The MARTA board of directors convened for its final meeting of the year on Thursday, Dec. 4, as the transit agency heads into major system changes and prepares for World Cup crowds in 2026.
The rider experience will be different by April, as MARTA plans to roll out modernized payment methods, brand new train cars, and a redesigned bus network.
Major changes to MARTA bus service are set to take effect on April 18, 2026. The NextGen Bus Network will eliminate dozens of bus routes in an effort to provide more streamlined and frequent service in areas with the highest density of bus riders.
This month, MARTA staff began installing signs at 6,000 bus stops that will be affected by the changes, interim General Manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt told the board. The agency will host Q&A sessions for riders in February and will send outreach teams out on bus routes to speak directly with customers in March and April, he said.
The new bus network also creates on-demand zones that allow MARTA customers in areas far from bus stops to request vans for curb-to-curb service. This program, called MARTA Reach, is set to launch on March 7 as a partnership with on-demand transit technology company RideCo.
Upgrades to the MARTA rail experience are on the way as well. The transit agency began dynamic testing of the new Stadler CQ400 rail cars this week, meaning that the state-of-the-art train is running under its own power along the MARTA heavy rail tracks. These new cars will be introduced over several years and, the first should be in operation by early 2026.
MARTA is installing new fare gates that enable tap-to-pay options via a bank card or mobile wallet, along with Breeze cards. Construction on the gates is underway at Lindbergh, Doraville, East Point, Dunwoody, Ashby, Georgia State, and Kensington stations, Hunt said.
“MARTA will be conducting an extensive education and outreach campaign that will begin in January. With an entirely new system coming online in the spring, that will be paramount,” he said.
Testing for the Better Breeze system will begin with employees in January and expand to a selection of other riders in February, Hunt said.
World Cup preparedness
FIFA announced the schedule and locations for World Cup matches on Saturday, which will allow MARTA officials to begin more specific planning for the games held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. MARTA staff will provide detailed reports on World Cup readiness to the board at meetings starting in January, Hunt said.
The MARTA board of directors also heard suggestions from an advisory board on top priorities for improving the agency’s image and the experience for riders.
“We have a wonderful opportunity upcoming, with various events including The World Cup, to gain trial or retrial of a lot of people — people who may have left MARTA, people who may not have tried MARTA,” Peter Aman, Chief Strategy Officer for the City of Atlanta and member of the advisory board, said. “This is imperative to get right.”
Additional updates
- Rita Scott steps down: The December meeting was the final MARTA board meeting for Rita Scott, who has represented DeKalb County on the board since 2019. “She has been a tireless advocate for the system, for the rider, for the workforce, for often those people who don’t have another voice at the table. Rita, we thank you for your service,” Chair Jennifer Ide said. DeVon Hudson has been nominated to join the MARTA board as a DeKalb representative.
- Expect more Summerhill BRT delays: The good news is that the paving of the downtown loop for the Summerhill RAPID A-line route is mostly complete, and chargers have been installed along the route, according to Hunt. The bad news is that New Flyer, the supplier for the electric buses, has experienced a nationwide issue with their batteries that will impact order deliveries, including the buses for MARTA, he said.
- Five Points Station renovation: Preparation continues for the demolition of the concrete canopy at Five Points Station. While access to the station will remain open during the renovation, offices for the MARTA police and other key services, including the MARTA Lost & Found, Reduced Fair, Ride Store, and MARTA Hope, will be relocated to Ashby Station until construction is complete.
- By any other name: MARTA has renamed the GWCC/CNN Center Station to the Sports, Entertainment, and Convention (SEC) District Station. The new station name is meant to make travel more intuitive for riders and visitors following CNN’s move more than a year ago.
I’m not saying the name change isn’t valid or the right move, but something Atlanta will not recognize about it (because the town has next to zero civic infrastructure), CNN was a global, home town story. A civic identity and a massive one. An anchor of “what the heck is this place..”.
The “SEC” is no such. And it speaks to a not well known region that has much smaller appeal. I am not saying this is anyones fault, it’s something to consider amid all the noise of the world cup and so on. I hope it all works out.
MARTA staff began installing signs at 6,000 bus stops that will be affected by the changes,
MARTA crews began installing notices at 6,000 bus stops affected by the updates.