MARTA ridership to Atlanta airport accelerates after parking rate hikes

Riders taking MARTA to airport after parking rate hikes

New data from MARTA obtained by FOX 5 shows more people have turned to the transit system to avoid parking fees at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

ATLANTA - It's no secret that passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were not very happy about recent increases to parking rates.

Now many people have turned to other alternatives like MARTA to save money before they fly.

By the numbers:

New data FOX 5 requested from MARTA shows more people are taking the train to avoid parking fees at the Atlanta airport.

At the start of May, hourly, daily economy and international rates all went up. 

MARTA estimates an increase in rail entries at its Airport station of approximately 7.5%, or an average of around 600 more entries from April to May 2025.

A MARTA train stops at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. (Photo by Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

In the same timeframe, MARTA's data showed the average utilization of its long-term parking facilities has increased by around 43%, or an average of 69 more long-term spots in use per day.

What they're saying:

Renee Steinike lives in Alpharetta and said the price increase has changed how she heads to the airport.

"For the last year and a half, I've been going home once a month to take care of my mom and I usually park at the west parking lot because it was very convenient, no problem, but just recently they raised rates to $30 a day. It's ridiculous, so now I'm parking here and taking MARTA," Steinike said.

For others, using MARTA is all about not having to deal with the traffic.

"It's nice that you avoid a lot of the traffic going down there. So, you avoid the perimeter traffic at 285, you avoid the 75/85 merger. It's just really convenient," Caro Montes said.

Roswell resident Allyson Golightly was also taking the train.

"This is close to my house, yeah, but i feel like this station is pretty safe," she said.

Dig deeper:

Back in 2019, MARTA police reported 436 transit-related crimes.

Over the last five years, that number has steadily slowed down. In 2024, 211 incidents were reported - dropping more than 50% from five years prior.

Data did show a jump in some crimes from 2023 to 2024.

"I make sure that I have my headphones in and my sunglasses on because sometimes it's not real safe at certain times," Steinike said,

Other riders say you just have to stay alert.

"I've lived in a lot of big cities throughout my life. I think Atlanta is no different as long as you just stay aware of your surroundings, keep your valuables where you are - I really don't have a problem on transit," Montes said.

What you can do:

MARTA only charges $5 a day for long-term parking at its Dunwoody, Medical Center, Kensington, Lenox and Sandy Springs stations.

The price for the College Park, Doraville, Lindbergh and North Springs stations will run you just $3 more daily at $8.