• November 03, 2025
• Passenger Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor

(TransLink)

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) will modernize its entire fare collection system. Also, Tri-Rail will end $5 rideshare voucher program; DC Streetcar service will end on March 31, 2026; the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) restricts advertisements on train windows; the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) launches a new transit incentive to encourage Baltimore-area commuters to try transit; the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) invests $1 million in its safety and security program; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s (PANYNJ) PATH commuter rail achieves its second-busiest month since the pandemic; and TransLink celebrates 30 years of the West Coast Express.

MARTA

MARTA announced Oct. 27 that it will replace its entire fare collection system over the next six months, with a goal of spring 2026 for implementation and customer transition. The system will retain the popular Breeze name but fare media and fare collection equipment, including Breeze cards and tickets, faregates and validators, Breeze vending machines, and the mobile app, will be updated and modernized, along with fareboxes in later project phases.

MARTA began installing new fare equipment at Lindbergh Center Station Sept. 22 and at Doraville Oct. 8. The installation of new contactless payment terminals on buses began in mid-September. The installation of new equipment will continue systemwide in phases until the customer transition period next April. Customers should pay attention to signs and announcements at rail stations denoting which faregates are closed for construction to ensure smooth travels. Note that this is a systemwide project and the phased construction approach will mean new faregates may be installed but not yet usable. Current Breeze cards and mobile app will not work on the new fare equipment.

Customers should continue using the existing Breeze mobile app, fare media and equipment. Access to all rail stations will be maintained and there will be a monthlong period in spring 2026 for customers to transition from the current Breeze system to the Better Breeze system.

“It’s great to keep fares unchanged for years, but not an entire fare collection system,” said MARTA Interim General Manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt. “MARTA is implementing some incredible projects and initiatives next year ahead of the World Cup, including new trains, a new bus network with on demand transit zones, a new bus rapid transit line, and a new On the Go app and MARTA website. We need to ensure our Breeze system is aligned with these once-in-a-generation improvements and ready for the future.”

Here is what customers will enjoy with the Better Breeze system:

• “New Equipment: New, contactless fare payment equipment that takes the guesswork out of where to tap. We are replacing faregates and fareboxes, validators, and Breeze vending machines systemwide. The Better Breeze faregates are harder to tamper with or damage. They can be monitored and adjusted remotely, reducing incidents of fare evasion, resulting in a safer, more secure transit system and a better experience for everyone.
• “New Payment Feature: Open payment where you can tap your bank card, smart phone, or mobile wallet to pay for your ride. Fare remains $2.50 for a one-way trip.
• “New App: An updated app which customers will need to download and create a new account where they can purchase fare.
• “New Cards: New physical cards with a cool design (think orange!) and continued options of multi-day and monthly passes. Information on getting your new Breeze card will be shared in the spring.”

Information on ongoing fare equipment installation and instructions on how and when to transition to the new fare system will be shared in the coming months and into next spring.

Tri-Rail

Tri-Rail is ending its program at the end of the year that provides a $5 voucher for cab fare or rideshare to and from the Miami International Airport station, according to a *CBS Miami *report.

“We were kicking in money for that, and we are looking everywhere where we can start reeling in some of those expenses,” said Tri-Rail Executive Director Dave Dech.

The regional commuter train system, according to the report, “is looking for ways to save money and raise funding after the state severely cut its annual contribution from about $60 million to $19 million. Tri-Rail is also asking counties to contribute more.”

“There’s been no deal yet, but I can say they’re definitely moving in the right direction; we’re not at zero,” Dech said.

This, *CBS Miami *says, comes as Tri-Rail is seeing record ridership. In fiscal year 2025, the system carried 4.5 million riders—up 100,000 from 2024. About 15,000 people take the train each day.

“There’s a lot at stake here,” Dech said. “If we don’t come up with funding, we have to figure out how to dump 15,000 a day on I-95. If we don’t come up with funding, Tri-Rail as we know it could cease to exist.”

Dipping into its reserves, Tri-Rail, according to the report, “has enough money to operate on its own until June 2027. Officials hope to reach a funding resolution before then.”

DC Streetcar

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) on Oct. 28 announced that DC Streetcar service will end on March 31, 2026. Following this date, the DC Streetcar will no longer operate. Riders are encouraged to plan and explore alternate travel options, including WMATA’s D20 bus.

The closure, according to a *WTOP *news report, comes a year earlier than initially planed, for March 2027, after the D.C. Council cut funding for the line in its fiscal year 2026 budget.

As part of this transition, DDOT says it is coordinating closely with WMATA Metrobus to provide alternatives for current riders throughout the H Street Corridor. Information and travel guides outlining these options, as well as access to Capital Bikeshare and other DDOT-managed modes of transportation, are available on the DDOT website.

In a statement, DDOT officials said the decision “comes after years of low ridership,” according to the report. “They also cited the system’s operational challenges because it ran in mixed traffic, and it also racked up higher costs to maintain and extend the system.”

The D.C. Streetcar was launched in 2016 as a single line that runs 2.2 miles between Union Station and the edge of the RFK Stadium Campus.

DDOT says it “acknowledges and appreciates the contributions of riders, employees, and community members who have supported the DC Streetcar during its decade of service to the District.”

Denver RTD

RTD’s Board of Directors acted on Oct. 28 to prohibit placing advertisements on the windows of buses and trains.

(Denver RTD)

The Director-initiated action, which was approved by a 9-4 vote, follows a multi-year push from customers and transit advocates in the Denver metro area to restrict advertising that covers windows. The policy update will apply to advertising agreements entered into after Jan. 1, 2026. Buses and trains that currently have advertising wraps that cover a portion of a vehicle’s windows will remain intact until their individual agreements end. As of the Oct. 28 meeting, a total of 48 commuter rail vehicles, 128 light rail vehicles, and 493 buses have advertisements that include varying levels of window coverage, according to RTD. The agency’s advertising guidelines previously prohibited advertisements on the front of vehicles, as well as the driver and operator side windows.

Prior to the policy amendment being considered by RTD’s Board, Director Brett Paglieri, District M, spoke in support of the action as one of its three sponsors. “I am bringing this forward to take us towards a better customer experience,” he said. “I want to highlight our image as a trustworthy, customer-first brand. Prohibiting advertising on windows contributes to a better rider experience on every journey.”

For several years, RTD says it has explored making updates to its advertising policy, from increasing to decreasing allowable space for paid advertisements. In the past, RTD expanded its on-vehicle advertising program to also allow digital advertising on screens at rail stations and select bus stops. Prior to the end of the year, digital advertising will also be phased out as the agency “focuses on enhancing customer amenities and improving how travel and schedule information is presented on screens.”

Between April and September of this year, vehicle wraps that included some portion of window coverage accounted for approximately $786,000 in gross advertising revenue. That amount reflects 42% of the total gross advertising revenue collected during that six-month period. Advertising revenue received from the on-vehicle program is used to support RTD’s general operations.

An open solicitation is currently under way to select a third-party contractor to manage RTD’s on-vehicle advertising program.

MDOT

MDOT on Oct. 30 announced its newest rewards program to entice commuters in the Baltimore region to try transit.

The Ride Together Rewards: Baltimore Transit Incentives Program launched Nov. 1 and aims to “help new transit users and employers take advantage of services offered by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)—including local bus, Metro Subway, Light Rail, Commuter Bus and MARC train.” The program, MDOT says, is the latest step in the agency’s broader effort “to ease traffic congestion and strengthen travel options across the region, particularly as the state works to expeditiously advance construction to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge.”

Under the new program, commuters who are new transit users can receive free transit passes during promotional periods. Employers can also receive up to $3,000 over a three-month period ($1,000 per month) to purchase transit passes for employees through MTA’s FareShare employer transit benefits program.

This new initiative, the agency says, marks the latest incentive for Baltimore-area commuters. Earlier this year, MDOT introduced vanpool and carpool rewards programs designed to improve daily trips, efficiently move Marylanders to jobs, and help reduce commute costs. Both programs remain available, “continuing the Department’s commitment to offering flexible, cost-effective and sustainable transportation options for Maryland workers.”

More information is available here.

SacRT

SacRT recently announced that it is “reinforcing its commitment to rider and employee safety” with a $1 million investment in its safety and security program. The funding, approved as part of the agency’s FY26 budget, “will support targeted enhancements to staffing, monitoring, and frontline presence across the transit system.”

The additional $1 million in funding will be used to expand and strengthen SacRT’s security services in three key areas:

• “Transit Ambassadors: Increasing the number of authorized positions from 40 to 50, along with a modest salary increase to improve retention and recognize the vital role ambassadors play in customer service and de-escalation.
• “Security Operations Center (SOC): Hiring two additional staff to enhance monitoring of SacRT’s 2,000+ security cameras and improve responsiveness through the crime tip hotline and mobile reporting app.
• “Security Guards: Expanding the presence of uniformed security guards across light rail stations, vehicles, and parking lots.”

Additionally, SacRT operates a 24/7 Security Operations Center in partnership with the Sacramento Police Department’s Real Time Information Center (RTIC), “ensuring seamless coordination in emergency response and system-wide monitoring.”

“This investment is not about starting from scratch—it’s about building on a strong foundation,” said SacRT General Manager/CEO Henry Li. “We’re recognizing the tremendous and important work our frontline teams do every day, and this funding allows us to do even more to support them and the communities we serve.”

To elevate awareness around safety and rider conduct, SacRT recently launched the Respect the Ride campaign, spotlighting the essential role of Transit Ambassadors and encouraging respectful interactions on board. Through this campaign, SacRT says it is reminding the public that these frontline team members are here to help—and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

More information on SacRT’s Safety and Security program is available here.

PANYNJ

PANYNJ on Oct. 30 announced that its PATH commuter rail notched its second-busiest month since February 2020 and also posted several new record highs for single-day ridership since the pandemic, reaching a new high of 79% of pre-pandemic ridership.

In September 2025, the PATH commuter rail recorded its second-busiest month since the pandemic. The month’s 5.5 million passengers was a 6.9% increase from September 2024. It was 79% of pre-pandemic September 2019’s passenger total, “a new high-water mark for the system.”

The average weekday ridership in September 2025 was the highest of any month since the pandemic, at 217,831 riders, according to PANYNJ. Throughout the month, the system repeatedly shattered its previous single-day post-pandemic ridership record of 237,038 passengers set on June 18, 2024, exceeding that total on four separate days: Sept. 9, 10, 16, and 17, 2025. Among those, the new single-day post-pandemic record was set on Sept. 9, when PATH welcomed 243,858 passengers.

PATH ridership grew 7.3% over the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period of 2024. The system served approximately 41.9 million passengers from January to September 2025.

TransLink

TransLink on Nov. 1 invited the public to celebrate three decades of the West Coast Express with the launch of a limited-edition new Compass Mini shaped like the iconic train. A special Saturday train also ran that day to give riders a chance to experience Western Canada’s only commuter train.

(TransLink)

Customers were able to get their hands on the Compass Mini-West Coast Express Trains starting at 10 a.m. at the TransLink Customer Service Centre at Waterfront Station. There were 5,000 products available, including 4,000 adult and 1,000 concession Compass Minis, each available with a $6 refundable deposit.

Each Compass Mini works just like a Compass Card, allowing customers to tap in at fare gates and on buses.

West Coast Express Facts:

• The West Coast Express is the only commuter rail service of its kind in Western Canada.
• A one-way trip spans 69 kilometers (43 miles), taking approximately 75 minutes.
• The West Coast Express travels between Mission City Station, Port Haney Station, Maple Meadows Station, Pitt Meadows Station, Port Coquitlam Station, Coquitlam Central Station, Moody Centre Station, and Waterfront Station.
• In September 2025, the West Coast Express averaged 7,400 weekly boardings.
• The name “West Coast Express” was the winning suggestion by Shannon O’Hara during a naming contest, held in January 1995. There were 8,447 entries into the contest.
• In the early 2000s, the Vancouver Canucks’ trio of Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi, and Brendan Morrison were nicknamed the “West Coast Express”, reflecting their power, speed, and efficiency on the ice. They were considered one of the best lines in hockey during that time.
• The “Brain Train” ran from 1997 to 2004, offering weekly lectures or activities from Capilano College instructors on various subjects. These classes would take part in a designated train car in the morning.
• In 2023, TransLink boosted West Coast Express service by adding a fifth train through the West Coast Express Refurbishment Project. The refurbishments will extend the lifespan of the locomotive engines by 15 years.
• In 2024, the West Coast Express fleet fully converted to renewable diesel, helping to reduce fleet emissions by 97%.

Tags: Breaking News, DC Streetcar, Denver Regional Transportation District, Denver RTD, Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration, Maryland Transit Administration, MDOT, MDOT MTA, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, MTA, PANYNJ, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Sacramento Regional Transit District, SacRT, TransLink, Tri-Rail