Athens-Clarke County in Georgia offers a wide range of transportation options, with most of them being provided by the Metro Atlanta area. Public transportation within the metro area includes bus service provided by Athens Transit, as well as MARTA rail service. Athens Transit operates 30 fixed routes and 3 express routes throughout the county and beyond, providing access to all major areas within the county. MARTA provides commuter rail service to downtown Atlanta from the Winterville station located south of Athens. Additionally, many residents use cars or taxis for commuting in and around the city. There are several private taxi companies that operate in the city, as well as options such as Uber and Lyft for those who prefer more affordable ride-sharing services. The Athens-Clarke County Transportation Department also manages a bike share system which provides bicycle rentals at several locations throughout the city for those interested in cycling around town. For longer trips outside of metro Atlanta, there are both regional bus service providers like Greyhound and Megabus that provide connections to other parts of Georgia, as well as Amtrak train service from nearby Gainesville which can be used for travel outside of Georgia.
The typical American commute has been getting longer each year since 2010. The average one-way commute in Athens-Clarke County Metro Area takes 21.7 minutes. That's shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
How people in Athens-Clarke County Metro Area get to work:
- 78.4% drive their own car alone
- 9.8% carpool with others
- 4.4% work from home
- 2.8% take mass transit