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Relocating to Atlanta GA – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

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Every really good city (well at least a Big city…..) needs an airport. And if you are looking for one big guy, you found it right here. Relocating to Atlanta GA – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport! 

Relocating to Atlanta GA – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

The name itself is quite a mouthful. ATL is the airport code used by airlines. Most locals call it Hartsfield International. Or Hartsfield Atlanta. No matter what you call it…you can call it big.

 

Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Relocating to Atlanta

  • 94+ Million Passengers Annually
  • 275,000 Daily Passengers
  • Two Terminals (See my comments below)
  • Five Runways ( I think a hotel was lost in one expansion)

Besides offering you a non-stop flight to almost any city you want to visit, the convenience of Hartsfield-Jackson is why Atlanta is such a choice city for Fortune 500 companies to call it home! Do the names The Home Depot, UPS , Coca-Cola and NCR sound familiar? And don’t forget that Atlanta and the airport are the global headquarters for Delta Air Lines.

The Layout of the Atlanta Airport

As I mentioned above, the airport only has TWO terminals, North and South. You just need to know which terminal based on the airline you are flying. (Delta pretty much owns the South Terminal!) But once you are in the airport, there is where people think it’s confusing, or not a user friendly airport. Once you check in, you then have to ride The Plane Train, which is an underground train running from the two main terminals to the SEVEN concourses (T, A, B, C, D, E and F) The new International Terminal (F) opened in 2012 at a cost of some $1.4 billion. I can remember arriving in that terminal once BEFORE the Plane Train had been connected to it…and that was a nightmare to get back to the North/South terminals to then catch a MARTA train into the city. 

I remember flying out of Dallas, Texas (DFW) and missing my flight because it was so far from the entrance to the airport, and then if you did not know your flight number, you did not know know where to go! Maybe it has changed since that time, but it was very confusing to me…at least. Here at Hartsfield Jackson, you just have to know your airline to get to the right spot. Once you are in the airport, then you’ve got that Plane Train ride. 

How Do I Get To and From the Airport into Atlanta?

Hartsfield Jackson Relocating to Atlanta

 

The airport is accessible by car via I-85 or I-285. That is for the North and South Terminals. The International Terminal has its own entrance, separate from the domestic terminal. The international terminal entrance is accessible from Interstate 75 at Exit 239. Roadway signage directs motorists to the international terminal via interstates 75, 85 and 285. Surface street signs also have been updated to direct motorists to the facility. All of the Interstate signage points you to Domestic or International. I think THAT is confusing.

Depending on where you live in Atlanta, using MARTA is the most awesome way to get to and from the airport. It’s the final stop for both the Red and Gold Lines, and its connected directly to the Domestic terminal. If you live further North of Atlanta, you might have family or friends drop you at the outermost station and take the train from there. But if you live in areas like Midtown, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, and Brookhaven, access to the stations is relatively easy. 

 

 

 

I’ve Heard Getting Checked-in and through TSA is horrible?

Well, yes and now. Lots of factors play into this, but it’s best to error on the side of extra time on your Concourse (or the Delta Sky Club if you are a member) than miss your flight because of the long time at TSA. I honestly have never been in the TSA line for more than 30 minutes. I do have TSA Pre-Check….but thankfully have never been at the airport for the lines that I have heard snake around through the Atrium. 

Truly, our airport is one of the best things about our city.

 

Midtown Mobility from Midtown Alliance

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Midtown Alliance is a non-profit membership organization and a coalition of leading business and community leaders – united in our commitment to Midtown as a premiere destination for commerce, culture, education and living. Governed by a 71-member board of the district’s top private sector leaders, our mission is to improve and sustain the quality of life for those who live, work and play here. The Alliance accomplishes this goal through a comprehensive approach to planning and development that includes initiatives to enhance public safety, improve the physical environment, and strengthen the urban amenities which give the area its unique character. 

Guided by a visionary master plan – Blueprint Midtown – and in partnership with the Midtown Improvement District, Midtown has become a national model for urban excellence.

Midtown Alliance puts out various communications each month and throughout the year to keep residents and Midtown employers informed of what’s going on in the area. While you might find some of these things on their website, we wanted to share with you the September issue of Midtown Mobility from Midtown Alliance.

Biketopber — October 1-31, 2018

This is a month-long, FREE event also known as the Atlanta Bike Challenge. Biking, teambuilding, competition and prizes! Click on the link for more information about this event! 

Measuring Foot Traffic

A key part of getting more retail (and maybe a couple less restaurants) is have feet on the street. While the Midtown population has grown, it’s certainly nothing like Midtown Manhattan! Midtown Alliance will look at the increase in foot traffic as well as car traffic. If you can imagine, technology that will measure pedestrian activity!! WOW! Data like this can be important to anyone looking to open a store front in Midtown!

 

Midtown Alliance to Monitor foot traffic

Here is a link to the complete September Midtown Mobility newsletter. 

Midtown Mobility | September, 2018

Midtown Alliance Midtown Mobility

Citizens For Progressive Transit – July 2018 Newsletter

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Somewhere, somehow, I stumbled upon this organization and their monthly newsletter. 

Citizens For Progressive Transit

Atlanta Streetcar…their website seems to be a tad behind…I’m sharing the July, 2018 newsletter with you here, and the website has April, 2018…so the best way to keep up with them would be to subscribe to receive the newsletter. But the highlights of July are:

Marta Takes Over Atlanta Street Car –$1 Fare Continues

The Atlanta Streetcar was turned over to MARTA on July 1. But they opted to keep the $1 fare, which has been blamed for the dramatic drop in ridership. It should probably be included in your regular MARTA fare, and you could transfer to the Streetcar. 

I’ll give Atlanta credit for trying, in getting the Streetcar started. (You remember the plans called for it to run from Downtown to Buckhead on Peachtree Street, but the funding was not there, along with some lack of interest, challenges with it being on Peachtree, etc, etc.) But, to go from Centennial Olympic Park to the King Center….not much service there. 

ARC Grants to Expand Suburban Bus Service

Douglas County (that’s way out West for us In-Town folks) will get its first fixed-route bus service, and Cobb and Gwinnett will get to expand, due to new federal funding by the ARC. 

Bond Money to Go For GA 400 Bus Service

Gov. Deal announced that recently approved bonds to raise $100M will be used in North Fulton County to facilitate MARTA bus service along GA400. 

A Faster Path to Regional Rail (THIS one caught my eye big time!)

We’ve talked about regional passenger rail. And talked. And studied. And talked and studied…..but nothing. Yet North Carolina has launched a fourth daily round-trip on its state-funded Amtrak line, running from Charlotte to Raleigh. The three round trips carried 427,000 people last year. HELLO GEORGIA? It’s the 21st Century…and we can’t keep widening roads or adding cars. 

This is why I love reading the Citizens For Progressive Transit newsletter….it keeps me informed.

You can read the entire newsletter here. 

You can JOIN CFPT, and subscribe to the newsletter HERE. 

July 2018 Newsletter Citizens For Progressive Transit

 

Will Atlanta See A Regional Transit System

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That’s the billion-plus dollar question for sure….

Will Atlanta See A Regional Transit System

Atlanta needs a Regional Transit SystemIf you are fortunate enough to live in Midtown, you may get more use out of the current MARTA system than others due. If you think about it…if you live in John’s Creek for example, by the time you would drive your car to the Doraville (Or Chamblee) MARTA station, park, and then continue your commute to work via transit, you probably would get there in the same amount of time if you just stayed in your car. 

And…what if you live in Duluth, and work in the Cumberland area? Well, you’re just plain out of luck. 

I came across this article in the Saporta Report. It talks about the challenges I’ve known for a long, long time. There are to many people (in this case jurisdictions) involved to get anything done on a regional basis. The need for a TRUE regional transit authority and system is really a key to the future of Atlanta. It’s future being you don’t spend 3 hours in your car each way to work if you have to live in the suburbs. 

As Brian says in the article, ” Currently a transit line from the Cumberland Business District to Duluth would require crossing four different counties and three different transit systems. First, state funds should be prioritized for regionally-important projects that serve multiple jurisdictions. Even with these bills, the majority of transit funding will continue to come from local sales taxes, and individual counties are unlikely to prioritize projects that span multiple jurisdictions. A transit line from Cobb County to Gwinnett County is incredibly important to the region, but none of the four counties involved can build the project on their own. The ATL should ensure that sufficient funding is available for regionally-significant projects.”

And I’m not forgetting the way-out areas either. Imagine high speed rail from places like Columbus or Macon where people would have a option (and a quick one) to get to Metro Atlanta for work, without having to pay the cost of living in this city. Ah….one can dream right?

Will Atlanta see a Regional Transit System?

The article from Brian Gist, Senior Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center can be found HERE. 

Citizens For Progressive Transit January Newsletter

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Transit NewsletterWe know that transit is a major buzz word around Metro Atlanta (and the state of Georgia) these days. Sadly, city and state leaders have lagged behind in taking much action on this. But the time is now. 72% of Georgia voters want state funding to expand mass transit. 

I’ve attached a monthly newsletter from the organization Citizens for Progressive Transit. It has some GREAT articles. Like the mention of the decline of Georgia’s rural population and economy. TEN YEARS ago the GA DOT discussed regional passenger trains that would like these smaller cities to Atlanta. CAn you EVEN imagine being able to live 2 hours outside of Atlanta and ride a train into the city?

Transportation Camp South 2018

Also mentioned is Transportation Camp South which will take place February 24th at Georgia Tech. The annual event brings planners, scholars and activists together for a day of learning. You can find more information on their Facebook Page.

We plan to be there this year to keep a pulse on this important conversation for Atlanta AND Georgia.

You can find the January 2018 Citizens For Progressive Transit Newsletter HERE.

Metro Atlanta Transit Will We EVER Figure It Out?

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Metro Atlanta TransitI don’t claim to know, or understand every issue around transit, or the serious lack thereof in the Metro Atlanta area. I do know our system never developed to keep up with the growth of the city.

Metro Atlanta Transit Will We EVER Figure It Out?

Case in point … WMATA(Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority approved plans for a 98-mile (158 km) regional system in 1968. Construction began after a groundbreaking ceremony on December 9, 1969, when Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe, District Mayor Walter Washington, and Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel tossed the first spade of dirt at Judiciary Square.

Opened in 1976, the network has grown to include six lines, 91 stations, and 117 miles

The DC Metro System today…..

Washington DC Metro

Then Atlanta …. Construction began on the MARTA system in 1975, with the first rail service commencing on June 30, 1979. The system has since built most of the proposed rail lines, as well as stations in Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, and North Springs which were not included in the original plan. The missing rail segments include a Tucker-North DeKalb line with service to Emory University andNorth Druid Hills, a Northwest line with service to Brookwood and Northside Drive, extension of the West line to Brownlee-Boulder Park near Fairburn Road, extension of the Proctor Creek line to West Highlands, and a branch off the south line to Hapeville and Clayton County. 

The MARTA rapid rail system has 47.6 miles of route and 38 rail stations located on four service lines.

MARTA Atlanta Map

Yes, we’ve made a baby step forward and now for the first time in more than 65 years, streetcars are on the streets of Downtown Atlanta. I can only imagine being able to connect to the Beltline, to MARTA and then off to who knows where? I can dream, right?

There is an Atlanta based organization that I discovered with some great information about transit. Citizens For Progressive Transit. Check out some of the info on this site. Or you can find their January, 2015 Newsletter here. It’s worth a read and the interesting transit talk that will happen this year at the state level.

I just know, that if we really want to be the world-class city we really want to be….transit needs to be a critical part of it….and our love of the automobile needs to go through some serious therapy.

 

 

Thom Abbott

Associate Broker, REALTOR(R)
905 Juniper Street, NE Suite 110
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
770.713.1505 Direct
404.876.4901 Office

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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