As World Cup nears, 2026 will be a transformational year for MARTA
This summer’s World Cup will put Atlanta on the global stage, and MARTA will be ready. Many visitors will take MARTA, from the airport to their hotel, to one of the eight matches, or to fan events being hosted throughout the region.
Before the first whistle blows, MARTA will redefine how riders experience transit. While these improvements will benefit soccer fans visiting this summer, they’re really for customers like the Robey family who live in the West End.
The Robeys take MARTA everywhere, from work and the grocery store to the StationSoccer fields where their son Ethan grew up playing and now works as a referee. The Robeys are an example of families who depend on MARTA, and it is imperative we remain focused on our customers in the coming year and beyond.
For Makeisha Robey, the decision to live car-free and let MARTA drive was a strategic choice for her family’s financial health. At a time when the costs of vehicle ownership can be a significant burden, MARTA provides the Robeys with the freedom to invest their resources elsewhere.
Here’s what to expect from MARTA this year
I like to say that while MARTA is a “good” transit system, we want to be a great one for people like the Robeys.
We’re working to do that by delivering routine excellence every day and always putting the customer first.
We’re focused on improving operational reliability, enhancing safety and security, and delivering on our capital projects.
Throughout the coming year, MARTA will launch and implement a series of high-impact projects to improve the MARTA experience for every rider.
Customers will soon get to hop on our new CQ400 railcars, some of the most technologically advanced trains in the country, and experience a smoother, more reliable ride with open gangways and a MARTA Police Officer assigned to each train.
MARTA’s Breeze system, including all fare equipment and fare media will be updated. Riding MARTA will be safe and reliable with a new open payment option where you can tap a bank card or mobile wallet to pay, and new faregates that are hard to tamper with, reducing fare evasion.
This year, we launch our once-in-a-generation NextGen Bus Network and triple the number of metro Atlantans with access to 15-minute service frequency. The complementary MARTA Reach service will deliver on-demand transit to customers in 12 zones across the region.
MARTA riders will experience a new mode of transit with the Rapid A-Line. The region’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line connects Downtown to Summerhill and the Southside Beltline, and features rail-like service on modern, electric buses.
MARTA will overhaul its digital tools to streamline trip planning, providing real-time tracking for buses and trains on www.itsmarta.com. Throughout 2026, MARTA will be unifying its app with features from the current MARTA On the Go and See & Say apps, forming a single place for trip tracking and safety reporting.
Locals will benefit from World Cup improvements
While the World Cup provides a deadline, or the “when,” long-time MARTA customers like the Robeys provide the “why.”
When the international fans depart, MARTA’s service and infrastructure improvements will remain.
The new trains will still be running, the buses will still arrive every 15 minutes, and the StationSoccer fields will still be filled with hundreds of local kids like Ethan Robey who dream of one day playing for Atlanta United.
When the world comes to Atlanta this year, they will see a world-class transit system. But the true success of this pivotal moment for MARTA won’t be measured in how many fans we move during the tournament, but by the safe, clean, reliable transit we continue to provide long after the World Cup.
Jonathan Hunt is interim general manager and CEO of MARTA.
