ATLANTA — The MARTA train station at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport closed early Monday morning, a move that will impact as many as 11,000 passengers every day for the next six weeks.
The station closed for renovations, the first major facelift since the station opened in 1988.
For anyone who depends on public transportation, trains will now terminate at the College Park station, where shuttles will deliver passengers to the lower level of Hartsfield’s North Terminal. That’s also where passengers can catch a shuttle to College Park to continue their travels by train.
MARTA says anyone who plans to use public transportation to the airport should add 30 minutes to their trip.
For those who don’t want to deal with all of that, there are plenty of options.
On the west side of the Domestic Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson, there are taxis and hotel shuttles waiting at the ground transportation area. There are also “shared ride” shuttles.
“I used to always drive myself,” said Jennifer Curran as she waited for a shared ride shuttle to her home in Gwinnett County. “The parking got so bad and I found it so much easier to take a shuttle.”
For $45 each way, she shares a van ride with others.
“What you pay for the ride you would pay for in parking, especially if you’re gone for more than a few days” said Curran.
The cost of a shared ride shuttle depends on where you’re going. A trip downtown is $16.50 a person one way. There are shared ride shuttles that go as far as Athens and Birmingham.
While MARTA trains will temporarily stop running to the airport, the SkyTrain will still get you to the terminal. It will give you a ride to and from the ATL West Parking Deck. The ride is free. Parking in the deck is $16 a day.
The SkyTrain connects you to the Georgia International Convention Center, the Gateway Center Arena, and several hotels.
There are shuttles that connect you to parking lots on airport property as well as off-site lots.
For Jennifer Curran, there’s nothing like a van ride home.
“I can listen to podcasts or read my book,” said Curran.
If she ever has a change of heart, she knows she’s got options.