A one-way flat-rate fare currently costing US$1.75 allows for free transfers between bus and rail services. In late 2006 MARTA switched from a token-based fare collection to a new smart card fare collection system called Breeze Card. Fare reciprocity agreements also allow for free transfer to and from other county and regional transit agencies outside of the MARTA service area.

MARTA is unique in that it is the largest United States transit agency not to receive state operational funding. The system is funded primarily by a 1% sales tax levied in its service area and passenger revenue. MARTA is a public authority operated by a board of directors appointed by the City of Atlanta and Fulton and DeKalb counties, with additional seats appointed by Gwinnett and Clayton counties and the State of Georgia. There exist several plans for the expansion of heavy rail and light rail service in the MARTA system - however, the only current active project is the implementation of bus rapid transit along a single corridor.

In recent years MARTA has been criticized for being unreliableWho: date=March 2009 and difficult to useWho: date=March 2009 and for its perceived wasteful spending.Who: date=April 2009 Nonetheless, the agency has seen rapid ridership growth, and saw a larger percentage passenger increase than any other comparably-sized agency during the 2008 spike in gas costs. Supporters of MARTA have been critical of the lack of state and regional financial support given to MARTA. Neighboring counties (Cobb, Gwinnett, and Clayton) have refused to support MARTA service in their counties, and each one of these counties now has its own independent transit system consisting of local and express bus routes, some of which connect to the MARTA system. Clayton County, however, currently contracts MARTA to operate its county-wide bus system.

Some of MARTA's intended role as a regional transportation coordinator has been subsumed by the state-created and -operated Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA). GRTA's bus service is branded "Xpress", and operates commuter service in some communities without local transit service. As GRTA primarily serves commuters, its operating hours are limited, typically between 6 A.M. - 7 P.M. Despite GRTA's operation in more counties, however, MARTA is a much larger system, and carries the majority of Atlanta regional transit trips.

History

Construction began on the MARTA system in 1975, with the first rail service commencing on June 30, 1979. The system has since built most of the proposed rail lines, as well as stations in Sandy Springs and North Springs which were not included in the original plan. The missing rail segments include a Tucker-North DeKalb line with service to Emory University and North Druid Hills, a Northwest line with service to Brookwood and Northside Drive, extension of the West line to Brownlee-Boulder Park near Fairburn Road, extension of the Proctor Creek line to Perry Homes, and a branch off of the south line to Hapeville.