MARTA begins transition to new 'Better Breeze' payment system
What is MARTA’s Better Breeze system?
MARTA is launching its new Better Breeze payment system at stations like Lindbergh and Midtown to provide a more seamless, future-proof experience for transit riders ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
ATLANTA - MARTA has launched the transition to its new 'Better Breeze' payment system, bringing a new smartphone app and different ways to pay for a public transit fare.
What we know:
MARTA officials have begun the rollout of Better Breeze, a payment system designed to be more "futureproof" and user-friendly than the previous Breeze cards.
Currently, new cards are available at stations such as Lindbergh Station. However, riders can no longer purchase new fares using the old Breeze system.
What they're saying:
"We haven't had a major modification of the system since it started, pretty much," said Nevin Grinnell, MARTA's Assistant General Manager of Customer Experience. "We encourage people to still tap. Right now, our gates are open. We have a lot of construction going on in a lot of our stations, and we wanted to make sure that it was as effortless for our customers as possible."
FOX 5 cameras captured multiple people at the Midtown Station apparently not paying their fare as they walked through the open gates towards the train platform.
MARTA officials said they have budgeted for a loss in fare revenue during the transition period.
Grinnell added that the push to modernize is fueled by upcoming global events.
"For us to kind of force this initiative to get prepared for World Cup, it's going to force our system to get better a lot faster," he said.
Rider Sohum Honavar noted the convenience of the upgrade.
"I think that's going to make it a lot more convenient, because then you don't have to worry about having to fill up a physical or virtual card," Honavar said.
What's next:
The transition period will continue through early May.
What you can do:
Click here for more information on Better Breeze and changes coming to the transit system.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an on-air report by FOX 5’s Rey Llerena and interviews with MARTA's Nevin Grinnell and rider Sohum Honavar.