On Tuesday, MARTA flipped the switch on a redesigned mobile app and a set of web-based rider tools that pull real-time bus and train tracking, trip planning and incident reporting into one place. The free app, available on iPhone and Android, layers in accessibility upgrades and support for several non-English languages, targeting daily commuters as well as international visitors expected during summer events. The timing lines up with MARTA’s broader systemwide overhaul, even as riders remain jittery after a recent stretch of violent incidents on trains and in stations.
What’s in the app
The new app now serves up live vehicle locations and arrival predictions from MARTA’s GTFS real-time feeds, while also bundling trip planning, saved routes and system-wide alerts into a single interface, according to Rough Draft Atlanta. Local coverage also notes expanded language options and accessibility features, with the same real-time feeds driving the app’s mapping and routing tools. CBS News Atlanta reports that the update is designed to fold the older MARTA On the Go and See & Say functions into one streamlined experience.
Safety tools and reporting
MARTA says the refreshed app now fully embeds its See & Say safety-reporting tool, giving riders a way to discreetly flag suspicious activity and send photos or video straight to MARTA Police and service teams. The agency is framing the rollout as one piece of its broader 2026 program, which also includes new railcars, a contactless Better Breeze payment system and a NextGen bus network, all billed as upgrades aimed at improving safety and reliability. In a January statement, MARTA called the digital tools “a major step forward” in its rider experience and said the unified platform would arrive ahead of major summer events, according to MARTA.
Why now: violence and enforcement
The debut also lands in the middle of a tougher law-enforcement push after several violent incidents on MARTA. Federal prosecutors this week announced charges in a Midtown train shooting that left a 17-year-old wounded, and a separate federal complaint followed a May 30 fatal stabbing on a MARTA train. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal partners said the recent arrests are part of a multi-agency effort to hold violent offenders accountable and protect people riding mass transit. See statements from the U.S. Attorney’s Office on both cases: U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia.
Riders react
Early rider feedback mixes cautious optimism with a hard reality check. Some passengers say clearer status updates and built-in incident reporting are overdue, but they also note that software alone will not erase safety concerns overnight. “There’s unexplained delays and cancellations sometimes,” one rider told reporters, while another praised the real-time display but pointed to recent shootings and stabbings that have left riders on edge, as reported by CBS News Atlanta. For now, local reaction suggests that reliability, clarity and quick responses to alerts will determine whether the new tools can actually rebuild rider confidence.
Both the mobile app and the web-based rider tools are free. Local reporting notes that the app is available on Apple and Android devices, while the browser-based tracker works on any web connection. MARTA is urging riders to update the app, set favorite routes and turn on status alerts and incident-reporting features as the agency continues rolling out its 2026 upgrades, according to Rough Draft Atlanta.
