New Trip Planning Tool Helps You Get Where You Need to Go

Posted on: Oct 05, 2016

Getting around metro Atlanta can be complicated, especially if you don’t have a car. Within the region, there are multiple transportation options and transit providers to choose from.

That’s why the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) recently launched a trip planning tool, SimplyGetThere.org, that makes planning a trip easier. Anyone can use SimplyGetThere.org, including people with mobility challenges who need specialized transportation options.

ARC Mobility Trainer Roz Tucker explains how Simply Get There works and why residents and visitors to the Atlanta region should give it a try.

What is Simply Get There?

Simply Get There is a web-based application that is useful for anyone who needs to plan a trip around the Atlanta region.

With just a few clicks, Simply Get There presents available transportation options, including bus, train, paratransit, walking, cycling and for-hire vehicles. You then customize your trip based on your priorities and desires.

And it’s highly flexible. You can choose specific departure and arrival times, opt for trips that are the fastest or least expensive and select options that meet special needs, such as vans with wheelchair lifts.

Why Would Someone Use Simply Get There?

There’s nothing else like this in metro Atlanta, and it’s free. Simply Get There gathers information from just about every transportation option available within the Atlanta region, public and private.

Whether you live in Gwinnett or Douglas county, Marietta or McDonough – you can compare prices, arrival times and service providers and determine the best option for any trip you need to make.

How Do I Use Simply Get There?

It’s easy. There are just four basic steps:

Step 1: Enter your trip details– preferred mode of travel, where you want to go and the time you want to start and end your journey.
Step 2 (Optional): Answer questions about any special assistance you may need on your trip to determine your eligibility for specialized services, including special transportation options for military veterans.
Step 3: Review the available trips and choose the option that works best for you. You can sort options by arrival time, cost, travel time, walking distance and wait time.
Step 4: Plan your preferred trip. Print or email your personalized trip itinerary.

I encourage people to go online and give it a try. If you run into any difficulty, just click the question mark symbol to find a list of frequently asked questions. And anyone in need of more assistance can call the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 866.552.4464 to reach an expert to walk them through the process.

Once you take a trip, you can document any problems you may have found on your trip, such as a sidewalk closed for construction or an escalator that is out of order at a transit station. Just click the more button to provide your feedback.

I Think Simply Get There would be helpful for our clients in my office. How can I learn more about it?

ARC staff would be happy to talk with any group about Simply Get There. We also train staff at medical offices, schools and older adult housing units to use Simply Get There so they can teach their customers and clients about the service.