Study: Atlanta tops for train-to-plane transit

A study found it takes 17 minutes to get from downtown Atlanta to the airport using MARTA rail at midday, vs. 23 minutes driving. The time savings can be much more at rush hour. BITA HONARVAR / BHONARVAR@AJC.COM

A study found it takes 17 minutes to get from downtown Atlanta to the airport using MARTA rail at midday, vs. 23 minutes driving. The time savings can be much more at rush hour. BITA HONARVAR / BHONARVAR@AJC.COM

Atlanta has the best transit to the airport in the nation, according to a study by MileCards.com, a credit card comparison site.

The ranking is based on price, speed, convenience and frequency.

Taking MARTA from downtown at Noon on a weekday is convenient and “significantly … faster than driving on Atlanta’s congested freeways,” according to the study.

“The $2.50 fare is money well-spent, given Atlanta’s notorious congestion and unpredictable traffic,” MileCards.com said.

At 17 minutes for MARTA from the Five Points station instead of 23 minutes for driving, taking public transit is 26 percent faster than driving at that time, based on the study’s calculations.

The airport station is right at the domestic terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson International – though international travelers must take a free shuttle from there to get to the international terminal.

Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare airports were ranked 2nd and 3rd in the study, followed by Denver International and New York’s John F. Kennedy International.

Atlanta’s transit to the airport also ranked sixth best globally, behind airports in Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai and Amsterdam.

MilePoints.com says it decided to do the study based on President Trump’s pledge to boost spending on infrastructure.