MARTA will increase long-term parking rates by $2 per day at all nine of its paid parking garages and reduce the free parking period from 24 hours to 14 hours, effective September 14, 2026. The agency says the additional revenue, estimated at $500,000 annually, will cover the cost of recent parking infrastructure upgrades and fund future security improvements across the system.
Key Takeaways
- MARTA is raising long-term parking rates by $2 per day at all nine paid parking garages beginning September 14, 2026, with daily rates increasing from $8 to $10 at four stations and from $5 to $7 at five stations
- The free parking period at paid facilities will be reduced from 24 hours to 14 hours, a threshold MARTA says is designed to keep parking free for daily commuters while generating revenue from overnight and multi-day users
- The rate changes do not affect any of MARTA’s existing free daily parking locations across the system
- MARTA’s last system-wide parking rate increase was in 2009, with end-of-line stations receiving a separate adjustment in 2017
- The agency expects the increases to generate approximately $500,000 in additional annual operating revenue, which will help recover costs from recent parking equipment upgrades completed in April 2025
Nine Stations Will See Rate Increases Across Two Pricing Tiers
The rate adjustment applies to all nine of MARTA’s paid long-term parking garages, which are grouped into two pricing tiers based on location and demand. Four stations with higher-traffic garages will see rates rise from $8 to $10 per day: College Park, Doraville, Lindbergh Center, and North Springs. Five stations currently priced at $5 per day will increase to $7: Dunwoody, Kensington, Lenox, Medical Center, and Sandy Springs.
The free parking window is being reduced from 24 hours to 14 hours at all nine locations. MARTA has framed the 14-hour threshold as intentional. A rider who drives to a station in the morning, parks, commutes to work by rail, and returns in the evening will still park for free under the adjusted policy. The cost increase targets a different user: the rider who leaves a car overnight or parks for multiple days, which is common among travelers using the College Park station to reach Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The distinction matters because MARTA’s parking system operates two separate categories. The nine paid long-term garages, all located at heavy rail stations, generate revenue through daily fees assessed after the free window expires. The agency also maintains free daily parking at a separate set of stations, and those locations will not be affected by the September 14 changes. Riders who rely on free daily lots at their home station will see no change in cost or access.
The Increases Follow a $500,000 Revenue Target and Recent Infrastructure Upgrades
MARTA expects the rate increases to generate an estimated $500,000 in additional annual operating revenue. The agency says the money will help recover the cost of parking infrastructure upgrades completed in April 2025, when MARTA finished installing new automated equipment at all nine paid garages. That project replaced aging gates, kiosks, and payment systems with a unified platform that includes license plate readers, updated lighting, and a more consistent payment process across stations.
The upgraded system, which MARTA had flagged as a long-overdue modernization, was completed without a corresponding rate increase at the time. The September 14 adjustment retroactively aligns pricing with the capital investment already made. MARTA has also said the revenue will support future upgrades and security measures at parking facilities, though the agency has not specified which stations or projects are in the pipeline.
The timing is notable. MARTA’s last system-wide parking rate change came in 2009, meaning the base rates at five of the nine garages have not moved in 17 years. End-of-line stations received a separate increase in 2017, but the broader pricing structure has remained static through more than a decade of inflation, ridership shifts, and infrastructure wear. A $2-per-day increase, viewed against that timeline, represents a measured correction rather than a sharp escalation, though it will register with multi-day parkers who use MARTA garages as an alternative to airport parking.
The Rate Change Arrives as MARTA Navigates a Post-World Cup Transition
MARTA is adjusting its parking economics at a moment when the agency carries both momentum and scrutiny. The transit system recorded 4.7 million riders during the FIFA World Cup tournament period this summer, nearly triple its daily averages, and the operational performance during the event was widely cited as a factor in the MARTA Board of Directors’ decision to name Jonathan Hunt as the agency’s permanent general manager and CEO on August 13.
Hunt, who joined MARTA’s legal department in 2014 and served as interim CEO since August 2025, led the agency through several concurrent launches during his interim tenure: the MARTA NextGEN bus network redesign, the replacement of the Breeze fare payment system, and the rollout of the city’s first bus rapid transit line. Board Chair Jennifer Ide called the CEO appointment “one of the most consequential decisions this board will make” and credited Hunt with guiding MARTA through its most complex period of improvement.
The parking rate increase, while modest in dollar terms, tests whether the goodwill MARTA generated during the World Cup translates into rider tolerance for incremental cost adjustments. The agency has emphasized that its parking rates remain below market rates for comparable facilities in the Atlanta area, and that the 14-hour free window protects daily commuters from any out-of-pocket impact. For the multi-day parker heading to the airport, however, the math has changed: a five-day trip that previously cost $40 at a Tier 1 station will now cost $50, and the free window will expire six hours earlier than before.
MARTA’s ability to communicate that distinction clearly to riders, and to demonstrate that the revenue is being reinvested visibly into cleaner, safer, better-lit garages, will determine whether the adjustment passes without friction or becomes a pressure point for an agency still working to rebuild public trust after a period marked by safety concerns and leadership turnover.
FAQs
Which MARTA stations are affected by the parking rate increase?
All nine of MARTA’s paid long-term parking garages are affected: College Park, Doraville, Lindbergh Center, North Springs, Dunwoody, Kensington, Lenox, Medical Center, and Sandy Springs. Free daily parking locations across the system are not affected.
How much will parking cost at MARTA stations after September 14?
Daily rates will increase to $10 at College Park, Doraville, Lindbergh Center, and North Springs. The remaining five stations (Dunwoody, Kensington, Lenox, Medical Center, and Sandy Springs) will charge $7 per day. Parking remains free for the first 14 hours.
Will daily commuters pay more under the new rates?
MARTA says the 14-hour free parking window is designed to keep parking free for daily commuters who drive to a station in the morning and return in the evening. The cost increase primarily affects overnight and multi-day parkers.
