My last trip to Atlanta was nice,though I was overwhelmed by what you call sprawl. Tell me,does Atlanta reach half way to Chattanooga on I-75? Atlanta gives new meaning to the word suburbs.
I did not ride the Marta,though from looking at the route map,it is no where near as efficient as Washingtons Metro. However,since some sort of mass transit is better than none,consider yourselves(in Atlanta)thankful for one.
I have mentioned this on another site,but I have NEVER,NEVER seen so many park and rides as I did riding Camp Creek Parkway! WOW! From the looks of full off airport parking,Atlantat needs to get permission from the FAA to raise those parking decks from 3 to 10 stories.
Other than that,loved Atlanta,especially the beautiful northeast side.