MARTA interim CEO lays out new trains, contactless fares and bus‑network overhaul ahead of World Cup

Jonathan Hunt, interim general manager and CEO of MARTA, told a statehouse committee that the agency will introduce replacement rail cars in mid‑2026, roll out a contactless fare system in April and restructure bus service to prioritize higher‑frequency corridors.

Hunt said the fleet replacement is already in testing: "We have 4 train sets on‑site being tested nearly every night," with additional sets in static testing and 10 train car sets in manufacturing. "Get ready to ride in June 2026," he said.

Hunt described a multi‑pronged push to make MARTA "safe, clean and reliable," led by two near‑term goals: increasing ridership and improving customer service. He said MARTA hired a third‑party team, Epheso, to implement operational changes immediately rather than merely producing a review, and that the agency is negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union.

On fares, Hunt announced Better Breeze, a contactless system slated to launch in April 2026 that will accept credit cards, Breeze cards and mobile or wearable devices. He called the rollout a "frictionless experience" and warned of short‑term station construction work during conversion.

Hunt said the NextGen bus redesign will reduce routes from 111 to 81 to concentrate service on faster, more frequent corridors and said MARTA will introduce MARTA REACH, a 12‑zone shared on‑demand 'last mile' service, integrated with frequent bus and rail lines.

The presentation included capital and station updates. Hunt said Summerhill's Rapid A Line (the agency's first bus rapid transit line) is scheduled to launch in April 2026 and that 5 Points station rehabilitation work will be advanced enough to allow transfers by the World Cup, even though street‑level construction will continue. He also described a Bankhead platform extension (60% design) and ongoing airport station rehabilitation work.

On safety, Hunt cited multi‑year declines in violent crime on the system and outlined staffing increases: the agency reached its prior allotment of sworn officers and committed to hiring another 30 sworn officers plus additional "protector specialists," with 32 recruits currently in police academies.

Hunt also reviewed financials: MARTA has more than $200 million in reserves, reported multiple high bond ratings, said it received about $52 million in competitive federal grants in FY25 and is awaiting decisions on roughly $286 million in pending competitive grant requests.

The committee asked for additional ridership and economic‑impact data, which Hunt said MARTA will provide in a follow‑up briefing. The meeting adjourned after roughly an hour of questions.