The 2026 World Cup is fueling Atlanta's smart city ambitions

• init's most comprehensive ticketing project in the United States to date with a volume of over USD 100 million “plus X”
• Major flagship project for the 2026 World Cup
• Greatest possible flexibility for passengers purchasing tickets

“MARTA will be smarter”. This motto embodies the essential feature of this latest development because it brings state-of-the-art solutions to the public transport sector in North America. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has chosen a smart ticketing solution from INIT Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of init innovation in traffic systems SE, headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, which adds a new service dimension for its riders.

The modern AFC 2.0 System (automated fare collection) combines ticketing with contactless payments for all its buses, trains, and trams in the Atlanta metropolitan region, a conurbation with over six million inhabitants, making it the ninth largest metropolitan region in the United States. Now any of the roughly 500,000 daily passengers can use a simple “tap and go” service that allows them to purchase their fare using their mobile device, credit card or customer card via contactless payment at any stop or in any vehicle operated by MARTA (or its partners).

New service dimension for passengers and transit operators

The contract awarded to init has a volume of over USD 100 million to cover the initial design phase, installation, and deployment of the AFC System 2.0. In addition, the volume for the contract can double, depending on whether options for operation and maintenance over ten years are chosen. “First and foremost, this new, state-of-the-art fare collection system will improve service and provide customers with a better overall experience,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood. “And from our side, AFC 2.0 will allow us to further optimise our operations and increase farebox recovery. It’s a major win for both MARTA and our riders.”

Once the system is implemented, MARTA customers can purchase their fares using contactless payment at any of the vending machines or around 1,800 terminals located in the vehicles or at the stops. The contract extends to delivery of more than 275 ticket vending machines that enable contactless payment using debit/credit cards, smart cards, mobile devices or wearables. However, the vending machines also accept cash and can dispense banknotes and coins as change.

With the MOBILEvario back-office solution from init, MARTA will also be able to set prices for various tariffs and handle employer initiatives, reduced fares for senior citizens and students as well as offer discounts for events.

As with all init projects, the AFC 2.0 System at MARTA has been built using an open architecture that facilitates the integration of customer-oriented offers such as planning travel itineraries and MaaS (mobility as a service) offers from its partners. One point of particular significance for MARTA was to install a system that will enable it to handle the volume of visitors expected for the 2026 World Cup more efficiently and with greater ease of use for riders.

In the global spotlight

“For us too, the contract awarded by MARTA is an important lighthouse project for the 2026 World Cup and the associated global spotlight placed on Atlanta, one of the venues. Today, everyone expects to be able to purchase their tickets simply and cheaply using their mobile device or credit card. With our smart ticketing solutions, this is precisely what we can provide whilst simultaneously relieving transit operators of the entire handling and payments clearing process. We continue to see great growth opportunities for this technology in North America,” says Dr. Jürgen Greschner, init SE management board CSO.

With MARTA, init will realise its most comprehensive ticketing project in the United States to date. This now marks the thirteenth major ticketing project awarded to init in the United States. The technological advantages of the init solution and the ease with which it can be expanded to create a mobility platform are compelling arguments for an increasing number of public transport operators in the United States. With their U.S. subsidiary, INIT Inc., the Karlsruhe specialists have already installed their smart ticketing systems in metropolitan regions across the continent, from Tampa, Florida, to Houston, Texas, Seattle, Washington, and even Honolulu in Hawaii.

About MARTA:

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is a public transport operation that serves the Atlanta metropolitan region and its 6.1 million inhabitants. Its focus is on innovation, sustainability and service excellence. MARTA has moved over 5 billion passengers over the 25 years it has been in operation.