Posts by Studio Nomad

Riding MARTA & the ASAP Shuttle: A Beginner’s Guide

We know you’re anxious to start shopping, dining, or hanging out at Atlantic Station. How will you get there? What’s the trip like? Read this beginner’s guide to Atlanta’s local transit solution—MARTA—and the free ASAP Shuttle to get yourself there in a snap.  

 

What’s the best way to get to Atlantic Station? 

Skip the traffic: you can get to Atlantic Station easily by taking MARTA rail and the ASAP shuttle. Use the MARTA trip planner to find an easy route to the Arts Center train stop, the closest stop to Atlantic Station. 

Once you exit the train at Arts Center, head to the bus loop to catch the free ASAP shuttle. Just look for the signs at its pickup point on the loop, then wait up to 15 minutes. Track the shuttle’s live location and view the route map here.  

 

How do I pay for MARTA? 

Get a MARTA Breeze card on your phone by downloading the Breeze 2.0 mobile app, or in person at any MARTA train station. Each ride costs $2.50 and includes a free transfer onto MARTA buses as you exit the station (or vice versa).  

To get your Breeze card at the station, use the self-service Breeze card vending machines by the entryway. There, you can get a temporary Breeze ticket for $1 or a reusable Breeze card for $2. Then, you can pre-pay for as many trips as you’ll need.  

Buy a Breeze ticket if… 

  • You’re only in Atlanta for a short time—they expire after 90 days. 
  • You won’t need to reload the fare on your ticket.  
  • You plan on taking a day’s worth or less of MARTA trips.   

Buy a Breeze card if… 

  • You’ll need to ride MARTA for multiple days. 
  • You want to reload your fares as you go.  
  • You’ll want to check how much fare is on your card at breezecard.com.  

 

How do I get on the MARTA train?

Once you’ve got your Breeze Card, enter the station by tapping it at the turnstile. Keep it handy—you’ll need to tap again to leave. 

Take the Red or Gold line towards Arts Center Station. Depending on where you’re at, you’ll need to take the North or South-bound train. Use the MARTA trip planner to check your route, or one of the route maps at the MARTA station. 

MARTA trains usually run about every 20 minutes. Keep an eye on your train’s estimated arrival time with the digital screens above each stop.  

When the train arrives, hop on and relax until Arts Center is announced! You can watch for the next stop displayed in the front of each car.  

 

Where do I get off? 

The ASAP shuttle runs from MARTA’s Arts Center station. Click here for the station’s latest arrival times, plus what’s available at your stop.  

  

How do I take the ASAP shuttle? 

Once you exit the train at MARTA’s Arts Center station, follow the Bus and Shuttle signs to the free ASAP shuttle. Just look for the ASAP signs at its pickup point, then wait up to 15 minutes! Track the shuttle’s live location and view the route map here. 

To reach Atlantic Station, get off at Atlantic Drive, the second stop. The retail, restaurants, and events will be waiting right ahead. 

 

Where do I go from here? 

Heading out? We’ve got you covered. Use our map of the Atlantic Station area and transit routes to find your next destination or follow these steps to an Atlanta hot spot: 

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Why Atlantic Station Commuters Are Clearing the Air for the Atlanta Region

Improving air quality is a crucial step towards a better future, and 339 Atlantic Station commuters are making a change for the better by participating in the “Million Air Challenge.” This challenge aims to remove one million pounds of emissions from Atlanta’s air. Because of continued efforts like these, the air quality continues to get better each year. Here are some of the benefits this challenge provides:

 

Better Air for the Entire Community

Every time you choose to use a green commute, you make a significant impact on reducing pollution and improving Atlanta air quality. This doesn’t just benefit you, but your neighbors as well. By taking part in this challenge, you’ll also be paving the way for a better, healthier future for everybody. Learn more about the state of Metropolitan Atlanta’s air quality here.

 

Better Overall Health

One easy way to improve air quality is to opt for more active ways of commuting like biking or walking. Walking and biking boosts cardiovascular health, reduces the risk of heart diseases and helps in maintaining a healthy weight. Additionally, walking and biking allow you to spend more time outdoors, which promotes mental health and reduces stress levels.

 

Better Commuting Routine

If you’re not quite ready for an active commute, public transit and carpooling are excellent options that can also add some variety to your daily routine. It’s worth considering and trying something new, and you might even find that you enjoy the change of pace!

 

Win Prizes for Trips You Already Take

By registering for the challenge and tracking your clean commutes through the GA Commute App, you’ll have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes, including gift cards, cash, and goods from local businesses. These trips can be tracked whether you are carpooling, vanpooling, riding transit or teleworking, which are all the best driving alternatives available to you. Not everyone has a friend or co-worker who lives nearby and can carpool with them, and the app makes this process simpler than ever. Now that you understand the impact you can have from participating in this challenge, it’s time for you to take action- you can reap the benefits and earn rewards along the way. Let’s continue working together towards a healthier future with cleaner air!

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How Atlantic Station Keeps Its Air Clean

Atlantic Station is at the heart of Atlanta, with some of the best restaurants and retail the city has to offer, alongside its many homes and office buildings. A community like this has a lot of opportunities to keep the air clean, and Atlantic Station is taking advantage of them.

Here are some of the ways the Atlantic Station community does its part for sustainability and clean air.

Walkable Design

Atlantic Station was developed to be people-first—not car-first. Homes, offices, and retail spaces are all within walking or biking distance of each other, making Atlantic Station a true walkable community.

This means that simply by nature of its design, Atlantic Station takes cars off the road. By some estimates, the convenience of car-free travel in the district removes 75 tons of CO2 from the air each day.

The Atlantic Station Access Program

To further reduce the amount of driving needed to access Atlantic Station, the Atlantic Station Access Program (ASAP) helps commuters get to and from Atlantic Station via green travel.

ASAP works with Atlantic Station employers to help their employees find clean commutes, including walking, biking, carpooling, or taking transit. With ASAP’s help, employers can then incentivize clean commutes by offering rewards to people who take them. ASAP also helps employers manage telework and hybrid work policies so employees don’t need to drive into work every day.

Shuttle Buses

While Atlantic Station is walkable, getting from the nearest MARTA station to the heart of the neighborhood can be a little far. That’s why Atlantic Station and ASAP have introduced shuttle buses that take people from the Arts Center MARTA Station to central Atlantic Station. This shuttle bus transports an estimated 746 riders each month.

Bike and Scooter Rentals

For people who want to easily get around Atlantic Station without having to walk, there’s a Relay bike rental station located at District Ave. and 17th Street. Atlantic Station has also recently partnered with scooter providers and designated five different locations for scooter drop-offs and pick-ups.

Biking and scootering make for fun and healthy alternatives from driving across the neighborhood to another.

LED Lights

In addition to taking cars off the road, air quality is also dependent on responsible energy usage. This means committing to energy efficiency. For example, Atlantic Station has converted over 300 pole lights to LED bulbs. LED lights are 80% more efficient than traditional bulbs, reducing the emissions created from the neighborhood’s electricity generation.

 

As a walkable neighborhood with a lot of options for getting around, Atlantic Station reduces air pollution by design—and with the help of ASAP, the neighborhood is growing more environmentally friendly by the day.

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4 Reasons to Join the Million Air Challenge

Atlanta’s air quality could stand to get better. In its 2022 “State of the Air” report, the American Lung Association gave Atlanta an F for ozone levels and said it was the city with the 37th-highest rate of particle pollution in the nation.

The good news is that our air quality gets a little better every year thanks to the efforts of Atlantans choosing more sustainable ways to get around. This August, we at Perimeter Connects invite you to join those efforts by taking part in the “Million Air Challenge”: a challenge to collectively offset one million pounds of CO2 by choosing a green way to travel.

Here are a few reasons why this challenge is worth doing:

1. To Reduce Pollution

The most obvious—and most important—reason to join the challenge is to reduce the pollution in our city. Every pound of CO2 you offset by choosing a green commute leads to less particulate pollution, lower levels of harmful ozone chemicals, and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. You and your neighbors will all be able to breathe easier.

2. To Improve Your Health

Sitting in the car doesn’t do much for your health, but walking or biking can be great exercise. In that way, doing good for the planet can be good for you, too. Not only that, but cleaner air leads to better health for everyone.

3. To Try Out a New Commute

Have you ever wondered if transit would be more efficient than driving, or a carpool more fun? This is your chance to try out a different form of commuting that you otherwise may not have gotten around to. Chances are you’ll find something you like.

4. To Win Prizes

While clean air is its own reward, we want to reward you in a more literal way, too. Everyone who signs up for the challenge and logs their clean commutes will be entered to exciting prizes, from gift cards to donated items from local businesses.

Whatever your reason, the Million Air Challenge is sure to be a fun and rewarding time. Register now to be a part of Atlanta’s journey to better air.

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5 Facts About Atlanta’s Air Quality

Historically, air quality in the Atlanta metropolitan area hasn’t been great. But that fate isn’t set in stone. In fact, every year Atlanta’s air quality gets a little better, proving that change is always possible.

Here are five things to know about the state of Metropolitan Atlanta’s air quality.

1) Poor Air Quality Can Impact Our Health

Air-born pollutants can have significant health consequences, especially for children, the elderly, and people with existing respiratory conditions.

Microscopic particles emitted by pollutants can burrow in the lungs or even blood, according to the CDC, while high ozone levels can be damaging to people with respiratory conditions like asthma. Reducing pollution is an important way to help everyone in our community stay healthy.

2) Atlanta Ranks Second in Pollution Emitted by Vehicles

It’s estimated that Atlanta ranks second nationally for most air pollution specifically from motor vehicles. Collectively, Atlantans drive upwards of 100 million miles a day, and the average daily commute is 34.2 miles, the fourth-highest driving distance in the country.

3) Atlanta’s Air Quality Gets Better Every Year—But There’s Still Work to Do

The 2022 State of the Air report released by the American Lung Association found that Atlanta’s air quality gets a little better every year. During the time frame covered by this report, Atlanta had the fewest ever days of unhealthily high ozone. Particle pollution was also at its best rate ever.

Despite these gains, though, Atlanta still received an “F” from the ALA for ozone pollution levels. The city is on the right track, but there’s still much to do.

4) Air Quality Can Worsen During the Summer

Ozone forms when other pollutants combine in heat and sunlight, so ozone pollution levels go up during the summer. Fortunately, the summer is also one of the best seasons for walking or biking, so Atlantans can mitigate this issue by choosing alternate forms of travel.

5) Getting Vehicles Off the Road Is Important for Clean Air

With so much of Atlanta’s pollution coming from motor vehicles, getting cars off the road is one of the most important things Atlantans can do to help improve air quality. You can do your part—while enjoying spending less time stuck in traffic—by walking, biking, carpooling, or taking transit.

Every year, Atlanta’s air gets a little bit better. If we all work together to get vehicles off the roads, we can keep this trend going.

We are doing our part to keep our neighborhood’s air clean. Click here to learn how—and see what you can do to help.

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