5 Things to Know about the Atlanta Streetcar

Photo credit | V12 productions.

One of the city’s best kept secrets for family fun, The Atlanta Streetcar is a great way to experience downtown. Here are five things to know before you go.

It’s a Green Way to Get Around Downtown

The all-electric Streetcars (there are four of them) hold nearly 200 passengers and help curb air pollution and gas emissions by reducing the car traffic in the area. Streetcars use an overhead power system – a trolley wire – that operates on streets shared with regular cars. It runs seven days a week, about every 10 to 15 minutes. You can buy digital tickets through the Atlanta Streetcar app, use a MARTA Breeze card, get tickets at one of four vending machines along the route, or bring cash and pay $1 when you enter the streetcar. The Streetcar stops at each of its 12 stops, so it’s easy to get on and off.

It Goes to Kid-Friendly Attractions

The Downtown Streetcar Loop runs 2.7 miles. It takes about 26 minutes to ride from the start of the route at Centennial Olympic Park to the final stop: the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. Take a ride to visit the playground at Woodruff Park, snack at Sweet Auburn Curb Market, and explore Historic Oakland Cemetery and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta.

It Connects to Other Transportation

Two MARTA rail stations are close to Streetcar stops: King Memorial on Decatur St. and Peachtree Center at Peachtree Center Mall. If you drive downtown,  you’ll find multiple garage, covered surface and surface lots close to the route. The Streetcar accommodates wheelchairs, bikes and strollers, too. Use the transit option on Google maps on your phone to help you find the closest streetcar stop.

You Can Save Money Riding

Fares are cheap: $1 currently. Select restaurants along the route offer discounts when you show your Atlanta Streetcar digital or physical ticket.

It’s Expanding

The Atlanta Streetcar won’t only operate downtown! The Atlanta City Council is working on plans to expand routes about 50 miles, with the Streetcar system connecting to the BeltLine  loop.