FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2026
MARTA SAFELY MOVES MILLIONS DURING FIFA WORLD
CUP 2026
ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority (MARTA) safely and efficiently provided 4.7 million rail passenger
trips over 35 days of FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, fan festivals, concerts,
events, and the Peachtree Road Race on July 4.
The busiest day on the
MARTA system was Wednesday, June 24, for the Morocco vs. Haiti match when
MARTA provided approximately 240,000 rail passenger trips, which
is about 2.6 times the number of trips seen on a typical weekday. The
England vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo match the following Wednesday,
July 1, had the second highest ridership of the tournament with 230,000 rail passenger
trips, which is about 2.5 times the typical weekday ridership.
“Team MARTA showed up
and showed out during the World Cup tournament, providing frequent service,
ensuring the system was secure and riders were safe, and doing it with a
welcoming smile and southern hospitality,” said MARTA Interim General Manager
and CEO Jonathan Hunt. “I am proud of every one of the almost 5,000 MARTA
employees who moved millions of people safely and efficiently while our entire
Atlanta metropolitan region was on the world stage.”
On match
days, MARTA experienced approximately 2 to 3½ times its normal daily rail
ridership, generating an average of nearly 130,000 additional rail passenger
trips each day. Overall ridership demand was strongest at SEC District (38%),
followed by Peachtree Center (30%), Five Points (18%) and Vine City (14%).
Fan festival-only days generated
an average of 37,000 additional rail passenger trips per day, resulting in
daily rail ridership approximately 1 to 2 times normal. Ridership demand on fan
fest days was strongest at Peachtree Center (43%), followed by SEC
District (34%) and Five Points (21%). Due to the security perimeter for fan
fests, Vine City (2%) did not experience heightened levels of ridership.
Six hundred MARTA
Transit Ambassadors worked a total of 6,400 assignments, assisting customers on
match and fan fest days, and stepping up to take shifts when new events were
added to the schedule or planned celebrations extended. One hundred multilingual
FIFA volunteers joined ambassadors throughout the tournament to help visitors
navigate the MARTA system and downtown area. Additionally, members of MARTA’s
Safety Department worked at public health tables on the system providing water,
sunscreen, and first aid to customers.
Hundreds of MARTA police
officers, along with law enforcement support from Denver transit and local
jurisdictions, provided thousands of hours of security coverage patrolling
trains, platforms, stations, buses, bus transfer hubs, and parking lots, as well
as staffing the Mobile Command Vehicle, the Real-Time Crime Center, and the
Emergency Operations Center virtually around the clock for over a month. These
efforts, that included 10- and 12-hour shifts six days a week, resulted in no
major crimes reported and the apprehension of three criminals wanted for
previous violent incidents.
“Thank you to the law
enforcement officers, frontline and safety staff, and transit ambassadors who
worked tirelessly to ensure visitors and locals alike got where they needed to
go safely and efficiently,” added Mr. Hunt. “And a tremendous thank you to everyone
who rode MARTA during the World Cup! Whether you were headed to a match, fan
festival, watch party or one of the many celebrations, concerts, and events
around our region, or to work, to run errands, or to a holiday get together,
thank you for trusting us and for riding with us during this historic summer.
We hope you’ll continue to let MARTA drive.”
For a breakdown of daily
rail ridership from June 11 – July 15, 2026, visit MARTA.