Transportation
Industry
Snapshot | Economy/Cost of
Living
Education
| Recreation & Entertainment
| Geography & Climate
History | Suggested Reading List
Georgia contains a vast array of transportation options. The city of Atlanta is a globally recognized
transportation hub, and the entire state boasts an impressive infrastructure for commuting or for
moving freight.
Several interstate highways pass through the Peach State. East to west interstates include I-16,
I-20, I-24, and their respective bypasses; north to south interstates include I-59, I -75, I-85, I-95,
and their bypasses. Many U.S. highways run through Georgia, including U.S. 1, which extends from
Florida to Maine. Additionally, many state highways traverse Georgia. Because Georgia has so many
well maintained highways within its borders, the state is a major hub for freight carriers, from which
most of the nation can be reached within two days.
Aviation is well served in the Peach State. Over 230 public use and over 100 private use airports
reside in Georgia. The Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International Airport (ATL) bears the distinction of the world’s busiest passenger
airport, with nearly 85 million passengers passing through the hub in 2006. Georgia’s second busiest
airport is the Savannah/Hilton Head
International Airport (SAV), with over 960,000 enplanements in 2006. Important regional airports
include the Augusta Regional Airport
(AGS) and the Cobb County
Airport McCollum Field.
Communities throughout the Peach State are well represented by public transportation. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) serves the City of Atlanta as
well as Fulton and Dekalb Counties and carries roughly half a million passengers daily. MARTA
operates 691 buses, including 118 "clean-fuel" Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, with an
additional 206 forthcoming. MARTA also provides 110 para-transit vans and operates 350 rail cars in
38 stations on 47.6 miles (76.6 kilometers) of rail. Other notable public transit options in Georgia
include Albany Transit System,
Athens Transit, Clayton County C-TRAN, Chatham
Area Transit (CAT), Cobb Community Transit
(CCT), and Hall Area Transit.
CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Corporation comprise Georgia’s impressive rail corridors, with
Atlanta as a major hub for freight transport. Passenger rail options for the Peach State include
Amtrak, providing the Auto Train and Crescent Routes. Excursion trains in Georgia include the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, the SAM Shortline Railway, and the Tennessee
Valley Railroad.
Georgia’s water-borne freight is managed by the Georgia Ports Authority, which operates the deepwater ports in Savannah and
Brunswick, as well as inland barge operations in Bainbridge and Columbus. The Port of Savannah is the
largest single-terminal container facility of its kind on the East and Gulf coasts of the U.S.; its
Garden City Terminal covers nearly 1,200 acres (4.9 square kilometers or 485.6 hectares) and moves
millions of tons of cargo annually.
Bus lines serving Georgia include Greyhound and
Trailways.
Related Resources
Back to Destination Georgia
|
