public transport options - northern suburbs to midtown (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: spring break, lease)

[nyc2020]

Hi. Hoping someone can help. Alpharetta/johns creek is one of our options for a detached home. If i need to be in midtown by 8 am, what are my options? What will the drive in be like? What if i wanted to take a bus or train? I'd prefer not to have to transfer, so would want the bus to go all the way, or i would drive to a bus or rail where i wouldn't have to transfer to another mode of transport.

[ATLTJL]

The drive will be awful.

Your choice is to sit in traffic and complain like everybody else or navigate a complex bus system that will take even longer for your trip because buses have to make stops and sit in traffic like everybody else.

There is a train you can pick up at North Springs. But most people find that by the time they park, walk to the platform, and wait for a train, they didn't make it into town any faster than people who just stayed on the highway and drove.

You simply don't have good options at this point for using mass transit to get into town from North Fulton. If that's important to you, I recommend looking somewhere on the MARTA train line.

[primaltech]

There's no way to avoid a mode transfer, unless you drive all the way to work. If you do that, prepare to be out the door by 6am.

And you will probably need to leave at 6am no matter how you get there. Maybe 6:30 at the latest, if you're lucky. But personally what I would do (if you absolutely insist on living in Alpharetta/Johns Creek area), is park at one of the 2 MARTA park&rides in N Fulton (at Windward Pkwy or Mansell Rd). From there you can ride a bus (that sits in traffic) to the northernmost MARTA station which is North Springs, which is in Sandy Springs down near 285. Or you can try to drive to that station, but that's not usually much faster than just driving into Midtown. But it depends on the parking situation at work.

Also depends on exactly where your home is. If you're right off 141 on the east side of Johns Creek area, then 141/PIB/Peachtree Rd all the way in is probably your best bet. (And still will be heavy traffic unless you leave real early.)

I would use the bus/train not because it's faster or more convenient, but because it will be the least stressful option, IMO.

[cwkimbro]

From there, you drive.

If.you really want to use a commuter bus there are other good nearby options in the north metro.
Routes | Xpress

Gwinnett and Cobb counties also have commuter buses not listed here run by the county.

[primaltech]

There are no buses (by any name) that go from North Fulton direct to Midtown, though. They all transfer at MARTA North Springs or Chamblee rail stations, which run down to Midtown.

So unless you live within walking distance of a bus stop, taking transit will require either 2 transfers (car to bus, bus to train), or horrible, terrible traffic on 400, and one transfer to rail at North Springs (if you're lucky enough to get a parking space, I've heard it fills up.)

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by nyc2020

Hi. Hoping someone can help. Alpharetta/johns creek is one of our options for a detached home. If i need to be in midtown by 8 am, what are my options? What will the drive in be like?

I'm not going to sugarcoat it, the drive in will just pretty much be downright hellish on many days.

Georgia 400 southbound is a challenge during many morning rush hour commutes (particularly after about 6:45-7am) and is only expected to worsen as construction ramps up on the massive project to rebuild the outdated and outmoded I-285/GA 400 interchange over the next 3-4 years.

Traffic congestion generally is more intense (worse) throughout the entire north side of Atlanta metro when grade school is in session.

Traffic congestion intensifies even further (often into total gridlock) around extended holiday weekends and vacation periods (Spring Break, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years) when hundreds-of-thousands of additional motorists from out-of-state use the Interstate system through the Atlanta area to travel to and from resort areas in Florida and along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Honestly, a daily rush hour commute between Alpharetta/Johns Creek and Midtown Atlanta is not a commute that I would recommend, especially if one will be driving.

Originally Posted by nyc2020

What if i wanted to take a bus or train? I'd prefer not to have to transfer, so would want the bus to go all the way, or i would drive to a bus or rail where i wouldn't have to transfer to another mode of transport.

Using a bus (and/or train) to commute between Alpharetta/Johns Creek and Midtown Atlanta without a transfer is not an option.

Like other posters have stated, if you want to use transit to commute into Midtown Atlanta from Alpharetta/Johns Creek by way of the Georgia 400 corridor, you would have to board a MARTA express/commuter bus at either the Windward Parkway or Mansell Road Park & Ride lots and ride the bus to the North Springs MARTA Station where you would transfer to the MARTA Red Line train to ride the rest of the way into Midtown Atlanta.

There is also an express-commuter bus/MARTA Heavy Rail Transit option into Midtown Atlanta by way of GRTA Xpress Route 408 (Johns Creek to Chamblee) along the Georgia 141 corridor which runs through the Johns Creek area on the east side of North Fulton County.

GRTA Xpress Route 408 Johns Creek to Chamblee operates very limited commuter bus service during morning and evening rush hours between Emory Hospital and the Doraville MARTA Station.

The problem for you is that this bus route will be pretty much totally useless to you because the bus only runs twice during morning rush hour and that both times will be too late for you to use to get to your place of work in Midtown Atlanta by 8am.

The first southbound GRTA Xpress Route 408 bus is not even schedule to arrive at the Chamblee MARTA Station (where you would have to transfer to the MARTA Gold Line train to ride the rest of the way into Midtown Atlanta) until 7:59 AM!... And that's if traffic is not a problem.

As far as driving goes, the Georgia 141 corridor is a possible alternative to commuting into and out of the city on a perennially congested Georgia 400 route... Though Georgia 141 often experiences traffic congestion of its own, particularly during morning rush hours.

Like other posters have stated, if you wanted to commute between Alpharetta/Johns Creek and your job in Midtown Atlanta on a daily basis, you would probably have to be out the door by around 6am or so if you wanted to make it to work by 8am.

[ATLTJL]

I'd just like to add that since there's really nothing you can do about the commute, consider the following options:

1) Negotiate flex time. Get it in writing from your boss that you can work 7a-3p, or 11a-7p, or something similar. A lot of employers say they have flex time, but in their mind that just means you can arrive any time between 8 and 8:30am. Unhelpful. If you go in at 7am, you'll miss most of the traffic. Of course, it's not worth anything if you can't leave by 3pm in return.

2) Look at houses that are much closer to your office and/or on the MARTA line. If you're not already in Atlanta, rethink it. A lot of people move here for the lower cost of living....but when you factor in the real cost of living for the places you have to live to avoid spending 3 hours a day in your car, you may discover that you actually have a much better life where you already are.

3) Negotiate work from home. Even the terrible commute is workable if you know that one or two days a week you can work from home!

4) Find a new job. It's not unheard of for people to quit jobs because they are so difficult to get to. For some, it makes more sense to find a job close to home than to try to find a home close to work.

5) Consider a location that will allow you to take I-85 into work. Look at Suwanee, Duluth, and the far east side of Johns Creek where you can get to I-85. Then, at least you can lease or buy an electric car and ride in the toll and carpool lane your entire way to work. I did this. I won't say it makes it a ton better, but it does shave off 10-15 minutes each way a lot of the time. It generally shifts things from completely miserable to slightly bearable. GA 400 may have toll lanes some day, but that's a long ways off. Oh, you can do the same for East Cobb....I think I-75 is building toll lanes already. Not sure when they will be done, someone here can tell you I'm sure.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

The drive will be awful.

Your choice is to sit in traffic and complain like everybody else or navigate a complex bus system that will take even longer for your trip because buses have to make stops and sit in traffic like everybody else.

There is a train you can pick up at North Springs. But most people find that by the time they park, walk to the platform, and wait for a train, they didn't make it into town any faster than people who just stayed on the highway and drove.

You simply don't have good options at this point for using mass transit to get into town from North Fulton. If that's important to you, I recommend looking somewhere on the MARTA train line.

In all fairness, why is the drive considered "awful"? Driving allows you to live 30 miles from your job, and to have a sizable home with plenty of elbow room at a reasonable price. You can come and go on your own schedule, and run errands along the way if you so choose. You can travel in comfort, luxury and privacy.

And honestly, what do folks expect? 30 miles is the width of two good sized counties. We certainly have every right to live that far from where we go to work each day. But if that's our choice, can anyone bemoan the fact that it takes an hour or so?

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

5) Consider a location that will allow you to take I-85 into work. Look at Suwanee, Duluth, and the far east side of Johns Creek where you can get to I-85. Then, at least you can lease or buy an electric car and ride in the toll and carpool lane your entire way to work. I did this. I won't say it makes it a ton better, but it does shave off 10-15 minutes each way a lot of the time. It generally shifts things from completely miserable to slightly bearable. GA 400 may have toll lanes some day, but that's a long ways off. Oh, you can do the same for East Cobb....I think I-75 is building toll lanes already. Not sure when they will be done, someone here can tell you I'm sure.

The Interstate 75/575 toll lanes through Cobb and Cherokee counties (a project officially known as the "Georgia Northwest Corridor Express Lanes") is scheduled to open to traffic sometime next year during the Spring or Summer of 2018.

Northwest Corridor (Georgia Northwest Corridor Express Lanes)

From the link above:

The Northwest Corridor project will improve travel in the I-75/I-575 corridor by adding 29.7 miles of express lanes along I-75 from Akers Mill Rd to Hickory Grove Road and along I-575 from I-75 to Sixes Road. Two Express lanes will be built to the west of the existing lanes along I-75 between I-285 and I-575. From that interchange, one express lane will be added along I-75 north to Hickory Grove Road and one express lane will be added along I-575 to Sixes Road.

http://www.dot.ga.gov/DriveSmart/GEL.../FAQs/FAQs.pdf
(Georgia Northwest Corridor Express Lanes/Frequently Asked Questions)

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by arjay57

In all fairness, why is the drive considered "awful"? Driving allows you to live 30 miles from your job, and to have a sizable home with plenty of elbow room at a reasonable price. You can come and go on your own schedule, and run errands along the way if you so choose. You can travel in comfort, luxury and privacy.

And honestly, what do folks expect? 30 miles is the width of two good sized counties. We certainly have every right to live that far from where we go to work each day. But if that's our choice, can anyone bemoan the fact that it takes an hour or so?

It doesn't take "an hour or so", arjay. It will waste 4 hours out of your day, which is 20 hours of your week, which is over 1000 hours of each year. Just sitting there in a steel cage with your foot pressing a brake pedal.

How is that not awful? That's awful. It doesn't matter if the house is nice, your quality of life takes a huge hit.