Behind the Ride: Inside the MARTA App
Every day at MARTA, we work to provide our
customers with a safe, clean and reliable experience. That commitment starts
long before a customer boards a bus or train. Increasingly, technology is
helping customers plan their trips, stay informed and connect with MARTA along
the way. One of the most important tools is right in the palm of your hand: the
MARTA app.
The app brings together real-time information,
trip planning, service alerts and See & Say reporting in one place. But
behind the simple taps and swipes is a network of technology, data and MARTA
teams working together to support the customer experience.
One App, More Ways to Connect
The MARTA app was developed in response to
customer feedback and research that showed the previous digital experience
could be complicated and fragmented. Customers were using different tools for
different parts of their MARTA journey, creating an opportunity to bring more
of those services together. That work continues today as MARTA moves toward a
more connected digital experience. One of the biggest steps in that effort is
bringing See & Say into the MARTA app.
See It. Say It. Help MARTA Keep the System Safe
and Clean.
See & Say gives customers a direct way to
report concerns they encounter across the MARTA system. Whether it is a damaged
bus stop sign, a maintenance concern or a safety issue, customers can submit a
report directly through the MARTA app, including details about the location and
photos when helpful. Behind the scenes, those reports are routed to the
appropriate team for follow-up, including MARTA Operations, Maintenance or, in
the case of a safety issue, the MARTA Police Department (MPD).
That means a quick report from a customer’s phone
can help get an issue into the hands of the people who can take action,
supporting a safe, clean and reliable MARTA system. The standalone See & Say
app will be decommissioned Sept. 30, 2026. Customers who use See & Say
should begin using the MARTA app to report system issues.
The Technology Behind Your Next Arrival
For many customers, one of the first things they
do when opening the MARTA app is check when their bus or train is coming. That
simple arrival time depends on a lot of technology working behind the scenes.
For rail, real-time information from MARTA’s Rail Control Center helps
determine where trains are in the system at a given moment. That information is
processed and matched with scheduled trips before it reaches customers as
estimated arrival information.
The app also provides real-time bus information,
allowing customers to see vehicles moving throughout the system and follow
their route.So when the app tells you your train is a few minutes away, it is
more than a countdown on a screen. It is the result of information moving from
MARTA’s operations and control systems into the technology customers use to
plan their journeys.
See MARTA Your Way
Not every customer uses the app in the same way,
which is why the app gives customers different ways to view and filter
information. Customers can filter the map to focus on bus or rail service,
explore nearby stops and stations, and see vehicles moving throughout the
system. Customers can also select a vehicle to follow it along its route. The
trip planner provides another way to customize a journey.
Customers can choose to leave now, depart at a
specific time, or arrive by a certain time. They can also incorporate walking
or biking into their trip and update their itinerary when plans change. And if
a customer is already on the move, the app can help them follow their trip and
track their vehicle in real time. There are also features designed to make
sharing and coordinating trips easier. Customers can share an itinerary with
someone else, whether they are meeting a friend downtown, helping a family member
navigate MARTA or simply letting someone know when to expect them.
Putting the Right Information in the Right Place
The app is designed to provide customers with
information that is relevant to their journey, rather than overwhelming them
with every service update across the system. That approach was informed by
customer research. When customers are presented with too much information all
the time, important information can become easier to overlook. With the MARTA
app, service information can be connected to a customer’s trip. If a route has
a cancellation, detour, or other service disruption, that information can
appear within the trip-planning experience or at a specific stop.
The goal is simple: give customers the information
they need, when they need it, to help them make informed decisions about their
journey.
What’s Next for the MARTA App
The MARTA app is continuing to evolve as MARTA
works toward bringing more of the customer experience together in one place. The
plan is to bring the Breeze app’s functionality into the MARTA app to make it
even more of a one-stop shop for customers. Upcoming enhancements are also
expected to include step-by-step navigation for trips, giving customers
more dynamic guidance as they travel. The long-term vision is to make the MARTA
app a central place for customers to plan, navigate and manage more of their
MARTA experience.
Behind the Screen
The next time you open the MARTA app to check an
arrival, filter the map, follow your bus, plan a trip or report an issue,
remember that there is a lot happening behind that screen. Every arrival time,
vehicle icon, service alert, and See & Say report connects to technology,
data and MARTA teams working behind the scenes. A safe, clean and reliable MARTA experience
takes more than buses and trains. It takes people, technology and an entire
system working together to keep Atlanta moving.
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