Trip Planner

So while out of commission I’ve been relying a lot on public transportation. Well, okay, just the MARTA train. I was tempted to finally brave the buses, but given that I do actually own a car and that MARTA thinks that a bus that comes every thirty minutes counts as something worth shouting about (rather than a shameful lack of frequency) I ended up sticking to rail. Luckily I live and work on the train, so I’ve been able to get where I need to go without driving.

MARTA, contrary to the claims of its many boneheaded detractors, is wonderful, at least when compared to the alternative (using a car). But it’s less wonderful when compared to what it could be. To wit, this map, devised by the good people at Citizens for Progressive Transit:

This is what the Atlanta transit system should look like (in zoomable detail here), as opposed to its current pitiful number of rail lines.

CFPT also has an Atlanta non-driver’s trip planner: simply enter your destination, along with whether you will cycle, walk, use transit or some combination thereof, and it will tell you which buses and trains to catch, or how long your walk or ride will be, together with the route. Needless to say, biking is usually fastest.