In 62 days, the FIFA World Cup will land in Atlanta for eight matches. It will bring an estimated 300,000 tourists to the downtown area and even more locals to the city’s core.
City officials are working to ready the city for an influx of people. Mayor Andre Dickens compared the upcoming World Cup to the 1996 Olympics. Back then, he said businesses told their employees to “just leave” and avoid traffic congestion.
“We want everybody to stay in town, come to work and to the business core, enjoy the festivities and support these local restaurants and small businesses,” Dickens said.
But keeping locals in downtown Atlanta takes transportation. “If you live in Metro Atlanta and you need to get to the World Cup, that means taking MARTA, taking ride share, but getting downtown and spending a day [there,]” Dickens said.
Transit advocates have raised concerns about the transit agency’s preparation for a month of major events, though, including its habit of single-tracking on busy weekends.
On March 28 and 29, Brookhaven city officials encouraged Cherry Blossom Festival attendees to take MARTA to the city-run event. But that Sunday, MARTA implemented single tracking on the Gold and Red lines and suspended the Gold Line entirely starting at 3 pm.
In the summer of 2025, the agency also drew criticism after single-tracking on the night of a Shakira concert at State Farm Arena left fans packed onto train platforms. MARTA leaders explained the agency used a “decision matrix” to make the schedule choice.
But for the World Cup, Dickens assured MARTA “knows what the demand is going to be, and they’re going to meet the moment.”
In turn, MARTA has a slate of changes in store ahead of the World Cup in June. Interim CEO Jonathan Hunt said ten train sets will be in Atlanta by the end of the month, with the first headed for revenue service on June 4. The agency plans to have five in service by the World Cup.
MARTA is also in the middle of overhauling its fare payment system. On March 28, the agency launched its new “better Breeze” system with an updated app and new fare gates. Currently, riders can “spend down” existing fare but will not be able to load more money onto an old card.
MARTA is also in the middle of introducing “better Breeze,” a new fare payment system that allows riders to tap pay with their mobile wallets or bank cards. The agency officially launched the fare system on March 28, but is still working on construction of new fare gates and an updated app.
In the meantime, fare gates are open until May 2 and riders are encouraged to “spend down” their existing balances since they cannot reload old cards.
Tap-to-pay is a move to modernize MARTA, especially for international travelers used to easy transit access. Dickens said “the international community will appreciate that they can do that.”
The mayor also said that despite criticism, Atlanta is one of the 11 United States’ host cities to even have heavy rail at all. It may not be at the level of New York City’s transit, but it “will get you into the stadium area” and a number of amenities.
“We are leaning in and supporting MARTA, and we’re telling people to ride MARTA,” Dickens said. “While everyone can criticize MARTA and give them challenges and constructive feedback, [they should] use the system that we have for sure.”
