Anyone planning to park a car at a MARTA station and head to, say, the Atlanta airport for an extended trip might want to tweak their budgets soon.  

Officials with Atlanta’s transit agency announced today that long-term parking rates will be hiked by $2 per day at a number of stations starting Monday, Sept. 14.  

The free parking period at those stations will also be cut back from 24 to 14 hours, effective the same day, per MARTA officials. 

The changes—which will not affect any of MARTA’s current free, daily parking locations—are intended to boost funding for maintenance and future parking facility upgrades, such as improved security and better lighting.

The higher costs will follow market trends, climb closer to rates at private parking facilities near stations, and help move MARTA’s parking operations toward paying for themselves, without funding from fares or tax revenue, per the agency.  

Upgraded parking infrastructure at MARTA's Lindbergh station. Courtesy of MARTA

MARTA officials say parking fees haven’t been increased across the system since 2009, though long-term parking prices were bumped up at end-of-line stations in 2017. The revised rates have been estimated to produce $500,000 more in annual revenue for the transit authority.

MARTA stations set to increase to $10 per day, after 14 hours, include:

  • College Park
  • Doraville
  • Lindbergh 
  • North Springs

Stations increasing parking to $7 per day, after 14 hours, are:

  • Dunwoody
  • Kensington
  • Lenox
  • Medical Center
  • Sandy Springs

The revenue will help MARTA make up the costs for system-wide upgrades at automated parking facilities implemented since 2024 to make parking faster and more convenient. 

Changes have included upgraded payment technology, new gates, payment kiosks, call boxes, license-plate readers, and lighting, per transit officials. 

Despite the price hikes, MARTA says parking rates will remain “well below market rate” for the airport area and Atlanta business districts. 

Lindbergh MARTA station parking today. Courtesy of MARTA

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