Marta - Sandy Springs Station (buy, cost, airport)

[mich2fla]

I'm going to take the Marta train from the SS station to the airport early friday morning. From Abernathy road, I can see the 4-5 decks parking ramp. Never took the Marta before. I checked the website and I will need to get a ticket from the vending machines (breeze card or paper ticket). I plan on leaving my car at the SS Marta station for 4 days.

Once I get there and park my car, where do I go from there? Where are the vending machines? Any guidance would be appreciated!

[RainyRainyDay]

Vending machines are outside the station entrance. From your car, follow the signs saying "Station Entrance". There's frequently a MARTA employee by the machines, assisting customers. But the machines are fairly straightforward to use, anyway. If this is your first time using MARTA and you don't have a firm plan to use it lots more in future, it will probably make the most sense for you to just buy a ticket rather than investing in a Breeze card.

About paying for your parking: Follow the advice on the signs and take your parking ticket with you on your trip. Don't lose it! On your return, take the parking ticket to the cashier window near the station entrance and pay what you owe. If you leave the ticket in your car, you'll have to walk to your car to get it then back to the cashier to pay, then back to your car again before you can drive out of the station.

[testa50]

Are the tickets still reloadable?

If OP is going round trip, it's pretty easy to just buy the card with a preloaded round trip for $5 (the machines don't make it extremely clear that $5 for the card INCLUDES a round trip), and I think you come out the same as if you got the ticket. I'd say just get the MARTA card if you have any chance of ever taking it again.

[mich2fla]

I checked online and yes, the Breeze cards are reloadable. It cost a dollar plus whatever amount you want to add to the card. I will go that route and put 10 bucks on the card.

Another question: can I use the same Breeze card for 2 people? My wife is coming down later this month or next month. Just curious.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by mich2fla

I checked online and yes, the Breeze cards are reloadable. It cost a dollar plus whatever amount you want to add to the card. I will go that route and put 10 bucks on the card.

Another question: can I use the same Breeze card for 2 people? My wife is coming down later this month or next month. Just curious.

You're technically not supposed to, but if you're just using stored value it's no big deal. On the other hand, if you buy unlimited use (monthly, for example), then yeah, sharing your pass is basically stealing.

Of course, two people can't use them concurrently, and you need to scan the card to get out of the station at the end of your trip, so there's really no cheating on that one.

[PKCorey]

Originally Posted by mich2fla

I checked online and yes, the Breeze cards are reloadable. It cost a dollar plus whatever amount you want to add to the card. I will go that route and put 10 bucks on the card.

Another question: can I use the same Breeze card for 2 people? My wife is coming down later this month or next month. Just curious.

You can no longer reload the paper breeze cards.

Just pay the $1 for the hard card and keep it for future use.

You can't piggyback with 1 card. You are only allowed one entrance swipe every 15 or 30 mins.

[mich2fla]

Thanks everyone! I stopped by the SS Marta station, parked in the day lot, and walked to the station entrance. A kind worker showed me the vending machines which is right outside of the entrance...there's probably 4-5 of them. I decided to go with the reloadable Breeze card ($1.00) and added $10.00 worth of fares. It's good for 90 days. So I'm all set for the airport Friday morning.

Thanks again for your help!

[ATL Golfer]

Originally Posted by mich2fla

Thanks everyone! I stopped by the SS Marta station, parked in the day lot, and walked to the station entrance. A kind worker showed me the vending machines which is right outside of the entrance...there's probably 4-5 of them. I decided to go with the reloadable Breeze card ($1.00) and added $10.00 worth of fares. It's good for 90 days. So I'm all set for the airport Friday morning.

Thanks again for your help!

Funny that other people described certain actions a MARTA passenger which could be considered theft. When this right here, is the most blatant account of theft in this thread. There is no reason why a balance should expire other than MARTA wanting to steal from its passengers. If anyone can explain otherwise, I'm all ears.

[testa50]

Originally Posted by ATL Golfer

Funny that other people described certain actions a MARTA passenger which could be considered theft. When this right here, is the most blatant account of theft in this thread. There is no reason why a balance should expire other than MARTA wanting to steal from its passengers. If anyone can explain otherwise, I'm all ears.

Sharing an unlimited use pass is far more blantantly theft than having an expiring balance.

I agree that the expiring balance is BS, but it's stipulated upfront (evidently) and you agree to it by purchasing the pass. It's not theft. It may be stupid and annoying, just like pointless hidden bank fees are, but it's not theft.

On the other hand, didn't the government regulate the ability of companies to charge inactivity fees on gift cards for like a year or so? If so, it seems like it should apply to MARTA here. A stored value card is basically the same thing a a gift card.

[ATL Golfer]

Originally Posted by testa50

Sharing an unlimited use pass is far more blantantly theft than having an expiring balance.

I agree that the expiring balance is BS, but it's stipulated upfront (evidently) and you agree to it by purchasing the pass. It's not theft. It may be stupid and annoying, just like pointless hidden bank fees are, but it's not theft.

On the other hand, didn't the government regulate the ability of companies to charge inactivity fees on gift cards for like a year or so? If so, it seems like it should apply to MARTA here. A stored value card is basically the same thing a a gift card.

I'd have to disagree. The fact that they outright tell you they are stealing from you makes it more blatant in my book. But obviously I understand your point.