Atlanta guide

How does public transit work in Atlanta?

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This article is part of our Moving to Atlanta guide.

Last updated October 18, 2026

Atlanta public transit is run mainly by MARTA, which operates four rail lines, 81 bus routes and a small downtown streetcar, all on one $2.50 fare. Since March 28, 2026, you can tap a bank card or phone at faregates and on buses, and you get up to four free transfers within three hours. Rail is fast for the airport, Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead and Decatur. Outside those corridors, most trips take a bus, and many suburbs have only thin service run by separate county systems.

One-way fare$2.504 free transfers in 3 hours (MARTA, 2026)
Rail stations38Red, Gold, Blue, Green lines (MARTA, 2026)
30-day pass$95unlimited MARTA rides (MARTA, 2026)
Reduced fare$165+, Medicare, disability (MARTA, 2026)

How does the MARTA train work?

MARTA rail is a heavy-rail system with 38 stations shaped roughly like a cross. All four lines meet at Five Points station downtown, which is where you switch between the north-south and east-west lines.

  • Red Line, Airport to North Springs, through Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, the Medical Center and Sandy Springs.
  • Gold Line, Airport to Doraville, sharing track with Red as far north as Lindbergh Center, then branching through Brookhaven and Chamblee.
  • Blue Line, Hamilton E. Holmes on the west side to Indian Creek in DeKalb, through Downtown and Decatur.
  • Green Line, a shorter east-west line from Bankhead to Edgewood-Candler Park.

Trains run from 4:45 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekends. MARTA’s schedule page lists trains about every 10 minutes at weekday rush hours, about every 12 minutes midday, and about every 20 minutes at night and on weekends. Where two lines share track, such as Red and Gold through Midtown, waits are shorter.

MARTA has new Stadler-built railcars on site, but they are not in passenger service yet. They were supposed to debut in June 2026 before the World Cup. As of mid-October, MARTA said it was still waiting on safety certification and had no new public date (WSB-TV, October 15, 2026).

How do MARTA buses and the streetcar work?

Buses do most of the work in Atlanta. MARTA redrew its whole bus map on April 18, 2026, under a plan it calls the NextGen Bus Network. The new system has 81 fixed routes. Seventeen corridors now have a bus every 15 minutes or better, up from five, and another 11 routes run about every 20 minutes. MARTA also added 12 MARTA Reach zones, where you book an on-demand van for curb-to-curb trips in lower-density areas. Older route maps are out of date.

The same day, MARTA started the first phase of its first bus rapid transit route, the Rapid A-Line (also called the Summerhill line). It makes a five-mile round trip from Downtown through Capitol Gateway, Summerhill and Peoplestown to the BeltLine’s Southside Trail, mostly in dedicated lanes, with 14 new stations. Construction is still going on, and MARTA says full service starts in fall 2026, with buses every 10 to 12 minutes at peak times.

The Atlanta Streetcar is a 2.7-mile downtown loop with 12 stops, connecting Centennial Olympic Park, Peachtree Center station, Sweet Auburn and the King Historic District. It returned February 3, 2026, after a five-month repair shutdown. The fare is $1, or $3 for a day pass, and it does not include transfers to the rest of MARTA. It’s useful for visitors and downtown errands, not for commuting.

How much does MARTA cost, and how do you pay?

A one-way trip on a MARTA train or bus is $2.50. That includes up to four free transfers within three hours, so a bus-to-train-to-bus trip costs one fare. The catch: you must pay with the same card or phone for the whole trip. Two cards linked to the same bank account still count as two different payment methods, and you’ll be charged twice.

Under the Better Breeze system that launched March 28, 2026, you have several ways to pay:

  • Tap a contactless bank card or phone at rail faregates or the orange validators on buses.
  • A virtual Breeze card in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet or Samsung Wallet, which can hold stored value or passes.
  • A physical Breeze card for $2 (reloadable), or a paper ticket for $1 that expires after 90 days.
  • Cash, with exact change on buses only. Cash fares on buses include no transfers.

If you’ll ride often, a pass can save money. Prices posted by MARTA in 2026:

Fare productPrice
One-way (with 4 transfers in 3 hours)$2.50
10-trip$25
20-trip$42.50
1-day (24 hours)$9
7-day$23.75
30-day$95
Reduced fare, one-way$1
Streetcar, one-way$1

MARTA does not advertise fare capping, so buy a pass up front if you ride daily. The 30-day pass pays for itself at 38 rides a month.

One deadline for anyone who already has an old silver Breeze card: the old system stopped working after May 2, 2026, and MARTA lets you move a leftover balance to a new registered account only through October 30, 2026.

Who qualifies for reduced fare or free rides?

  • Reduced fare ($1), for people 65 and older, Medicare cardholders and people with disabilities. You need a Reduced Fare Breeze card from a MARTA Reduced Fare office.
  • Children 46 inches and under ride free, up to two per paying adult.
  • College students at participating schools can buy a 30-day pass for $68.50 through their university.
  • MARTA Mobility, the reservation-based paratransit service, costs $4 a trip.

How do you get to the airport on MARTA?

This is MARTA’s best trip. Airport station sits inside the Domestic Terminal, between the North and South baggage claims. Both the Red and Gold lines start there, so any northbound train takes you to Downtown and Midtown with no transfer, for a single $2.50 fare. Just tap your bank card at the gate.

Heading to Buckhead, Sandy Springs or Dunwoody after about 8:30 p.m.? MARTA says you may need to take a Gold train to Lindbergh Center and switch to a Red train for North Springs.

What about Cobb, Gwinnett and the commuter buses?

MARTA covers the city of Atlanta plus Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties. Clayton voted to join in 2014. Cobb and Gwinnett never joined, so they run their own buses:

  • CobbLinc runs local routes in Cobb County, connecting to MARTA at Arts Center station in Midtown and Hamilton E. Holmes on the west side.
  • Ride Gwinnett charges $2.50 for a local bus ($1.25 half fare) and $3 for its on-demand microtransit, with tap-to-pay accepted.
  • Xpress, run by the state’s Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL), operates weekday commuter buses from suburban park-and-ride lots. A one-way trip is $3 or $4 depending on the zone. Since June 2025, some routes end at MARTA stations rather than Downtown.

Free transfers between MARTA and these systems work only if you pay with the same Breeze card or the same tapped bank card or phone on both. Cash doesn’t carry a transfer.

Is the BeltLine public transit?

No. The Atlanta BeltLine is a walking and biking trail built on old rail corridors, not a train. As of June 2026, about 17 miles of continuous trail were open on the planned 22-mile loop around the city’s core, with completion targeted for 2030. It’s a good way to get between neighborhoods like Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park and West End on foot, bike or scooter.

Where does transit work well in Atlanta, and where doesn’t it?

Transit works best if you live and work along the rail lines. The Red and Gold corridor through Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead, the Blue Line out to Decatur, and the stations around Perimeter Center in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs are the places where living car-light is realistic. Students at Georgia State and Georgia Tech, which sit near rail stations, also do well.

It works poorly for trips across the suburbs, for most of Cobb and Gwinnett, and for anything at night or on weekends when trains come every 20 minutes and many buses less often. Many newcomers end up keeping a car even if they ride MARTA to work. Our post on whether you need a car in Atlanta goes deeper, and our neighborhood guide flags which areas sit near a station. To browse buildings near the Midtown stations, our sister site, AtlantaApartmentBuildings.com, has a Midtown building list. For how transit fits your budget, see what it costs to live in Atlanta, or start with our moving to Atlanta hub.

For big events, MARTA can scale up: during the 2026 World Cup it doubled train frequency on match days and carried 160,000 to 220,000 trips on each of the first four (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 26, 2026).

Frequently asked questions about public transit in Atlanta

Can I pay for MARTA with my credit card or phone?

Yes. Since March 28, 2026, you can tap a contactless debit or credit card, or a phone or watch wallet, at rail faregates and bus validators. Use the same card or phone for the whole trip to get free transfers.

How late does MARTA run?

Trains run until about 1 a.m. every night, starting at 4:45 a.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. on weekends. Bus hours vary by route, so check the MARTA trip planner or app.

Is the Atlanta Streetcar free?

No. It costs $1 a ride or $3 for a day pass, and the fare does not include transfers to MARTA trains or buses. It returned to service on February 3, 2026, after a five-month shutdown for repairs.

Does MARTA go to Cobb County or Gwinnett?

MARTA trains don’t, but CobbLinc and Ride Gwinnett buses connect to MARTA stations, and state-run Xpress commuter buses link suburban park-and-ride lots to the rail system. Transfers are free if you pay with the same Breeze card or tapped card.

Sources

Go Big City Team
Author: Go Big City Team

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