[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Meet Sid, a Perimeter Xpress Bus Rider!

In the early hours of one morning last July, Siddharth Somani set out on a 1.8-mile trek from his new home to a Park-and-Ride lot where he would, for the first time, catch the 400 Xpress bus from Cumming to North Springs Station. Over a year later, Siddharth continues to take the 400 Xpress bus 50-miles roundtrip to get to and from his office at Northpark Town Center in the Perimeter area. These large coach-style buses are transit routes that run long distances and bring commuters living in counties outside of the Perimeter, into the city.

Siddharth however, is no stranger to transit, and is an avid supporter of public transportation. “I lived in Dunwoody before and took the bus too.” These were local MARTA buses though, and he is quick to emphasize that there are differences, and professes that taking the Xpress bus has “spoiled” him. In addition to making fewer stops along the routes, these buses have cozy coach seats, overhead reading lights, and free on-board Wi-Fi.

For Siddharth, discovering that there was a transit option available to him out in Cumming was one of the key selling points for purchasing his home near the Cumming Park-and-Ride lot. In his subdivision alone, a dozen other commuters are also taking Xpress buses to get to and from work.

Overall, the decision to take an Xpress bus was an easy one for Siddharth. “Driving every day at 8am is a pain,” and taking an Xpress bus is the best way to avoid the daily stress and struggle of traffic. Even easier was the decision to continue taking it. “Now I love it because I can work on the bus. I can use my phone to check emails or catch 30 minutes of extra sleep. It’s really comfortable. The best part is you don’t have to worry about stops and delays once you’re on the bus.”

For future riders, Siddharth recommends getting to the Park-and-Ride lot five minutes early, following the Xpress twitter account, @XpressGA, downloading the MyXpress app, and then enjoying the ride. For everyone stuck in traffic, Siddharth leaves you with the question, “Why not use public transportation?”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]