Getting Around Atlanta

By alantvuong on June 7, 2019

Last month, I got the chance to visit the beautiful city of Atlanta. Thanks to Discover Atlanta and Shaky Beats Music Festival, I got to do the top fun attractions Atlanta has to offer. I saw the Georgia Aquarium, World Of Coca-Cola and of course the very fun and accessible Shaky Beats Music Festival. Restaurants and shops were all perfectly accessible too. There wasn’t a place I missed out on because I couldn’t get my wheelchair into. I am just glad the city was quite wheelchair accessible which made doing all these fun things possible.

downtown streetcar

Streets and Sidewalks

Staying downtown Atlanta, it is mainly flat in most areas. There are gradual inclines on some of the streets but never really steep. Since I was in a manual wheelchair for Atlanta, I was being pushed around the city by my buddy. He never had any real problems pushing me uphill since it was only a gradual incline. Almost all the sidewalks had curb cuts in them for wheelchairs, but if we came across a sidewalk with no ramp or curb cut, my buddy can easily just bump me up or down a step. That’s an advantage of using a manual wheelchair on trips, you just never know about accessibility of any city.

this sidewalk had a slight incline but still accessible with curb cuts

Parks

We managed to visit a few parks during our 1 week stay in Atlanta. Staying at Inn At The Peachtrees Hotel, we were quite close to Centennial Olympic Park. It is a 21 acre park right downtown Atlanta and was built in 1996 as part of infrastructure improvements for the 1996 Summer Olympics. It replaced old vacant lots and run down buildings. The park revitalized the area and now attracts millions of visitors and several events like music festivals, Independence Day celebrations and fireworks. Since the park was built, attractions like the World Of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, Skyview Atlanta and more have moved close to the park. This park was quite accessible from all sides and I never had an issue with my wheelchair.

Olympic sign in front of Centennial Olympic Park

My favorite part of Centennial Olympic Park was the Fountain Of Rings interactive fountain, it features a light and water show complete with music coming from surrounding speakers. The show runs 365 days a year and 4 times a day at 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 6:30pm and 9:30pm. It also doubles as a splash play area for kids or for anyone who needs a cool down. We saw the fountain show at 6:30pm and was quite impressed by it. Since it was still light outside, I would like to come back to view the fountain show at night so I could see all the colors better.

Fountain Of Rings Show

Other parks, we visited were all quite accessible too. Woodruff Park had a free Jazz Music Festival performance when we visited. Central Park was where the Shaky Beats Music Festival was held and was easy for my wheelchair to maneuver around. I am pretty sure this park would be quite accessible too if it wasn’t holding this event. Grant Park was near Zoo Atlanta and required a taxi to get to. Again this park had paved pathways for easy movement.

Atlanta Jazz Festival at Woodruff Park

Taxis

When we arrived in Atlanta, we previously arranged for an accessible taxi with a ramp to come pick us up, but we got a regular bigger car instead. For some odd reason, Checker cab did not know we requested a taxi with a ramp. Since it was late at night when we arrived, the taxi driver said there are no taxi with ramps running late at night unless requested in advance. Lucky I was in a manual wheelchair and had my buddy help me transfer in the regular taxi. Same thing happened the day we went to the zoo. We got our hotel front desk person to order us an accessible taxi with a ramp but a regular taxi came instead. Again, I had help transferring to the regular taxi instead of trying to find an accessible taxi.

did not get a taxi with a ramp even though we ordered one in advance

The final time we needed a taxi, I called myself the night before and booked one with a ramp for our ride to the airport. It arrived 15 minutes late but luckily I always book airport taxis early in case of any issues. Luckily, an accessible taxi with a ramp actually showed up. We have a lot of things with us so it was nice not having to worry about transferring into the front seat of a regular taxi. It was a smooth great ride to the airport as my wheelchair had tie downs to prevent movement of the chair.

finally got an accessible taxi with a ramp

Transit

I always love taking transit at every city I visit. I like to see how accessible transit can be and allows me to see and interact with parts of a city I would not be able to if I was taking a taxi. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is the transit operator in Atlanta. We were told by MARTA staff at CNN Center Transit Station that wheelchair users who require companions could get discounted transit tickets if we filled out a medical form and got approved. We did not know this and will plan ahead next time in Atlanta. Prices were $2.50 for each way but there were also options for day, multi-day and monthly passes.

buying a transit ticket at the machine

We did not take the bus in Atlanta but did take the train. The train stations are quite accessible with wide ticket gates, elevators and ramps. When the train came, we noticed that all the doors were accessible and the train platform was exactly leveled with the train. It was quite easy to wheel into the train. At each end of the train, there was even a spot to park the wheelchair. It was quite spacious inside the train as it was not busy. I enjoyed looking out the window and the ride was smooth. It gave us a chance to visit another part of the city to go for shopping and food.

getting ready to board the train

Overall, I had a great time in Atlanta and thought the city was really wheelchair accessible. I had no issues with the sidewalks or the public parks. Accessible taxis need to be ordered well in advance and MARTA transit is a great cheaper alternative to get around the city. I now know to fill out a transit medical form in advance next time when I return to Atlanta. I also noticed buses and trolleys had a wheelchair sign on them and would like to try using them on my next visit too. Anyone have any comments about their time in Atlanta? Please leave comments below.