FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2026
FARE REQUIRED TO RIDE
MARTA STARTING MAY 30th
Transit System Gates
& Doors Left Open Since May 2 Will Close
ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)
will fully activate new fare gates and fare will be required to ride the system
beginning May 30. MARTA extended the customer grace period beyond May 2,
leaving some new fare gates and emergency exit doors open to allow access to
the system for those who needed additional time to obtain new Breeze cards.
Starting Saturday, May 30, new fare gates and emergency doors at
rail stations with new fare gates will close and customers will need to tap to
ride with a bank card, mobile wallet, or new Breeze card or ticket.
“The installation of our better Breeze system was not as far along
as we’d hoped at the end of the customer transition period on May 2, so for the
last several weeks, we have left open gates and doors to ensure riders could
easily access the system,” said MARTA Interim General Manager and CEO Jonathan
Hunt. “Now, with the installation of more ticket vending machines systemwide,
we feel we’ve made significant enough progress to close these open gates and
doors and begin requiring fare.”
At rail stations where the new Breeze system is still under
construction, old fare gates or nearby emergency doors will remain open to
ensure system access, so to avoid getting “trapped” in the system, customers
should be prepared to pay for their ride. Ticket vending machines are available
at almost all rail stations and new fare gates accept credit and debit cards,
mobile wallets, and virtual Breeze cards in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and
Samsung Wallet, as well as physical Breeze cards and tickets.
Remember, old Breeze cards and the old Breeze Mobile 2.0 app do
not work on the new Breeze system and are no longer accepted. To transfer your
balance from an old Breeze card to a new account, visit breezecard.com.
WAYS TO PAY:
Bank card
Tap and go with your credit or debit card directly at fare gates
and validators.
Mobile Wallet
Tap and go with your mobile wallet on your smartphone or
smartwatch at fare gates and validators.
Breeze card
Purchase a new Breeze card at ticket vending machines (TVMs), Ride
Stores, and breezecard.com.
Virtual Breeze card
Purchase a virtual Breeze card in your Apple Wallet, Google Wallet
or Samsung Wallet. To access all MARTA fare products, link your virtual Breeze
card to your Breeze account at breezecard.com or on the new Breeze Mobile app.
A reminder that the new Breeze Mobile app cannot be used as fare
payment. It is for account management and fare loading only. Virtual Breeze
cards are stored in your mobile wallet, not the app.
Reduced Fare & Mobility
Customers who have not received cards should visit the Reduced
Fare office at MARTA headquarters, located at 2424 Piedmont Road NE in Atlanta.
Office hours are Mon. – Fri. 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Do not tamper with or force open new fare gates. The MARTA system
is equipped with hundreds of cameras and fare gates are monitored remotely.
Fare evasion and vandalism are punishable by law.
Stay connected to MARTA:
MARTA website
Better Breeze
Breezecard.com
Social media - @MARTAservice and @MARTAtransit
Customer service - 404-848-5000