it to the Vine City station stop in no time. Even on the way back from the game, I didn't have any issues, and the rail was CROWDED. One issue that I did have is the location of the closest MARTA stop in comparison to location. I stayed in Villa Rica, GA. The closest stop (Hamilton E Holmes) was about 40 minutes away if you take the highway. However, as the name indicates, the MARTA goes around Metropolitan Atlanta, which doesn't count Villa Rica. read more

Faster, cheaper, and much more enjoyable way to get to and from the airport. Dude---$2.25 each way! And the best part-not having to sit in some broke ass taxi gagging from the fumes! read more