MARTA
MARTA is Atlanta’s combined bus, rail and streetcar transit system. It includes 48 miles of rail, 2.7-miles of circular streetcar tracks, and more than 1,000 miles of bus routes spanning the city (see map above).
On June 12, the transit agency reported that its $1.55 billion budget includes $652 million in net operating funds and $901.8 million for capital programming (download highlights document below). This is MARTA’s 14th consecutive year for a balanced budget without a fare increase, “reconfirming AAA and AA+ bond ratings.” In FY2025, the total budget was $1.6 billion, allocating $654.4 million for operations and $909.2 million for the capital program.
MARTA said it derives a significant part of its operating budget from sales tax revenue that is forecasted to be more than $400 million in FY26, with passenger revenue and federal assistance being the next largest sources of operating revenue at a combined $155 million. The FY26 operating budget, it noted, assumes a 3% salary increase for non-represented employees, and fully funds the collective bargaining agreement obligations. Additionally, it accounts for an increase in healthcare and pension costs and includes a net reduction of 191 positions, many of which are vacant, according to the transit agency.
MARTA’s Capital Improvement Program will continue to advance, with projects in the More MARTA Atlanta Program under construction such as the Rapid A-Line in Summerhill (Bus Rapid Transit) and the Five Points Station Transformation, and those in various stages of planning and development such as the Bankhead Station platform extension and Cleveland/Metropolitan Avenue Arterial Rapid Transit (ART). The More MARTA Clayton budget prioritizes Rapid lines in Southlake (Bus Rapid Transit) and along SR54, and advancement of the Clayton County Operations and Multipurpose Facility and Justice Center transit hub projects, MARTA reported.
The capital budget includes $115 million for MARTA’s new Stadler-built trains, the first of which will enter service in FY26; $104 million for the implementation of the new fare system; and close to $50 million for the ongoing Station Rehabilitation Program at all 38 rail stations.
“The next fiscal year will be one of incredible improvement, with systemwide once-in-a-generation investments that ensure a safer, cleaner, more reliable MARTA,” MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood said. “Customers will see new state-of-the-art railcars, a better, more flexible Breeze system, and an entirely redesigned bus network that increases service frequency.”
“We had to tighten our belt this year, but we remain committed to growing ridership and making good on commitments to our jurisdictional partners,” MARTA Board Chair Jennifer Ide noted. “By keeping safe, clean, and reliable as our north star, we were able to focus on necessary system improvements while remaining good stewards of public money.”
Visit the MARTA financials webpage for more details.
BART
BART is a rapid transit system that connects the San Francisco Peninsula with communities in the East Bay and South Bay. It operates in five counties (San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara) with 131 miles of track and 50 stations (see map above).
The transit agency on June 12 reported that its balanced budget for FY26—including $1.2 billion in operating funds and $1.1 billion for capital programming—“protect[s] safe, clean, and frequent service for one more year before facing a fiscal cliff in FY27 that could have dire and widespread impacts on the Bay Area’s greater transportation network.”
BART said the Board continued its strategy of avoiding service cuts by using the remaining $318 million of state and regional emergency funds to help pay for the cost of running train service, while supporting deficit-reducing, cost-cutting measures, such as a strategic hiring freeze and running shorter trains. A planned 6.2% fare increase, expected to go into effect Jan. 1, 2026, will also help close a projected $35 million deficit, it noted.
“The FY26 budget is also supported by a fiscal year-over-year 4% increase in paid trips thanks to new fare gates, new fare programs, such as Clipper BayPass offering employer-paid unlimited transit passes, attracting more riders with a cleaner, safer ride, and schedule coordination with connecting transit agencies,” BART said.
According to the transit agency, its overall expenses grew by less than 1% in FY26, “demonstrating that cost controls and targeted cuts to non-labor expenses are holding costs down, as well as the effectiveness of BART’s disciplined approach to belt tightening and prudent fiscal management.” No new positions were added to the budget and dozens were frozen in a “strategic hiring freeze,” it noted.
Operating Budget ‘Prioritizes Safe, Clean Plan’
BART said its $1.2 billion operating budget will continue to fund the current service plan with no planned service cuts this fiscal year. In August, it noted, “small adjustments” will be made to BART’s schedule in coordination with other transit systems to improve timed transfers with Caltrain at Millbrae Station and to improve transfers with Wheels Bus service at Dublin Station. Improvements to the BART to Antioch transfer are also planned.
While the FY26 operating budget includes $35 million in reductions and cost controls, “these cuts will not impact BART’s ability to provide clean and safe service or impact BART’s efforts to have an increased safety presence on trains and inside stations,” according to the transit agency.
Capital Budget ‘Prioritizes Reliability Improvements, Modernization Efforts’
BART reported that its $1.1 billion capital budget prioritizes funding Fleet of the Future railcars; the transit agency’s project to upgrade its aged train control system to a CBTC (Communications-Based Train Control) system; new traction power equipment that will improve reliability; new escalators; a new BART Police headquarters; and other rebuilding efforts. It noted that 98% of the capital investments are allocated to system reinvestment and service and capacity improvements. These projects are funded by voter-approved Measure RR and other local, regional, state, and federal grant sources, in addition to allocations from BART’s operating budget to help pay for these essential projects, according to the transit agency.
“Our riders are noticing the improvements we have made to the overall BART experience, resulting in the highest satisfaction rates in ten years,” BART Board President Mark Foley said. “We made strategic decisions in this budget to show the Bay Area we must be part of the solution in reducing costs, but also ensuring we have frequent, clean, and safe service at this critical moment when traffic congestion is increasing and people are returning to the office and wanting to take car-free trips on nights and weekends as well.”
BART also addressed its FY27 preliminary budget, which it said includes no emergency assistance. That budget “shows a $376 million deficit due to BART’s outdated funding model and the fact the Bay Area has embraced remote work at higher rates compared to the rest of the country,” the transit agency said. “The BART Board has voted to support SB 63 (Wiener/Arreguin), also known as the Connect Bay Area Act, which would authorize a regional transportation funding measure on the November 2026 ballot to enact a sales tax in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties, with an option for San Mateo and Santa Clara counties to opt in. Funds from the measure would support transit agency operations and rider-focused transit coordination improvements.
“BART is also advocating for state budget funding to prevent service cuts in FY27 as well as requesting that BART’s current funding allocations from state programs continue to be honored in the coming state budget, which is under development now.”
