Commuters ditch cars for bikes and MARTA

For one month, Midtown Alliance urged people to trade their car keys for a cleaner commute.

Midtown residents and workers stepped up to the "Go Car-Lite" challenge during the month of September.

Matt Warenzak spoke to Channel 2's People 2 People about how he decided to ditch four wheels for two.

“One of the better parts is when you [bike] over Ponce or North Avenue and see all the traffic you’re avoiding,” Warenzak said.

Cameras captured his commute, along with Bithia Ratnasamy’s early morning trek to MARTA.

“With Atlanta’s traffic being what it is, it’s important that all of us take as many steps as possible to think about what we can do to be a part of the solution, rather than the problem,” Ratnasamy said.

Throughout September, the nonprofit highlighted five champions, including Warenzak and Ratnasamy, who were willing to try trading their keys for a cleaner commute. Midtown Alliance marketing and communications director Brian Carr, hopes the campaign will encourage Atlantans to explore alternative modes of transportation.

“We wanted to help people that spend some time in the district to begin to explore more of what you can do that gets you out from behind the wheel,” Carr said.

That includes people like Bernie Guzman, who starts her day in Gwinnett County before ending up in Midtown.

“In suburbia, a lot of people think, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t take that.’ Well, yes you can,” Guzman said.

“Atlanta has a love-hate relationship with the automobile, we all know this,” Carr said. “But our message is go car-lite, not go car-less.”

According to Midtown Alliance, 96 percent of the area’s buildings are within a 6-mile walk of a MARTA transit station. While putting transit to the test, participants admit they hit a few bumps in the road.

“The sidewalk where I get to work, where it crosses into Brookhaven, the sidewalk ends,” Ratnasamy said.

“If you’re around the public transit, I think it’s great. If there were more options, more station stops, I think it would make it a lot easier,” Warenzak said.

Despite the challenges participants faced, they say the benefits are undeniable.

“The best byproduct has just been to have 45 minutes at the beginning and end of every day to sit still,” Ratnasamy said.

The perks range from sanity to an extra stash of cash.

“I’m like back in my pocket savings. I am not doing this anymore: that stress, that expense,” Guzman said.

Brian Carr argues the expense of an all auto-future is one a growing Midtown simply can’t afford. He says it's critical to the business district that they get more people to start using alternatives to driving alone.

Cox Media Group