MARTA Delivers Record Ridership During the World Cup
MARTA played a critical role in keeping Atlanta moving throughout the World Cup, providing reliable transportation for matches, fan celebrations and other major events across the city.
During the World Cup period, MARTA rail ridership exceeded 4.1 million trips, approximately 1.5 million more trips than the system would typically experience during the same timeframe.
Significant Growth on Match and Fan Fest Days
Rail ridership increased significantly during the city’s busiest event days.
On match days, MARTA recorded between two and three-and-a-half times its average rail ridership, with approximately 130,000 additional riders per match day. Fan Fest days generated another 40,000 additional rail trips above average.
MARTA also provided five-minute rail service on match days and Fan Fest days, helping manage the increased passenger demand. Only one train required passengers to deboard and transfer because of a maintenance issue.
Despite the chaos, MARTA managed to keep Atlanta moving during the World Cup period!
Employees Step Up as Transit Ambassadors
MARTA’s administrative employees played an important role in supporting riders throughout the matches.
Approximately 700 administrative employees completed 6,400 transit ambassador shifts, assisting at stations with directions, transfers, fare information and navigating the system. Their presence provided additional support for anyone who may have been using MARTA for the first time.
Bus Ridership Remains Steady
While rail ridership increased substantially, MARTA bus ridership remained the same throughout the World Cup. This was expected by MARTA.
Strong Ridership Continues for the Peachtree Road Race
The World Cup was not the only major event driving transit use.
MARTA provided approximately 68,000 trips on the day of the Peachtree Road Race, exceeding ridership totals from both 2024 and 2025.
The strong turnout further demonstrated the role transit can play in helping residents and visitors reach major Atlanta events without adding more vehicles to already busy roadways.
Faregate Upgrades Continue
MARTA is also continuing work to modernize its fare collection system. All new faregate installations are expected to be completed by the beginning of October.
The World Cup presented one of the largest transportation challenges Atlanta has faced in recent years. MARTA’s ability to increase service, support millions of passenger trips and operate without major disruptions showed the value of having a regional transit system in place for both everyday commutes and major international events.
