At his first public press conference on Sep. 11, MARTA interim CEO Jonathan Hunt promised plenty more MARTA as the agency gears up for a tourism boom during the 2026 FIFA World Cup — and the changes are coming soon.
Former MARTA chief counsel Hunt was named the interim general manager and CEO at the Aug. 14 board meeting after Collie Greenwood abruptly left the agency in July. Hunt has been clear: it’s a temporary role, but he’s moving ahead on transit plans.
“I think having that clear direction with the board, as well as to our thousands of staff members, lets them know the path forward,” Hunt said.
The interim CEO laid out a list of near-term goals: operational efficiency, safety and security, delivering key projects, and ensuring MARTA is “World Cup ready.”
Some are much-needed infrastructure updates, like the “next evolution” of Breeze, MARTA’s fare payment system. Currently, the system accepts a physical Breeze Card, tickets or a mobile Breeze card.
The Automatic Fare Collection System 2.0 will accept those methods, but riders will also be able to use physical or virtual credit and debit cards to bypass any difficulties with the cards or card systems. The new gate installation will kick off in mid-September at the Lindbergh Center station.
“The new fare gates will reduce fare evasion, and they’re more aesthetically pleasing,” Hunt said.
It’s not the only MARTA makeover. Hunt teased a start date for the new fleet of rail cars MARTA unveiled earlier this year — ”several cars” will be on the tracks before the World Cup. There are 15 incoming cars, with updated seating and lights, digital map displays, wider doors, charging stations and open gangways between the cars. One is already in Atlanta, and the rest are at a manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, Utah.
MARTA Chief of Police Scott Kreher said the new cars will be safer, too. The current trains are individual cars linked together, so riders can easily go a whole trip and not see a police officer on a different train.
“The new trains are open plan, meaning you can see from end to end,” Kreher said. “My goal and my commitment to the CEO is that we will have a police officer on every one of those trains.”
MARTA officials are focused on safety after a series of recent issues, like the woman attacked at the Lenox station on Sept. 3 or an escalator malfunction in July after the Beyoncé concert that caused a passenger pile-up.
In the wake of the attack, Kreher said the police department will expand its presence on MARTA to discourage simple and aggravated assaults in and around the trains. The interim CEO said the MARTA Police Department will fill its 14 vacancies and be fully staffed with 250 officers by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Hunt promised more crowd control and escalator work to prevent any large group fiascos when MARTA floods with thousands of tourists this summer. He previewed “load-and-go” teams that will mitigate overcrowding on platforms by packing people into trains and limiting the number of people on escalators.
He also said the newly-renamed Sports, Entertainment and Convention District (SEC) station will receive a new escalator bank at the State Farm arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium entrance and an added entrance directly into the massive Centennial Yards development.
“Getting from good to great will require some short-term discomfort for long-term gain,” Hunt said. “Our vision is to deliver safe, clean and reliable transit through routine excellence every day.”
The interim CEO said the agency’s vision will create such transit, but he doesn’t have clear-cut answers on issues like Beltline rail, expanded stations or the More MARTA audit. Instead, he said there are years of work and studies ahead.
“It’s just the type of work that can be a little messy, a little discomforting, but this is the work that is vital to keeping a safe and reliable system each and every day,” Hunt said.
So they’re closing Garnett for a month and a half for the floors and windscreens but not bothering to get the new fare gates in at the same time? Make it make sense.
“The interim CEO said the agency’s vision will create such transit, but he doesn’t have clear-cut answers on issues like Beltline rail, expanded stations or the More MARTA audit. Instead, he said there are years of work and studies ahead. ”
The first segment of Beltline rail does not need more studies. It needs to break ground.