#marta trip

[meonmarta]

Just like last weekend, taking MARTA out to a “remote” location, going to a station I’m not sure I’ve ever really stopped at and taking a bus I have definitely never taken. Let’s see how it goes.

[meonmarta]

Hauling home groceries from the Sage Hill Kroger to Downtown via Route 16, like I sometimes do. Managed to get $110 worth of stuff into three (heavy) bags.

[meonmarta]

Quick Trip: Avondale Estates to Five Points

I was at a concert at Avondale. When my friend Jez found out I was going to be taking the bus home, she offered to give me a ride to the Avondale Station, what she did after a concert back in December. But I told her this time I really wanted to check out the transit connection.

It worked beautifully! Left the theater at 11, walked over to the bus stop at Laredo and Clarendon and sure enough, just as Google Maps promised, the 8 Kensington bus appeared at 11:05 on the dot. In maybe seven minutes I was at the station and a minute later the westbound train pulled in. I walked in the lobby of my building in Downtown Atlanta at 11:35. That’s really good time, if you ask me.

Meanwhile, I once again took Lyft TO the concert from my work, as Google Maps showed the door-to-door travel time on that as 70-80 minutes. That’s absurd, right? I took Lyft and got there in 30 min for $5 plus tip. OK by me.

[meonmarta]

Sometimes Lyft is better

Over the past couple of years, I’ve become a regular user of Lyft. It used to be that I used MARTA and/or hoofed it for EVERYTHING but now that I have the option of getting a ride when needed. Sometimes I get Lyft in conjunction with MARTA — taking the train to a station, then Lyft because the bus isn’t convenient — and other times I’ll just flat-out take it Point A to Point B, because the MARTA trip is going to SUCK.

It’s Friday night and I’m on my way from my office at Emory out to Avondale Estates, where I have plans for dinner and a concert. Originally I had planned to take MARTA. But then I Google Mapped it and it’s over and hour and includes a mile walk. (There’s a bus but it’s not worth taking or waiting on, it’s so short.) It’s in the 30s. But... OK... I was going to do it. Got the route recommendation, said to catch Route 6 around 5. But when I went out and checked the MARTA app, the 6 going to the East-West line wasn’t coming til 5:25. By the time I got to the train it’d be 6, then I’d have to ride to Avondale and then walk. I’d be there 45 min. - 1 hr. later than I wanted. So I checked Lyft. Using Ride, I can get there for $8 in about 40 minutes and no freezing my ass off. I can enjoy dinner. If a bus is headed back to Avondale station afterward I’ll take it.